The ultrasound technician career is considered as an attractive career because there are so many rewards when this field of medicine is chosen as a career. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 2012, the number of ultrasound sonographer jobs will increase more than the other professions in the medical field. Moreover, the numbers will double for the employment in 2016. This is just a reason why ultrasound technician job is an interesting and attractive one. In this article, let us go over the different reasons why this profession is considered attractive.
Trainings
To become an ultrasound technician, the student must be able to complete an associate degree and a bachelor degree in ultrasound technology. Associate degrees can be accomplished in two years while a bachelor degree can be accomplished within four years. A clinical training is included in the curriculum and is done outside the classroom. Hospitals, doctors’ clinics and laboratories are some of the places where the students undergo hands-on experience to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities of the technician when employed.
Working Environment
Basically, the job of the ultrasound tech is to place a patient in a position where he can get the clearest possible picture from the required body organ or veins of the patient. He is considered to participate in the full diagnosis of the patient’s disease because he is doing the initial diagnosis when subjecting the patient to ultrasound procedures. Unlike the working environment of the x-ray technician that is exposed to different kinds of radiation, the ultrasound tech is not experiencing any kind of radiation. Sound waves from the machine are not considered to emit radiation since they are the safest diagnosing machines in the medical world. The only tedious work of the technician is he had to stand all throughout the procedure, respond on hospital on-call responsibilities and work on weekends if requested by the doctor or by the hospital director.
Rewards And Benefits
One of the attractive rewards of the profession as sonographer is the high pay rate. With an associate degree or bachelor degree, the ultrasound technician is expected to have an average of $65,000 annually or between the range of $55,000 and $75,000 per year. However, one must remember that these are just broad averages of all the technician salaries. There are several variations in the ultrasound technician salary. Usually, experienced technicians working for about fifteen years are earning much more than those who are new in the industry. Furthermore, the geographical location of the job affects the salary. It is expected that the technician in urban hospitals earn more than those who are working in sub-urban and rural areas.
Being an ultrasound sonographer is that there is an in-demand trend when it comes to the job opportunities in hospitals, doctors’ offices and medical clinics. Certification or license from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography is optional but there is more advantage when the technician is licensed. Some of the states in the US require a license from ARDMS and the ultrasound technician is considered a sought-after applicant if he is a carrier of the license from accrediting bodies.
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