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Overview
An Associate of Applied Science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography prepares CSP students to become essential members of diagnostic care teams. Concordia offers coursework that opens doors to exciting and important health care careers, with skills specific to abdominal, obstetric and gynecological, small parts, vascular, muscular, and neuro sonography.
Students also follow an echocardiography concentration that provides skills specific to heart functions and how they translate to overall health of patients. Courses are led by professionals from the medical field and include opportunities for hands-on clinical studies with area health care clinics and hospitals
CSP graduates with an AAS degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography can enter an active job market with jobs that offer excellent pay and benefits, combined with the opportunity to help improve and save lives.
DMS Areas of Concentration
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As a skilled general sonographer, you will specialize in abdominal sonography (the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, spleen and pancreas), obstetric and gynecologic sonography, small parts (thyroid, breast, and scrotum), vascular sonography, musculoskeletal sonography and neurosonography. Diagnostic medical sonographers are trained to operate specialized equipment that sends sound waves into areas of the patient’s body. Sonographers must have technical aptitude, in-depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology, as well as being extremely detail-oriented to identify visual cues of disease processes. Sonographers create diagnostic images, take measurements, analyze the results, and prepare preliminary findings worksheet for the physician.
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As a skilled cardiac sonographer, you are trained in echocardiography to understand the in-depth nature of the heart and how it translates to overall health. Day to day work includes preparing patients for their echocardiogram exams, understanding the reason for the exam and the patient’s presenting symptoms/history, performing complete echocardiograms (including regular transthoracic exams and stress echocardiograms), assisting cardiologist with transesophageal echocardiograms and other invasive cardiac exams. Using specific imaging tools such as 2D and 3D images of the heart and Doppler blood flow imaging to assess the heart’s function. Cardiac sonographers will be competent in starting IV’s for contrast use during an exam. Cardiac sonographers will also be competent in putting together the exam’s measurements/findings and creating a preliminary report for the cardiologist. All of these skills are a crucial part in helping the care team make an accurate diagnosis for the patient.
Program Details
The AAS in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program at Concordia St. Paul applies highly structured areas of learning. Students gain core DMS skills across a broad range of sonography applications. Students also learn deep technical insight to operate specialized equipment that uses sound waves to “see” inside the human body.
They also study human anatomy and physiology to prepare them to capture diagnostic images, take measurements, analyze results, and prepare preliminary findings for physicians to use when finalizing their diagnoses of patients’ issues.
Specialty skills in cardiac sonography apply specifically to a rapidly growing area of diagnostic care across the medical field. With expertise and skills in echocardiography, CSP students can go on to careers assisting cardiologists and applying 2D and 3D imagery of the heart and blood flow for leading edge assessment of heart functions.
DMS skills gained at CSP become crucial for helping care teams make accurate patient diagnoses.
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Free OB Ultrasound - Volunteer Opportunity
These free exams, which each last about one hour, are performed by students under the supervision of a registered diagnostic medical sonographer. Participants must have had your 20-week fetal survey prior to volunteering. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, click below.
DMS Careers
Diagnostic medical sonographers are trained to operate specialized equipment that sends sound waves into areas of the patient’s body. Cardiac (echo) sonographers specialize in imaging of the heart, its function, and blood flow, while general sonographers specialize in all other areas of the body, such as obstetric, gynecologic, and the abdomen, small parts, vascular, musculoskeletal, and neurosonography.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the diagnostic medical sonography job outlook is expected to continue growing much faster than average, and the median pay is approximately $73,000 per year.
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To prepare competent entry-level general sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
1. The DMS graduate must:
1.1 Use critical decision making skills to reach conclusions related to comprehensive patient care
1.2 Be able to obtain, review and integrate pertinent history and supporting clinical data to facilitate optimum diagnostic results.2. The DMS graduate must:
2.1 Be able to perform appropriate procedures and record anatomical, pathological and/or physiological data for interpretation by a physician
2.2 Follow oral and written prescribed instructions to carry out analytical procedures.3. The DMS graduate will be able to demonstrate entry level knowledge of ultrasound physics.
3.1 Able to assess and evaluate current scientific literature and synthesize information in a critical, scientific and effective manner as it relates to application of basic physics principles in Sonography.
3.2 Define and apply basic ultrasound physics and recognize and identify images where quality can be improved by modifying application of US instruments and mode of operation.4. The DMS graduate will achieve personal development and demonstrate interpersonal communication skills with patients, health care professionals and the general public.
4.1 Exhibit positive relationship skills via effective communication, respect for others, and awareness of their impact on others. The graduate must be able to demonstrate professional conduct and acceptance of constructive criticism. -
Our attrition rate is 11%
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Our job placement rate is 57%.
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Our credential success:Ab- 100%RVT-100%ARRT- 100%
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The Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program (General Concentration) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of JRC-DMS.
The program may also include the address and phone number:
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775727-210-2350 -
The General program gained accreditation on September 17th, 2021.The Echo program is currently not accredited.
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Concordia’s Cardiac (echo) Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is not currently accredited due to its recent start at the University. Echo students can sit for their CCI boards to become registered and begin work in the field.
