Do you know what sonography specialties are available? If not, stick to this page.
We’ll outline some areas you can focus on when completing your studies in this field and highlight some high-demand specialties. Now, let’s overview the profession and discuss the different types of ultrasound technicians.
Who Does Sonograms?
Sonography is a fulfilling and rewarding career path in healthcare. The profession involves capturing images of the human body for diagnostic purposes.
- What is an ultrasound technician called?
Practitioners in this field are known as sonographers. They are trained to take ultrasound images and work alongside physicians to help patients on their healthcare journey.
To become a sonographer, you must complete an accredited program at a university, community college, vocational school, or training hospital.
After acquiring the required education and training, you’ll be mandated to pick an area of specialty. Your career path will be in whatever location you choose.
Understanding the Field of Sonography
Sonography is imaging organs and structures inside the human body using equipment that transmits high-frequency sound waves. It’s a non-invasive way of helping doctors and other healthcare experts diagnose various health conditions.
The sound waves echo off the internal tissue and are displayed on the screen so physicians can see what’s happening in the body in real time.
Some medical conditions, diseases, and abnormalities that are detected using ultrasound include cancers of the testicle, prostate, and breast. The equipment can also assess and monitor the growth of fetuses, blood vessels, and tissues.
Sonography is a safer form of medical imaging, as it does not use harmful radiation like X-rays. Imaging technology also integrates modern computers to help doctors diagnose issues associated with various body parts.
Different Types of Ultrasound Technicians
Before pursuing this career path, learning about the available specialties is essential.
This will help you pick a career path that meets your goals and aspirations. As noted above, the type of specialization you choose will determine your job duties and work environments.
Sonography has many areas of expertise, including abdominal, cardiovascular, gynecology, small parts, and musculoskeletal imaging.
Others include fetal echocardiography and pediatric, cardiac, and neurosonology sonography. Let’s review some of these specialties individually.
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Abdomen Sonography
While completing your education, you can specialize in imaging abdominal organs such as the liver, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and biliary system.
This involves performing an ultrasound examination of these organs and tissues in the abdominal region.
You’ll be checking for abnormalities like tumors, kidney stones, tissue damage, gallbladder stones, weak spots, and other concerns. A few signs of abdominal malfunctioning include severe pain, nausea or vomiting, and through lab testing.
Those who opt for this career path receive extensive training to fully understand the abdominal system to help doctors diagnose and treat patients.
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Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) Sonography
Another fantastic specialty area is obstetrics and gynecology. The area involves taking diagnostic images of the female reproductive system and the fetus during pregnancy.
Those who choose this focus area will be trained to examine the female pelvic anatomy through transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound.
After taking sonograms, practitioners in this field evaluate a fetus’s growth and track its development. This helps physicians develop health plans for mothers to implement throughout their pregnancy.
Gynecologic ultrasound detects pathology like ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. It also helps identify the due date for the baby’s arrival.
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Breast Sonography
Consider this specialty area to evaluate normal and abnormal changes in breast tissue and surrounding areas.
You’ll be trained to take ultrasound images of the breast and lymph nodes using high-frequency and high-resolution imaging transducers.
Some abnormalities breast sonographers look for include lumps, cysts, and tumors.
Practitioners in this discipline can also help physicians and other specialists diagnose potential cancer growth from the images they take.
Breast sonographers undergo specialized education and training to earn positions in women’s health centers, oncology centers, and hospitals.
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Fetal Echocardiography Sonography
You can also specialize in this area while completing your sonography studies.
Fetal Echocardiography Sonographers are trained to assess the heart’s anatomy, pathology, physiology, and hemodynamics before delivery.
Physicians and other medical workers will identify any heart defects early and adjust their treatment plans based on the images you provide.
To thrive as an expert in this field, you must have strong abilities and extensive knowledge regarding the difference between normal and abnormal fetal cardiac functions.
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Pediatric Sonography
This specialty area is ideal for those interested in helping pediatric patients regain their health.
You’ll receive extensive training in taking sonogram images of specific body parts, including the chest, spine, head, joints, genitourinary, and hips. The images you’ll provide will help physicians identify any cause for concern.
Pediatric sonographers explain the process to patients and their families.
This helps them understand what the technician and doctors are doing and looking for and makes them feel more comfortable throughout the procedure.
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Neurosonology or Neuroimaging
Aspiring sonographers can specialize in this area. You’ll be trained to use a transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound with special beams and frequencies to monitor and measure blood flow in the brain.
Moreover, you’ll be taught how to take images of patients’s spinal columns and nervous systems to look for irregularities like strokes, epilepsy, paralysis, Alzheimer’s, and aneurysms.
From the images you’ll provide, physicians and other healthcare workers can diagnose medical conditions like cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and encephalitis.
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Musculoskeletal Sonography
Musculoskeletal sonography is a superb specialty that involves imaging the skeletal system and muscles for diagnostic purposes.
You’ll use specialized equipment to take pictures of nerves, ligaments, joints, and tendons to help diagnose medical conditions that affect patients’ mobility.
You’ll determine some medical conditions, such as sprains, tears, arthritis, hernias, cysts, soft tissue damage, and herniated discs.
Most of these conditions are sustained by accidents or injuries. Doctors address these issues via occupational therapy, physical therapy, minimally invasive procedures, orthopedic surgery, and more.
High Demanding Sonography Specialties
Having seen the different concentration areas in this discipline, it’s essential to know which ones are in high demand. This knowledge will help you pick a rewarding career path.
That said, abdomen and OB/GYN sonographers are often in high demand in the U.S. because some standard ultrasound procedures fall under these specialties.
Sonography is an excellent career path for those interested in contributing immensely to the healthcare industry. To enter this profession, you must pick one of the abovementioned specialty areas.
But before doing that, weigh your desired specialty area’s job prospects and salary range.