It is of great concern to me to see the start-up of so many proprietory schools for Diagnostic Medical Songoraphy at a time when jobs are few and requirements for hire are stiff. Twenty years ago,when there were so many jobs and so few schools, I was hired before graduation. I was registy eligible,and passed two specialty exams and physics within two months of graduation. Today, employers are looking for graduates of an accreditid program, plus ARDMS certification, plus one or two years of experience. These proprietory schools charge up to four times the amount it costs to obtain training compared to a community college, and many of them do not offer clinical instruction, especially the on-line programs. Many of the students are not prepared to handle the challenges of difficult and complex exams. It is true that not all sonographers are equal. The general public does not understand that a sonographer can miss pathology if not experienced and well trained.if the sonographer does not image it, it isn't there, and the doctor does not report it. Sonography is a very difficult modality to master, and it entails a life long learning process. It needs to be difficult, because so much is on the line.