Cardiac sonographer
Encyclopedia
Cardiac sonographer is a medical profession of sonographer
s that specialize in the anatomy and function of the heart
. It is a technical job that in the USA has traditionally required an Associates degree in Echo and passing a National Registry exam, but more and more often is requiring a Bachelors degree as the field gets more developed and complicated. Much like how a general sonographer would use sonography (ultrasound
) to view a fetus
inside a pregnant woman, cardiac sonographers use the same technology to examine and evaluate the heart: chamber sizes, arrangement of the parts, muscle function, valve function and blood flow. Cardiac sonographers typically do not make diagnoses, but rather report all that they find to a cardiologist for further analysis.
However, some students may choose to pursue a full four-year degree in order to allow them to work at more advanced levels but most commonly, the course of study for those pursuing the cardiac sonographer profession is the two-year associate's degree. Typically, an associate's degree satisfies the minimum educational requirement for most employers.
Sonographer
Sonographers are diagnostic medical professionals who operate ultrasonic imaging devices to produce diagnostic images, scans, videos, or 3D volumes of anatomy and diagnostic data. Sonography requires specialized education and skills to view, analyze and modify the scan to optimize the information...
s that specialize in the anatomy and function of the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
. It is a technical job that in the USA has traditionally required an Associates degree in Echo and passing a National Registry exam, but more and more often is requiring a Bachelors degree as the field gets more developed and complicated. Much like how a general sonographer would use sonography (ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
) to view a fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
inside a pregnant woman, cardiac sonographers use the same technology to examine and evaluate the heart: chamber sizes, arrangement of the parts, muscle function, valve function and blood flow. Cardiac sonographers typically do not make diagnoses, but rather report all that they find to a cardiologist for further analysis.
Educational requirements in U.S.
Most schools that offer training for cardiac sonographers have several different programs available to students. Programs that are certificate-based can be completed in about twelve (12) months allowing the candidate to make a relatively quick entrance into their chosen career.However, some students may choose to pursue a full four-year degree in order to allow them to work at more advanced levels but most commonly, the course of study for those pursuing the cardiac sonographer profession is the two-year associate's degree. Typically, an associate's degree satisfies the minimum educational requirement for most employers.