Cardiac Sonography (Echocardiography)

College

College of Health Professions

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Campus

Center City

Format

On Campus

Cardiac Sonography (Echocardiography)

Cardiac sonographers, also known as echocardiographers, use sophisticated diagnostic ultrasound equipment to produce dynamic real-time imaging of the heart's chambers, walls, valves, and great vessels to assist the physician in diagnosing cardiovascular disease. Cardiac sonographers complete important tasks, such as:

  • Acquiring information related to the heart's anatomy and physiology
  • Evaluating acquired and congenital cardiac abnormalities and associated complications
  • Evaluating narrowed or leaking heart valves
  • Looking for causes of murmurs, chest pain, shortness of breath
  • Tracking and evaluating chronic heart conditions
  • Aquiring images during an exercise or pharmacologic stress echocardiogram

Cardiac sonographers work directly with healthy and critically ill inpatients and outpatients of all ages.  Most cardiac sonography procedures are noninvasive and are carried out in small, low-lit rooms.  The sonographer can either stand or sit beside the patient, who is on a stretcher, exam talbe, or in a wheelchair.  Sometimes the cardiac sonographer will transport a portable ultrasound to a patient's room, emergency department, and can perform echocardiograms in intensive care units.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program is to provide a comprehensive education preparing students for entry-level practice in Sonography as competent, caring members of the health care team, cultivating professionalism and life-long learning.

Cardiac Sonography Concentration within Your Degree

Students may complete this concentration as part of any of our Department  Bachelor Programs. Dual-Concentration students can choose Cardiac Sonography in their first year. Cardiac Sonography is most often combined with Abdomen-Extended & OB/GYN and Vascular Sonography.

Students must consult an admissions counselor or a Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences faculty member when choosing concentrations, to help make sure that the combination you choose is the best option for your future career.

Goals

The goal of this program is to prepare competent entry-level songraphers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains in adult cardiac sonography.

Students will:

  • Select appropriate transducers and use appropriate technical settings
  • Demonstrate knowledge of proper patient prep
  • Obtain appropriate images of highest obtainable technical quality
  • Provide safe and quality patient care

Students will:

  • Adjust technical settings as needed based on patient body habitus and/or pathology
  • Change transducers or patient position as needed for exam
  • Critique images for diagnostic quality

Students will demonstrate appropriate and effective oral and written communication skills with patients and the interprofessional healthcare team.

Students will:

  • Integrate professional ethics and behavior into clinical practice
  • Function as part of the interprofessional healthcare team
  • Participate in professional growth development

Certification Exams

All BS graduates are eligible to take the associated certification examinations of the organizations that oversee the concentration of study. Students who pass these examinations receive national certification. Dual-Concentration students may not be able to take certification exams until they receive their BS.

Learn about the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).

Program Effectiveness

Student Retention Rates*

3 Year Average (Classes of 2019 – 2021)
# of Students Entered Program # of Students  Graduated Program Program Completion Rate
16 16 100%
One Year Data 2021
# of Students Entered Program # of Students  Graduated Program Program Completion Rate
5 5 100%

Credential Success Rates*

3 Year Average (Classes of 2019 – 2021)
# of Our Students Who Took Exam # of Our Students Who Passed Pass
Rates
26 25 96%
One Year Data 2021
# of Our Students Who Took Exam # of Our Students Who Passed Pass
Rates
6 6 100%

Job Placement Rates*

Job Placement rates are within ONE year post graduation.

3 Year Average (Classes of 2019 – 2021)
# of Students Seeking Job # of Students Employed in 1 Year Job Placement Rate
16 15 94%
One Year Data 2021
# of Students Seeking Job # of Students Employed in 1 Year Job Placement Rate
5 5 100%

*Data from Program Director (updated annually). Data collected December 2022

Note: Sonography students take multiple specialty exams. The number reflects total exams taken by students. Hence the number of exams taken are higher than the number of students completing the program.

Accreditation

Thomas Jefferson University, Cardiac Sonography Program, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)


9355 113th Street N., #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

JRCDMS
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500
Ellicott City, MD 21043

443-973-3251
JRCDMS@intersocietal.org