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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Depending on the concentration, sonography certification may be provided by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)

Program Effectiveness data is provided by the Program Director and is updated annually.  Data collected November 2024

Note: The Program Effectiveness Data spreadsheet includes statistics from six (6) cohorts of students:

• Cohort 1: 1 year Abdomen-Extended & OB/GYN (ABOB)
• Cohort 2: 1 year Adult Echocardiography
• Cohort 3: 1 year Vascular
• Cohort 4: 2 year ABOB + Adult Echocardiography
• Cohort 5: 2 year ABOB + Vascular
• Cohort 6: 2 year Vascular + Adult Echocardiography

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

443-973-3251  |  JRCDMS@intersocietal.org