Diagnostic Medical Sonography - DMIS.AS

Accreditation and Program Outcomes

The Program is currently accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) via Joint Review Committee on Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) for a “general” ultrasound concentration.

The following is the contact information for CAAHEP and JRC-DMS.

 Updated as of 5/29/18

Applying to this Program

• All applications for consideration for acceptance into the program should be received by the Admissions Office no later than March 31 of the application year.
• Fall start only, day program only
• This is a competitive program, a maximum of 10 students will be accepted each fall.  Student applications will be evaluated and scored based on the information provided below.

Admission Prerequisites:

1. Proof of High School transcript, GED or HISET
2. Completion of a college-level (100 or higher) math course such as MAT-124 * with a grade of C or better.(MAT-124 is a prerequisite to PHY-221  )
3. Completion of  A & P 1 (BIO-231  and BIO-231L  or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better within the past 5 years.
4. Completion of a high-school or college-level chemistry course with a lab with a grade of C or better. CHEM-101 recommended
5. Completion of ENG-101   (or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better.
6. Completion of MED-100  (or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better.
7. Completion of a college-level general physics course such as PHY-221  / PHY-221L  (with a grade of C or better within the past 5 years.)
8. A one-page essay stating why you want to be a sonographer.
9. Admission Checklist (click here to download/print) In order to strengthen your application it is strongly recommended you submit this document with all other requirements.

NOTES:

• All prerequisites must be completed by the deadline date or be in progress with mid-term grades available in your application folder in the Admissions office. There is no requirement that any or all prerequisites be taken at STCC.  Your application must be complete, all necessary transcripts and your essay must be in your application file by March 31.
• *Please note if the potential applicant is taking prerequisites at STCC be aware that MAT-124* is a prerequisite for PHY-221/221L, if you have already taken a 100 level math course, you will still need to take MAT-124.  
• Students with certain pre-existing musculo-skeletal conditions or repetitive motion disorders (carpal tunnel syndrome, arm/shoulder tendinitis or bursitis, rotator cuff disease, disc disease etc.) may find that a career in ultrasound scanning will exacerbate these conditions. Consult your physician with any questions.
• This is a two year(including summers) full time program that must be completed in a sequential manner. There is no availability of part-time, evening, or weekend components. There are clinical internships at area hospitals that may require driving fifty or more miles from the STCC campus, reliable transportation is a must.
• The admission process is competitive with at least 100 applicants for 10 students being accepted every fall.  Applications are accepted beginning in the fall for the next all semester. There is no waiting list that carries over from year to year. If a student is not accepted for a given fall, they must reapply to be considered for the following year.
• Courses with designated time frames must be current within 5 years from the start of the program. (fall of application year)
• Based on previous admission cycles, the following set of life experience, courses and grades will strengthen your application.
  • Previous health care experience (documented on an official letterhead from employer)
  • Previous college degree
  • Previous customer service experience (documented on an official letterhead from employer)
  • Demonstrated good grasp of written grammar/spelling/punctuation (as demonstrated in the essay)
  • Previous medical imaging experience (documented on an official letterhead from employer)
  • Anatomy and Physiology 1 within 5 years (A- minimum)
  • Anatomy and Physiology 2 within 5 years (A- minimum)
  • College-level Chemistry with a lab, CHEM 101 recommended (A- minimum)
  • College-level (100 level or higher) Math, Tech Math 1  recommended (A- minimum),
  • College-level (100 level or higher) English (A- minimum)
  • College-level General Physics (A- minimum)
  • College-level Medical Terminology (A- minimum)
  • College GPA is factored in (mid term grades GPA will not be considered)
  • Students currently enrolled AND/OR who have completed 12 credits of liberal arts/general education and science courses at STCC.
  • We weight the grades received in the following college-level courses more heavily; Physics, English, Anatomy and Physiology and Math

Applying for Re-Admission to this Program

Students who leave this health program before completing it may apply for re-admission.  Students reapplying to the program must resubmit an application, all supporting documents and essay with updated official transcripts. Students will be eligible to receive up to a maximum of one re-admission. Click here  for information about the re-admission policy and process. 

Program Goals

The goal of STCC DMS program is “to prepare competent entry level general sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.”

Program Objectives

1. Provide technical and related offerings that will enable qualified individuals to become skilled entry-level Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.

Objective: Provide instruction in medical ultrasound physics and instrumentation, ultrasound procedures and anatomic patterns, and hands-on clinical training that will enable graduates to successfully complete the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (A.R.D.M.S.) credentialing exams in abdominal ultrasound and obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasound.

2. Provide the technical and related background that will enable these entry-level sonographers to become skilled leaders in the field of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Objective: Improve student’s critical thinking skills by challenging them in other areas of imaging and medicine that impact the provision of sonographic services beyond abdominal and OB/Gyn ultrasound. Topics include ultrasound department organization and management, regulatory oversight, computer-based medical imaging technologies, the integrated contribution of other imaging modalities to patient diagnosis, and instruction in selected vascular ultrasound exams.

3. Anticipate and meet the needs of the region, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the nation for competent and educated workers in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Objective: Provide additional general college-level instruction such that students successfully completing the Program will earn an Associates in Science degree in Medical Imaging with a concentration in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Objective: Respond to the needs of the local sonographic community with Continuing Education offerings that will allow them to bring increased knowledge and competency to the care of their patients.

Objective: Become a continuing Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (S.D.M.S.) CME provider for clinical instruction.

4. Recognize the individual needs of a Program student.

Objective: Provide ongoing counseling and academic review to all Program students to ensure that any student with special needs will be referred to the appropriate College support service. Special needs include but are not limited to academic tutoring, learning disabilities, study skills and test taking, and emotional support.

Additional Requirements for Accepted Students

Deposit: If offered admission, a non-refundable $50.00 deposit will be required to secure your acceptance to this Program.

Mandatory Health Records:  All required health records, immunizations, and physicals MUST be filed in the STCC Health and Wellness Center by July 1 of the admission year. The Health and Wellness Center is located in the Building 19 Room 177 (413-755-4230). For additional information and required forms please visit the Health and Wellness Center website at http://www.stcc.edu/healthservices. The college/program reserves the right to rescind the admission status of any student not meeting, as well as not submitting, all post-admission requirements in a timely manner. 

Background Check: College programs involving potentially unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly, including fieldwork (a clinical affiliation, internship, externship, or field placement) with a private or public healthcare provider or daycare provider, will be required to undergo state-wide and/or national criminal background checks, including but not limited to: Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI), Seven (7) year residential Search, and FBI Fingerprinting checks. The purpose of the background check is to ensure a safe and protective environment for all clients, particularly members of vulnerable populations.

Students choosing not to consent to the required background checks will be ineligible to participate in fieldwork involving vulnerable populations. Ineligibility to participate in fieldwork may affect a student’s ability to successfully complete the program.

Based upon the results of the background checks, a student may be deemed ineligible to participate in academic or clinical activities, which may impact a student’s ability to successfully complete program requirements. Background checks are reviewed by the College’s CORI Board. The CORI Board determines eligibility to participate in academic and/or clinical activities. Students have the right to appeal the determination of the CORI Board by filing a written appeal with the Vice President of Student and Multicultural Affairs within 10 business days of receiving the CORI Board’s determination.

Furthermore, please be advised that eligibility to participate in College academic and/or clinical activities following a background check does not guarantee eligibility to sit for a professional credentialing examination(s) or for employment upon program completion. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the certification or licensure board for a particular healthcare or other service profession to determine the standards that must be met for credentialing, licensing and/or employment in that field.

Drug Screening Policy for Clinical Placement: The School of Health & Patient Simulation is committed to high quality education and providing excellent clinical experiences to students in the health professions. Students are expected to perform at their highest functional level during all educational and clinical experiences in order to maximize the learning environment and ensure patient safety. Thus a student’s performance at all times must be free of any impairment caused by prescription or non-prescribed drugs or alcohol use. Students enrolling in Health Professions programs are required to undergo and pass a drug and/or alcohol screening analysis in order to be eligible for placement in a clinical facility. Students assigned to clinical education experiences at our contracted facilities may also be required to undergo and pass random drug screening analysis in order to remain at that clinical facility and in the program. Students who fail a screening, or refuse to submit to a screening within the designated time frame will be ineligible for clinical placement, which will affect their status in the program. Students with a positive drug test may challenge the results of the test within five (5) business days of notification of the drug test results. This challenge must be in writing and delivered to the college’s Director of Health Services. Students may re-apply for re-entry into a health program after one year. Requests for re-admission will be considered on a case by case basis.

Students who are notified of a negative-dilute result will submit to a random drug test within 24 hours of the previous test in order to confirm the negative status of the screening. Additional random testing may also be required under the guidelines listed in your program’s handbook. A student who claims that he/she tested positive due to a prescription drug and was unable to clarify this matter with the medical review officer (MRO) from the drug testing lab shall be required to provide evidence from a health care provider of the type of prescription, dates of permissible use and dosage amounts within five (5) business days of notification of the drug test results to the college’s Director of the Health and Wellness Center. Failure to complete this notification will result in the student being ineligible for clinical placement, which will affect their status in the program

Students who test positive for marijuana are unable to continue in a clinical placement, which will affect their status in the health program. A student who has a prescription for Medical Marijuana and tests positive for marijuana will also be ineligible to participate in clinical placement due to the federal restriction on the use of marijuana. While the use of Medical Marijuana is permitted in Massachusetts, marijuana remains classified as a controlled substance under federal law and its use, possession, and/or cultivation at educational institutions remains prohibited.

Programmatic Technical Standards: Technical Standards reflect performance abilities  and essential skills that are necessary for a student to successfully complete the requirements of a specified program. Students with disabilities must be able to meet the technical standards of the program with reasonable accommodations as defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA.)  See the link below. Program Technical Standard forms found in your admission acceptance packet must be submitted to the Health and Wellness Center by July 1. The Health and Wellness Center is located in Building 19, Room 177 (413 755-4230)

Health Program Latex Policy  

Program Requirements and Advancement

• This is a two-year (including summer semesters) full-time day program that must be completed in a sequential manner.  There is no availability of part-time, evening, or weekend components.
• The Diagnostic Medical Sonography student must achieve a minimum grade of “C” (73%) in each Sonography course and in the health science and science courses required by the program.
• There are clinical internships at area hospitals that may require driving fifty or more miles from the STCC campus, reliable transportation is a must.
• Clinical rotations are assigned by the department chair not chosen by the student.
• A registered sonographer is someone who has passed a series of credentialing exams administered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonograpy (ARDMS).
• The program is currently CAAHEP accredited for general ultrasound which means that upon successful completion of the program students are eligible to apply for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) credentialing exam in Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) as well as the specialty exams in both abdominal and OB/GYN ultrasound.  In order to obtain an ARDMS credential you must pass both the SPI exam and a specialty exam.
• Most employers require ARDMS registration for their sonographers.  State licensure may be required in some states, although it is not required in Massachusetts or Connecticut at this time.
• There is no echocardiography concentration at this time.

(DMIS.AS) Curriculum

Department Personnel