Diagnostic Medical Sonography - DMIS.AS

Accreditation and Program Outcomes

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has accredited the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS).

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

Program Outcomes

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 it’s equivalent) with a grade of C or better within the past 5 years
4. Completion of ENG-101   (or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better.
5. Completion of MED-100  (or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better.
6. 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.)
7. A one-page essay stating why you want to be a sonographer.
8. Admission Checklist: 

• In order to strengthen your application it is strongly recommended you submit this document with all other requirements. Select from one of the following two options:           
• Paper checklist (click here to download/print, can be mailed or emailed to the Admissions office)
• Electronic checklist (to be completed and submitted online)
  • Currently, enrolled STCC students click here for the electronic checklist
  • Potential students (not currently enrolled at STCC) click here for the electronic checklist                                                                     

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 since only 10 students are accepted each year.  Applications are accepted beginning in the fall for the next fall 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)
• Mid-semester grades for spring prerequisite and required courses will be considered.  Students requesting consideration for coursework being performed outside STCC must submit mid-term grade reports to the Admissions office with their application.  The letter must be on the official college letterhead. An email from the individual course professor will be accepted if it is received directly from the professor’s college email address. Correspondence should be sent to admissions@stcc.edu. Please note, Spring 2 courses do not post mid-term grades.
• Based on previous admission cycles, the following set of life experience, courses and grades will strengthen your application.
  • Previous college degree
  • Demonstrated good grasp of written grammar/spelling/punctuation (as demonstrated in the essay)
  • Previous health care experience (documented on the Healthcare Experience Form , please submit with application)
  • Previous customer service experience (documented on the Healthcare Experience Form , please submit with application)
  • Previous medical imaging experience (documented on the Healthcare Experience Form , please submit with application)
  • Anatomy and Physiology 1 within 5 years (A- minimum)
  • Anatomy and Physiology 2 within 5 years (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-level Sectional Anatomy (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

If a student leaves a health program for any reason, and intends to re-enter the following academic year into the semester in which they left, the student must follow the readmission process as outlined in the School of Health & Patient Simulation Readmission Policy. 

Click here  to see full policy and procedures.

The student seeking readmission to a health program must submit a Letter of Intent to Return, to the Dean of Health & Patient Simulation Office (Building 20/Room 320) and to the Program Director, by November 16 for consideration for return in the spring semester, and by February 1 for consideration for return in the fall semester. These dates may change from year to year.

If a student intends to return to a health program after one full academic year has passed, the student must apply as a new applicant through the college admissions website https://www.stcc.edu/apply/.  

All students must follow the readmission policy and guidelines of their specific department/program.

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 for students being admitted in the Fall semester and no later than two (2) weeks prior to the start of the program for students being admitted in the Spring semester of the admission year. The Health and Wellness Center is located in 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.

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.

Programmatic Technical Standards: Technical Standards reflect performance abilities and essential skills that a student must demonstrate in order to successfully complete the requirements of a specified program.  These Standards must be satisfied by all students in all aspects of the program, with or without reasonable accommodations, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including in the classroom, laboratories, and externship. If you are an individual with a documented disability who seeks reasonable accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services at (413) 755-4785 or stop by Building 19, Room 141 as soon as practicable for information concerning the College’s accommodation process. Additional information can also be found on the Office of Disability Service’s website: https://www.stcc.edu/resources/academic-support/ods/. Please note that 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 and can be reached at (413) 755-4230.  

Drug Screening:The School of Health & Patient Simulation is committed to providing high quality education and 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 including alcohol, marijuana, and cannabis-derived products. Students enrolling in Health Professions programs are required to undergo and pass a drug screening analysis in order to be eligible for placement in a clinical facility. STCC student program fees cover the cost of this screening. Additional scheduled and random drug and/or alcohol screenings may be required depending upon clinical facility and/or program guidelines. 

Students who are notified of a negative-dilute result will submit to an observed urine drug test within 24 hours of the previous test (or soonest appointment made available to STCC Health Compliance by the testing agency) in order to confirm the negative or positive finding status of the drug screening. If a student continues to receive a negative-dilute or inconclusive drug screening result, the subsequent drug test will be of the hair collection method until a conclusive negative or positive result is confirmed.

Students with a positive drug screening may challenge the results by filing a written appeal to the College’s Director of Health Compliance within five (5) business days of notification of the test results. An appeal by a student who claims that the positive test was due to a prescription drug and was unable to clarify this matter with the medical review officer (MRO) from the drug testing lab shall include evidence from a health care provider of the type of prescription, dates of permissible use and dosage amounts. Students may be responsible to pay for additional drug screening conducted as part of an appeal. Students excluded from a program due to a positive screening, failure to submit appeal, denied appeal, or refusal to submit to a screening may re-apply for re-entry into a program after one year. Requests for re-admission will be considered on a case by case basis and in accordance with the program criteria.

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

Program Personnel