Cardiovascular Sonography

In echocardiography, students are trained to determine the pathology of the heart; monitor flow patterns; and evaluate heart valves, EKG patterns, and the cardiac cycle. In vascular technology, students are trained to determine arterial and venous pathology in the peripheral, abdominal, and cerebrovascular systems. Students attend didactic lecture courses and scan lab courses for the full 15 months of the program; students attend clinical rotations for 12 months of the program. Students attend clinical rotations across S.C. and train in facilities including inpatient and outpatient facilities, Trauma I hospital systems, cath labs, and vascular surgery centers.

The cardiovascular sonographer is a skilled member of the diagnostic health care team. Cardiovascular sonographers work closely with cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and vascular and cardiac surgeons. The sonographer must possess in-depth knowledge of ultrasonographic physics, human anatomy, physiology, and pathology. The sonographer's primary job is direct patient care, which necessitates excellent interpersonal skills.

Procedures are performed with real-time B-mode, M-mode, and Doppler instrumentation, utilizing a transducer assembly against the anatomical part of the interest and recording the images with ancillary devices. Noninvasive peripheral vascular studies also utilize blood pressure cuffs, photoplethysmography and other devices for assessing hemodynamic properties.

This is a 15-month program, broken in to 4 consecutive Sessions. There is one cohort start date each year, which begins in September. Please see an example of courses per Session in the ‘Program Outline’ section below.

All courses in the curriculum must be passed with a grade of “C” or higher in order to proceed to the next Session.

Program Outline – Year 1

First Year

fall  – Session I	Contact Hours	CEUS
Introduction to CVS	26	2.6
Introduction to CVS Scan Lab	52	5.2
Professional/Medical Ethics	26	2.6
Sonography Physics	52	5.2

spring  – Session II	Contact Hours	CEUS
Echocardiography I	26	2.6
Vascular Sonography I	26	2.6
CVS Scan Lab I	52	5.2
Clinicals I	531	353.1

Program Outline – Year 2

Second Year

summer  – Session Iii	Contact Hours	CEUS
Echocardiography II	26	2.6
Vascular Sonography II	26	2.6
CVS Scan Lab II	52	5.2
Clinicals II	486	48.6

fall  – Session Iv	Contact Hours	CEUS
Echo/Vascular III	26	2.6
EKG Testing	26	2.6
Registry Review	26	2.6
Clinicals III	351	35.1

Admissions Requirements

Changes to Admissions Policy

Our admissions procedure has changed from previous years. We no longer have rolling admissions and will no longer transfer offers of acceptance from year to year. Students must provide the $25 application fee should they decide to reapply for the next year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration into the program the student must have successfully completed at least one of the following:

An Associate Degree (60 Hours) - two-year Allied Health Care program with direct patient contact (must include a clinical internship/externship). Allied Health occupations include, but are not limited to, radiologic technologist, respiratory therapist, paramedic, occupational therapist, physical therapist and registered nurse.

OR

A Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) - any major.

Successful completion of three prerequisite courses (listed below) before the program start date in September. Courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” or higher. These three courses must be less than three years old from the year of the program start date. If they were taken more than three years prior, students must retake these courses.

Prerequisite Courses

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab - 4 credit hours
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab - 4 credit hours
• Medical Terminology - 3 credit hours

Students can be interviewed/accepted on a probationary status if they are completing their degree and/or prerequisite courses the semester before the program start date. Full acceptance will be pending on all completion of all required coursework. Please email cce@midlandstech.edu if you have any questions regarding the Associate’s Degree in an Allied Health Care Field.

Additional Information

• The 15-month program begins each fall semester (September) and concludes in December of the following year. The priority application registration deadline is May 1st. Applications are accepted until May 31st, pending space availability.
• Those applicants who are currently completing their degree studies (or pre-requisite courses) may apply to the Sonography program, interview, and receive ‘probationary acceptance status’, pending proof of degree completion prior to the first day of the Sonography program fall semester. Those who do not provide this proof prior to the beginning of the first day of class will not be eligible to proceed in the program.
• Foreign applicants must meet certain academic admission requirements and should contact CCE Registration office to ensure eligibility. Students who do not use English as their first language may have to demonstrate proficiency in the English language before being accepted into the program.
• As part of the admission requirement, all applicants must have their official transcripts forwarded to the Program Director's office.
• The program may accept up to ten students per program year in each area, General/Diagnostic Medical program and the Cardiovascular program.
• Students in this program are involved in their professional course work and clinical education rotations for a minimum of 35 hours per week. Full-time or part-time work during the Sonography program is strongly discouraged.
• Students will interact with sick and injured patients of all ages and conditions. Rotations will involve three or more affiliate hospitals and offices in order to provide the student with the most comprehensive clinical education and experience. This requires traveling throughout the state of South Carolina. Clinical schedules are made per semester, by the Program Director, so students can schedule their outside activities accordingly.
• Students must be of a physical and emotional state that will allow them to meet all clinical objectives which involve the moving of patients, moving equipment, and communicating with patients and medical staff.
• The students will adhere to a prescribed dress code while in clinical rotations and classes, as well as follow policies and procedures set forth by the program to properly educate students to the hospital setting. Students must wear scrub uniforms during all classes and clinical rotations.
• Attendance requirements for class and clinical rotations are much more stringent than the overall College's policy. More than two violations of dress, attendance, or professionalism policies will not be tolerated and are grounds for dismissal from the program.
• Students must be certified in adult and infant BLS for Healthcare Workers upon entering the program AND are responsible for maintaining this certification during the program.
• Students must submit a background check and clean drug screening prior to the start date of the program, as instructed by the Program Director after being accepted into the program. The background check must be clean for the past 10 years.
• Students are responsible for receiving all titers and vaccinations required by hospital clinical sites before they begin clinical rotations. These include, but are not limited to: MMR, Hep B vaccine, Quantiferon Gold (TB) test or chest X-ray if necessary, flu vaccine, TDAP, and COVID-19 vaccine. Please note that these vaccinations are mandatory and cannot be declined. Instructions for completing vaccine requirements are given to the students AFTER they are accepted in to the program. It is not required to complete vaccines/titers before the program start date.

Application Process

Prospective students must apply for admission to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program by completing the steps below.

This is a 15-month program. There is one program start date each year, which is in September. The deadline for priority application registration is May 1. After this date, applications will be accepted until May 31, pending space availability.

Step 1:

Download application and mail along with a $25 non-refundable application fee to:

Midlands Technical College
Continuing Education Department
Attention: Sonography Program
PO Box 2408
Columbia SC 29202 

Include with your application a copy of any professional certification for verification (ARRT card as an example), if you have been previously certified.

Step 2:

Official college transcripts showing a completed undergraduate degree and the three prerequisites listed above are required. They must be mailed to the same address as above; or official e-transcripts are also accepted, and can be emailed to kelseymmarl@midlandstech.edu.

Step 3:

A minimum of 2 letters of recommendation from employers, professors, or professional colleagues are required with the application packet. Please have letters of recommendation sent to the same mailing address or email address above.

After You Apply

Applicants will be placed on the qualified list to be interviewed once ALL required documentation listed above has been received. Applications received without the $25 fee will not be processed, and the applicant will not be contacted.

Once a student has met the preliminary admissions requirements he/she will be required to attend a mandatory ‘Program Information Session’ in summer term. Upon completion of these two requirements, the student will then be invited to interview with the committee between June-July. Job shadowing prior to the ‘Information Session’ is strongly encouraged, if it is possible for the applicant to complete on their own.

All students are required to have a clean background check for 10 years, and a clear drug screening. The forms and instructions for completing background check and drug screen will be distributed after the student has received their letter of acceptance in to the program.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The 2024-25 program cost is $15,900.

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