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Diagnostic Medical Sonography DMS

Degree Type: Associate in Applied Science

Required Courses		Credit Hours
BIOL 109	Basic Human Anatomy/Physiology*Z	4
PHYS 130	Concepts in Physics *Z	4
MRIS 102
MATH 115
Professional Sequence Cources:
CCHS 101	Orientation - Health Care	3
ENGL 150	English 1	3
PSYC 150	Introduction to Psychology	3
CCHS 102	Safety Issues-Health Care	1
CCHS 103	Clinical Skills - Health Care Providers	1
ENGL 250	English 2	3
Choose one:
COMM 105	Interpersonal Communication	3
COMM 221	Small Group Decision Making	3
Choose one:
HUMN 220		3
HUMN 320		3

MRIS 210	Fundamentals of Medical Science	3
SONO 100	Introduction to DMS	1
SONO 101	SONO Prin & Instrumentation	4
SONO 110	Abdominal & Small Parts SONO	4
SONO 115	SONO Cross Sectional Anatomy	1
SONO 120	Obstetrics & Gynecolog SONO	4
SONO 130	Hemo, Doppler & Color Flow Ap	2
SONO 291	Clinical Practicum 1	12
SONO 292	Clinical Practicum 2	12
SONO 293	Clinical Practicum 3	9
Additional Requirements	Computer competency - CAHS Core Requirement
Minimum credit hours required:		80
	BIOL 109, PHYS 130, Medical Terminology Competency, MATH Competency are pre-requisites to the professional sequence and must be successfully completed prior to SONO 100 or SONO 101.
	Medical Terminology competency can be demonstrated with successful completion of MRIS 102 or through proficiency testing.
	MATH Competency can be deonstrated with a Math ACT subscore of 24 or higher, MATH 115 or equivalency with a grade of C or better or proficiency exam.
	A grade of C or better is required in BIOL 109, PHYS 130, all SONO courses and the CCHS core curriculum. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.

Why Choose Diagnostic Medical Sonography?

The Sonography program at Ferris is the only University-based general ultrasound curriculum in the state.   Students enter the program in the fall semester and spend the first three semesters on the Big Rapids campus.  Studies during this period include general education and technical courses.  Ample laboratory periods provide an opportunity to apply the theory and principles learned in the lecture sessions.  During the final three semesters students work with patients in an off-campus clinical education center.  These sites are located throughout the state in hospitals affiliated with the University to provide clinical experience and continued academic instruction.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers use high frequency sound waves to produce images and data that assist health care professionals diagnose various disease and disease processes.   Sonographers are taught to work independently and to operate highly technical ultrasound equipment to acquire sonographic images.  Physicians depend on the sonographer�s assistance with interpretation of the images to evaluate many body parts and structures, especially of the abdomen and pelvis.

Graduates of the program are eligible to write the Physical Principles/Instrumentation Examination (The Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation) and Specialty Examinations for the RDMS Credential (Abdomen, and Obstetrics and Gynecology) upon completion of all required clinical experience as dictated by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).  Graduates of the program are eligible to write the ARRT Sonography Credential.

Get a Great Job

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a newly designated occupational category by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics within the imaging sciences field as of 2001. According to the US Department of Labor, almost 53 percent of sonographers are between the ages of 41 and 65, which means that they are at or near retirement. With employment of sonographers expected to grow faster than the average through 2010, plenty of opportunities await the skilled professional.

Sonography, an ever-evolving profession, offers its practitioners many opportunities to enhance and advance careers. Sonographers can specialize in such diverse areas as the abdomen, obstetrics and gynecology, echocardiography, vascular technology, neurosonology and ophthalmology. They can work in clinics, hospitals, private practice, public health facilities, labs and other medical settings or branch out into education, administration, research or sales.

Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted to the university. To be qualified to enter the professional sequence of the program a student must have earned a minimum grade of �C� in each of the following courses or their equivalent: BIOL 109, MATH 115 (or Math ACT subscore of 24), PHYS 130, MRIS 102 and ENGL 150 with a grade of �C� or better.

To assure students of a quality technical education in classroom/lab and clinical practice, enrollment is limited. Students who meet or will have met the program�s qualification criteria by the end of Spring semester are required to apply to the program�s professional sequence between January 15 and January 30 of the year prior to the August professional sequence entry. Admission will be based upon date of qualification.

Graduation Requirements

The six-semester sequential course of study at Ferris leads to an associate in applied science degree. Ferris guarantees you an internship in the last three semesters of the program, although due to limited space, specific clinical site locations cannot be guaranteed. If a student elects to interrupt progression in the professional sequence of the program, re-entry cannot be guaranteed due to space limitations in laboratory and clinical placement sites. Graduation requires a minimum 2.0 GPA overall and students must earn a �C� or better in major and core courses and meet all general education requirements as outlined on the General Education website.

More Information

Michelle Weemaes, Program Coordinator
College of Allied Health Sciences
Ferris State University
200 Ferris Drive
Big Rapids, MI  49307-2740
231-591-2261
weemaesm@ferris.edu

For Career information, enclose a stamped, self-addressed business size envelope with your request to:

ARDMS
600 Jefferson Plaza
Suite 360, Rockville, MD  20852-1150
(301) 738-8401 or (800) 541-9754
FAX (301) 738-0312/0313
www.ardms.org.

SDMS
12770 Coit RoadM
Suite 708, Dallas, TX  75251-1319
(972) 239-7367 or (800) 229-9506
FAX (972) 239-7378
www.sdms.org.