traveling surgical tech jobs
Choosing a Specialization within Ultrasound
So you want to become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and you’ve seen the common images of the Ultrasound Tech moving the wand over a pregnant woman’s belly while a picture of the fetus inside appears on a screen. What you don’t know is that this is only one of several interesting subfields and specialties to choose from in the field of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. As you progress through your basic set of ultrasound technology courses, you will need to begin thinking about what aspect of the application of sonography interests you the most. The following is a brief introduction to the common areas of specialization within the field of ultrasound:
Abdominal Sonography
Abdominal Sonographers specialize in viewing the organs and tissues within the abdominal area. This includes the liver, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder, and kidneys. Doppler sonography, which is a new technological advance in ultrasound, has allowed for highly accurate viewing of blood vessel images and functioning. The Doppler technology evaluates the speed and thickness with which the blood flows through the vessels.
As an abdominal specialist, you may find gallstones, abdominal aneurysm’s, dilated bile ducts, or an enlarged pancreas or liver. As the Abdominal Ultrasound Tech, your job is not to diagnose the problem, but rather to get the most accurate images, so that the Radiologist Physician can interpret and officially diagnose the problem.
Vascular Ultrasound
Just as it sounds, vascular ultrasound focuses on viewing problems associated with blood flow through the blood vessels. Vascular Ultrasound Tech’s help to evaluate the velocity of blood flow and to seek out blockages and abnormalities which may lead to blood clots. When a blockage is found, the use of vascular ultrasound techniques is employed along with a technique called angioplasty, which is the procedure which reopens the blocked blood vessel.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography is essentially a sonogram of the heart, it’s valve function, and blood flow. This is the most commonly performed procedure to detect and treat heart disease. The accuracy of the technology has greatly improved and can very precisely show physicians the pumping capacity, size, shape, and irregularity with the opening and closing of the valves. One example, is that it can be used to indicate if blood is flowing backwards into a heart valve that is not closing entirely.
Obstetrics and Gynecological Sonography
This is what most people commonly associate with the field of ultrasound. It’s primary focus is on the progress and healthy progression of a pregnancy. It is used to monitor the fetal heart beat, birth defects, or an abnormal fetal heartbeat. Gynecological Sonographers focus on imaging and treating the female pelvic area such as the fallopian tubes, uterus, ovaries, cervix, and bladder.
Other Uses of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
The above subfields within ultrasound are the most common and provide for the majority of job opportunities. However, there are other uses of ultrasound such as neurosonology, which is the use of sonograms to evaluate the central nervous system, the head, and the neck. This is used to detect abnormalities such as brain tumors and growths. Lastly, there is another less commonly known subfield called Ophthalmology Ultrasound, which is the use of sonography to obtain cross sectional images of the eyes.
The field of Diagnostic Medical Sonography is growing as the technology has proven to be helpful in imaging virtually all areas of the human body and can be used in a variety of situations from interventional procedures to assisting in surgical operations. I hope this article has served to help those interested in the field of ultrasound get their bearings among what can be perceived as a complex field to understand.
To learn more, visit http://www.radiology-schools.com where you will find a comprehensive resource for anyone thinking about an ultrasound career.
surgical tech. school in Northern NJ community college enough?
I have a B.A. degree and I am currently working for a corporation in nyc. I am looking for a career change and seriously considering to train to become a Surgical Tech. I live in northern NJ and there is a school here that offers that program. It is accredited and acknowledged by the organization but the certification only takes 1 yr. I feel this isn’t enough training. Will job seekers take this certificate seriously? Or should I travel a little farther for a 2-yr degree?
also, for those in this field, do you like it?
You do not need a 2 year degree to be a surgical tech. Most I know went through a training program (some even less than 1 year). You may find it a bit simplistic after your current BA & job. You might want to try & shadow one & see if this is something that you could see your self doing fulltime, as a life.
BeachTV Campus Connection December 2009
