Cardiac Sonography Program  

To be accepted in the program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Be a United States citizen or permanent legal "green card" resident.
2. Be 18 years of age by June 1 of the year applying for enrollment.
3. Have a minimum college GPA of 2.50 (4.00 scale) on all college academic work.
4. Complete at least 3 credit hours in Algebra, Statistics or higher mathematics course by June 1* of the enrollment year.
5. Complete at least 3 credit hours in general college-level physics and/or radiographic physics courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
6. Complete at least 3 credit hours in Communication Skills (The communication skills requisite may be met by a variety of courses including English, speech, or composition) June 1* of the enrollment year.
7. Complete at least 5 credit hours in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
8. Complete at least 1 credit hour in Medical Terminology courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
9. All general education courses must be 100 level or higher courses.
10. The above coursework must be from regionally-accredited institutions.
11. All of the above courses must be completed with a letter grade of "C" or better.
12. Application to the Cardiac Sonography Program
13. Narrative, signed and dated, that addresses the following:
1. Explain why you want to be a cardiac sonographer
2. Describe what you believe are essential traits of a diagnostic medical sonographer
3. List your long-term career goals
14. DUE TO COVID-19, FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR PATIENTS AND ASSOCIATES, OBSERVATIONS WILL NOT BE PART OF THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM THAT STARTS IN JUNE OF 2021.
15. Attend mandatory pre-admission conference during the year of application.

Final acceptance and enrollment of applicants will be contingent on the following:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher on all college coursework
• Completion of all academic general education requirements by June 1 of the year of enrollment
• Submission of the $400 tuition deposit
• Acknowledgment of acceptance of the position by returning the signed Enrollment Agreement
• Completion of CPR certification by enrollment date
• Receipt of updated official transcripts of spring and/or summer courses
• Passing a drug screening
• Passing a criminal background screening, sex offender and excluded provider verification (contact the Cardiac Sonography Clinical Coordinator/Co-Manager at robert.monroe@ascension.org for details)
• ARDMS pre-eligibility approval for candidates who disclosed a positive criminal history (more information)
• Proof of health insurance coverage

DUE TO COVID-19, FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR PATIENTS AND ASSOCIATES, OBSERVATIONS WILL NOT BE PART OF THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM THAT STARTS IN JUNE OF 2021.

For a variety of reasons, there are some individuals whose overall college GPA is adversely affected by a period of poor academic performance, such that their overall GPA is not an accurate indication of their true academic abilities.  Many of these same students have subsequently demonstrated the ability to achieve academic success.  The bankruptcy policy allows individuals to exclude an earlier portion of their academic record while still receiving credit for having passed prerequisite courses so that the GPA considered by the Program Admissions Committee more accurately reflects the student’s true academic abilities.  The policy does not allow individuals to pick and choose poor classes or semesters, but instead allows an individual to convey, “that was me then, but this is what I am capable of now.”  If you feel that this policy would benefit you we encourage you to submit your appeal.

Applicants may request in writing to the program director that college grades prior to a specified date not be factored into the calculation of an overall college GPA and therefore not be considered as part of the selection criteria provided the following criteria are met.

• The applicant must make the request in writing and include the college(s) attended and dates of attendance requesting to be bankrupted.
• The applicant must include a rationale why the original GPA should be bankrupted and what the applicant did to improve his/her academic performance since the bankruptcy date.
• The request must be signed and dated.
• The applicant must have completed and maintained at least a 2.50 / 4.00 cumulative GPA on at least 12 credit hours of 100 level courses following the date of requested bankruptcy.

If approved, all academic grades prior to the bankruptcy date will not be considered toward the calculated GPA. However, all courses passed with a letter grade of “C” or higher regardless of bankruptcy will still be counted toward meeting the program’s general education requirements.

The Cardiac Sonography Program faculty will review each bankruptcy request and render a decision based on the merits of each request individually. Transcripts of all academic work must still be submitted as indicated.

Applications are initially reviewed for verification of minimal requirements. Applications who meet minimal requirements are scored using an established and approved score sheet.

Of the applicants who attend the Pre-Admission Conference, a pre-determined number of applicants will be invited to attend a personal interview. Interview candidates will be notified via letter of their respective interview appointment. Interviews will be conducted using an established format including defined questions and interview score sheet.

Following each candidate’s interview, a comprehensive score will be determined by the interview team based on an approved comprehensive score sheet. This comprehensive score is based in part on the interview itself but will also include characteristics and factors that are predictive of success in the program. Applicants will be rank ordered according to their comprehensive score. Final selection of applicants into the program will be based on the comprehensive score and represents the interview team’s assessment of the overall likelihood of applicant success in the program.

Clinical Site Selection

In order to meet all of the requirements in the Cardiac Sonography concentration, clinical sites are assigned by the Clinical Coordinator/Co-Manager. 

Preferences

All candidates who meet minimum requirements are encouraged to apply to the program. Because the selection processes are competitive, not all applicants who meet minimum admission requirements will be selected into the program. All qualified candidates will be evaluated for consideration based on merit utilizing the program's established screening process. Preference will be given to candidates who, at the time of application, have earned a minimum of an academic bachelor's degree in any discipline from a regionally-accredited institution or has completed a single two-year allied health education program that is patient-care related.

Foreign Educated Applicants

Applicants educated in foreign countries are welcomed to apply to the program. However, candidates must have completed all of the program’s general education requirements through regionally-accredited American colleges and universities. No foreign academic work will be considered toward the general education requirements. Foreign transcripts or the equivalent domestic evaluation of foreign transcripts (ECE, for example) are not required.

Disability

The St. Vincent College of Health Professions does not discriminate on the basis of disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). College programs do not request disability information from program applicants. Likewise, candidates are advised to not discuss or disclose a disability to college faculty, students or other representatives. If accepted into a College program, candidates will undergo a physical assessment by a St. Vincent Health hospital Associate Health Office during which candidates can disclose their disability. Accepted candidates will have the opportunity to request accommodations for disabilities as defined by the American with Disabilities Act and state laws during their physician exam. The Associate Health Office will advise the College on accommodations necessary for the disability. The College, in consultation with the respective Associate Health Office, will determine if disability accommodations are reasonable.  The College reserves the right to deny disability accommodations that are not deemed to be reasonable.  Those seeking more information should contact the clinical coordinator/co-manager of the program, Brock Monroe at 317-338-8423 or robert.monroe@ascension.org.

Disclosure of Criminal History

The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography may deny exam eligibility for any applicant convicted of a felony, or misdemeanor, with the sole exception of speeding and minor parking violations. Consistent with ARDMS practices, applicants will be asked on the application to disclose their criminal history, excluding speeding and minor traffic violations. Applicants who disclose their criminal history must provide details as directed on the application.

Failure to disclose a positive criminal history will result in denial of the application. A positive criminal history will require the candidate to submit to the ARDMS a pre-eligibility application at their own expense. The applicant will be required to forward the decision of the ARDMS to the Program Director upon receipt. The decision of the ARDMS will be considered when selecting candidates into the program. In such cases when the ARDMS decision is pending when final selections are made, full acceptance will be contingent upon receiving the ARDMS decision by an established deadline.

Denial of pre-eligibility by the ARDMS will result in immediate revocation of acceptance. While approval of pre-eligibility by the ARDMS is required to gain full acceptance into the program, the program reserves the right to deny full acceptance or revoke conditional acceptance to any individual with a positive criminal history based on individual circumstances.

Disclosure of Professional License or Certification Suspension or Revocation.

All College applicants will be asked on the application to disclose if they have ever had a professional license or certification suspended or revoked by any certifying agency or governing body. Applicants must provide details of the suspended or revoked professional license or certification as directed in the application. Failure to disclose a suspended or revoked professional license or certification will result in denial of consideration or withdrawal of conditional acceptance. The College reserves the right to deny acceptance or rescind conditional acceptance to any individual history of suspended or revoked professional license or certification based on individual circumstances.

Class hours are typically from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm with breaks and lunch but the exact schedule may vary slightly depending on the course. Clinical hours are generally 7:00 am – 3:30 pm, but may very slightly during the program.

Junior year students will attend classroom instruction and lab on Tuesday and Thursday and attend clinical observation on Monday and Wednesday for the first summer semester. During the fall and spring semesters, juniors will attend classroom instruction and lab on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and clinicals on Tuesday and Thursday. Senior year students will attend clinicals in the summer semester Monday through Friday. During the fall semester, seniors will attend classroom instruction and lab Tuesday and Thursday and attend clinicals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Semester	Class	Clinic
Junior Summer	Tuesday and Thursday	(Observation) Monday and Wednesday
Junior Fall	Monday, Wednesday and Friday	Tuesday and Thursday
Junior Spring	Monday, Wednesday and Friday	Tuesday and Thursday
Senior Summer		Monday - Friday
Senior Fall	Tuesday and Thursday	Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Indianapolis serves as the program's administrative location and all academic courses are taught at this location.

The program's structure allows students to complete all of their clinical rotations in the Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The clinical sites will provide the student with an expansive understanding of Cardiac Sonography in different settings.

Breaks are scheduled between semesters. Additionally, students have personal time off (PTO) to be used for personal reasons.

The Cardiac Sonography Program honors the following hospital recognized holidays. Students are not assigned to clinic or class on these holidays.

• New Years
• Martin Luther King
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving and the day following
• Christmas

Students must take every Cardiac Sonography and diagnostic medical sonography course in the sequence outlined on the “curriculum” page. Students cannot drop or add courses. Students earn letter grades based on academic and clinical performance. The program adheres to the grading criteria below for most program courses.

• A+ = Outstanding Performance (100% - 98.0%) = 4 points
• A = Excellent Performance (97.99% - 96.0%) = 4 points
• A- = Near Excellent Performance (95.99% - 93.0%) = 3.7 points
• B+ = Very Good Performance (92.99% - 90.0%) = 3.3 points
• B = Good Performance (89.99% - 87.0%) = 3 points
• B- = Marginally Good Performance (86.99% - 84.0%) = 2.7 points
• C+ = Above Satisfactory Performance (83.99% - 80.0%) = 2.3 points
• C = Satisfactory Performance (79.99% - 75.00%) = 2 points
• F = Unsatisfactory Performance (74.99% and lower) = 0 points

Students are required to pass every course with a letter grade of “C” or higher to graduate from the program. Failure to pass a course with a letter grade of “C” or higher will result in student dismissal from the program.

The program is academically challenging and labor-intensive due to its mastery-based approach to academic and clinical education. In short, students are required to achieve a master level performance of 80% on most written tests and 85% on clinical evaluations. Students are required to repeat (with a limited number of attempts) evaluations/examinations until the master performance level is achieved.

To be eligible for graduation, the following requirements must be met:

Competent Practice

1. Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology and positioning to competently and accurately demonstrate anatomical structures on a sonographic image.
2. Apply knowledge of physics instrumentation to achieve the best diagnostic quality sonographic images possible.
3. Evaluate sonographic images for appropriate positioning and overall image quality.
4. Apply problem solving and critical thinking skills in the academic and clinical settings.

Safety

1. Apply principles of ultrasound safety to patients, self and others.
2. Apply knowledge of physics instrumentation to adhere to the ALARA principle.
3. Apply principles of infection control and standard precautions for the protection of patients, self and others.

Patient Care

1. Provide basic patient care and comfort to patients across the age continuum.
2. Recognize emergency patient conditions and initiate life-saving first-aid and basic life-support procedures.

Professional Practice

1. Recognize when sonographic equipment is not operating properly and report equipment malfunctions to the proper authority.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the role quality assurance and continual quality improvement play in medical imaging.
3. Demonstrate effective verbal, non-verbal and written medical communication in providing patient care and maintaining professional relationships with other members of the health care team.
4. Exercise independent judgment and discretion in the technical performance of medical imaging procedures.
5. Comply with the profession's Code of Ethics and Practice Standards and perform clinically within the industry’s standard of care.
6. Develop professionally beyond the program’s clinical and academic performance expectations (see Professional Development policy).

Qualifications

1. Demonstrate ARDMS Board examination readiness.

The Cardiac Sonography Program is seeking accreditation to award the Associate of Applied Science degree. However, until accreditation is achieved, graduates will receive a certificate upon completion of the program.

Although not employees of St. Vincent Health, enrolled students do receive some services and benefits as a result of their enrollment in the Cardiac Sonography Program. Below is a summary of said services and benefits.

Counseling Services

College faculty offers academic counseling to all enrolled students. Students will be counseled regularly regarding their academic and clinical progress. While College faculty members are available for individual academic assistance, the College does not offer formal tutoring services.

Enrolled students are also entitled to pastoral counseling for matters of personal or religious nature free of charge. Interested students should see the Pastoral Department for more information.

Health Services

College students are eligible to receive the following health services:

1. Pre-enrollment health assessment is through St. Vincent Immediate Care Clinics. Pre-enrollment services include drug screening and immunization screening to assure compliance with hospital and regulatory requirements.
2. Annual surveillance includes but may not limited to annual TB testing, mandatory flu vaccinations, and other annual health services offered to hospital associates through associate health departments.
3. Training-related injury: Initial assessment and care is provided through either the respective hospital office of associate health. Approved out-of-pocket expenses are covered by an accident insurance policy established by the college.
4. Training-related exposure to communicable disease: Initial assessment and care is provided through the respective hospital office of associate health. Follow-up care is provided by the student’s healthcare provider. Any accident that results in the exposure to HIV and hepatitis which then results in a positive HIV or hepatitis test is covered under the accident insurance provided by the college. Any other infectious disease exposure is not covered.

Students are required to carry their own personal health insurance. Health insurance is not provided to enrolled students. The College will not be liable for any general illness that occurs to a student as a result of clinical training.

Malpractice & General Liability Coverage

College students are covered under the general liability and medical malpractice coverage of Ascension Health only while acting in the authorized capacity and scope of students assigned to clinical sites within St. Vincent Health and only while acting in accordance to all established program and clinical site policies and procedures.

Career / Employment Placement

While the College does not guarantee employment upon graduation, the College faculty assists students in finding employment opportunities relative to their training field. In addition to writing recommendation letters, College faculty also post position openings, and offer resume’ and interview writing tips.

Academic Services

St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital has an on-site medical library and a robust online digital library. The medical library has numerous written resources including periodicals as well as internet access for research purposes. Students can use hospital library resources, including internet access, for legitimate and relevant academic purposes.

Disability Services

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) defines “disability" as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity or who have a record of such impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability ( www.adata.org). College programs do not request disability information from program candidates. Likewise candidates are advised to not discuss or disclose a disability to College faculty, students or other representatives. The College does not discriminate on the basis of disability in any of its programs, services or activities. The College will not deny any otherwise qualified student with a disability the opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, any aid, benefit or service that the College provides. The College strives to ensure that all disabled students have full access to the benefits of the College and will engage in a good-faith interactive process with all disabled students to attempt to identify reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations do not include measures which fundamentally alter the academic programs, which place an undue financial burden on the College, or which may endanger the student or others at the College. Additional information regarding requesting accommodations will be provided to enrolled students.

Language

All College programs are offered only in English. Language assistance is not available.

Overview of the Profession

Sonography is a non-invasive medical procedure that uses the echoes of high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to construct an image (sonogram) of internal organs or body structures. In sonography, a transmitting device (the transducer) sends out high-frequency ultrasound waves. Harmless sound waves, which contain no radiation, bounce off the surfaces of the object they hit. The reflected sound forms an echo which is visualized on the screen.

Cardiac Sonography uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the heart chambers, valves, walls and arteries and veins associated with the heart. The exam is often referred to as a cardiac sonogram or shortened to echo.

A diagnostic medical sonographer is a highly-skilled professional who uses specialized equipment to create images (sonograms) of structures inside the human body. Physicians interpret the images to make a medical diagnosis. The professional responsibilities of a diagnostic medical sonographer include, but are not limited to:

• Obtaining and recording an accurate patient history
• Performing diagnostic procedures and obtaining diagnostic images
• Analyzing technical information
• Using independent judgment in recognizing the need to extend the scope of the procedure according to the diagnostic findings
• Providing an oral or written summary of the technical findings to the physician for medical diagnosis
• Providing quality patient care
• Collaborating with physicians and other members of the healthcare team

Essential Skills & Abilities

To practice sonography, sonographers must possess the following skills and abilities:

1. Physical/Motor Skills

• Stand and walk for extended periods of the time
• Perform physically strenuous tasks including raising patients in bed, maneuvering patients to and from tables/stretchers and carrying or maneuvering equipment
• Rise from a seated position without assistance
• Twist and bend at the waist
• Extend the hands and arms in any direction
• Hold, grasp and turn objects with the hands
• Reach up to six feet off the floor  

2. Sensory Abilities

• Correctable near vision to 20 / 40 in at least one eye
• Correctable far vision to 20 / 40 in at least one eye
• Depth perception
• Distinguish shades of gray
• Hear audible speech (e.g. person-to-person communication) at 10 feet
• Hear speech when lips are not visible (e.g. wearing a surgical mask)
• Hear auditory alarms (e.g. patient monitors, fire alarms)
• Hear speech over a telephone
• Detect odors such as smoke, alcohol, noxious gasses

3. Communication Abilities

• Read documents in English
• Write legibly in English
• Speak fluently in English
• Understand speech in English
• Adapt verbal communication to patient/visitor limitations (e.g. hearing loss, pediatrics, diminished mental capacity)

4. Emotional and Behavior Skills

• Willingness to take directions
• Be self-directed and assertive
• Provide emotional support to others in distress
• Adapt to a changing environment
• Monitor own emotional state
• Manage frustration appropriately
• Accept responsibility for own errors or shortcomings
• Express emotions in a socially-acceptable manner
• Respect interpersonal boundaries
• Manage interpersonal and organizational conflicts in a respectful and professional manner

5. Intellectual Abilities

• Recall information with reasonable accuracy
• Recognize cause and effect relationships
• Anticipate/plan ahead for activities or situations
• Perform tasks in a logical and efficient sequence
• Prioritize competing tasks
• Problem solve when the solution is not self-evident
• Use visual/spatial processing in evaluating radiographic images
• Demonstrate attention to detail
• Evaluate own performance to determine corrective actions when appropriate

Assessment of Essential skills & Functions

St. Vincent College of Health Professions does not discriminate on the basis of disability as determined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Physical/motor skills, sensory abilities, and communication skills are not assessed during the selection phase of the admissions process. Emotional/behavioral skills and intellectual abilities are assessed during the selection phase of the admissions process as they relate to a candidate’s academic record and ability to communicate effectively in English during a personal interview. The SVCHP Disability Accommodations policy will detail the procedure to request disability accommodations.

Sonography education involves training in a potentially hazardous environment. While all reasonable efforts are taken to assure the student safety including adherence to state and local laws and following institutional policies and procedures, students should be aware of these environmental risks before endeavoring clinical education.

1. Handling Repulsive Tasks

• Involves handling and disposing of body secretions, blood, stool, etc.
• The general cleaning and maintenance of an incontinent patient is not uncommon.

2. Exposure to Potentially Harmful Radiation

• Daily contact with radiation producing devices.

3. Exposure to infectious disease

• Students are exposed regularly in the clinical setting to patients with known and unknown infectious diseases.

No, however all general education courses must be completed by the beginning of the program in June of 2021. The prospective student must show proof of enrollment in classes to be considered for acceptance.

Please check back as we continue to develop the Cardiac Sonography Program.

There are opportunities available for new graduates but we cannot guarantee placement. The cardiac sonography field continues to grow at a higher than normal rate so job outlook is extremely promising.

We look for individuals who have a strong background in biological sciences and mathematics (and good grades). This will come from regionally-accredited college-level course work. We also look for work experience with customer contact and service-oriented emphasis. Candidates should possess good interpersonal communication skills and a discernible interest in health care.

Due to the limited number of spaces within the Cardiac Sonography Program, we look for a candidate that is knowledgeable about the field and is confident that this is the career path they are truly passionate about.

Given the tremendous interest in our program, we cannot guarantee that any candidate will be accepted. The program will stop short of prescribing a specific plan to any or all candidates. Each candidate is expected to evaluate his/her own strengths and weaknesses and to establish a plan that will address relevant weaknesses. Should a candidate not be accepted, we are always happy to discuss with a candidate our perceived strengths and weaknesses.

The ideal candidate will possess a healthy balance of characteristics and skills deemed desirable by the faculty. The ideal candidate:

• Has a proven record of academic success, particularly in math and sciences
• Has work experience with the public in the service sector
• Is knowledgeable of the field of sonography, including the less-than-desirable aspects
• Possesses a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and caring demeanor desirable of a health-care giver
• Communicate well verbally and in writing
• Is knowledgeable of his/her own strengths and weaknesses

The program faculty is sensitive to the inconveniences of traveling for classes and clinical assignments and makes every reasonable effort to minimize the travel expectations. However, traveling is a necessary and reasonable expectation given the learning opportunities that result. We are proud of the comprehensive education in medical imaging that we provide, which will greatly benefit our graduates as they seek employment opportunities.

We believe that our program is one of the most cost-effective programs in this region that is able to offer a comprehensive approach to education in varying settings and access to state of the art technology to ultimately make our graduates highly marketable!

The program does not participate in Title IV financial funding and therefore does not offer financial aid opportunities. Thus Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and other state and federal-sanctioned aid do not apply. As a result, the program does keep tuition and textbook expenses very reasonable.

We encourage candidates to seek scholarship opportunities throughout their local communities and local civic organizations. We will be happy to work with any third-party payer who will guarantee tuition or textbook payment on behalf of an enrolled student.

This is a very common and poignant question and an issue we cannot emphasize enough to be seriously considered by each individual applying to the program. Although we cannot dictate what a student does outside of the program, past experiences have demonstrated that it is extremely difficult to successfully meet the requirements of the program while working a full time schedule. Some factors to consider beyond an individuals personal stamina and abilities are:

• Physical and mental demands of the job.
• Flexibility of work schedule
• weekend vs after program hours
• ability to reduce/switch hours to accommodate program demands
• Additional personal/family responsibilities
• Study time requirements outside of program hours
• Are you a quick learner or an individual that needs to spend a fair amount of time to master material

Many students do work part-time while in the program. The program faculty, while sympathetic and understanding of the situation, cannot lower the performance expectations of a student. Ultimately it is for each individual to honestly evaluate their abilities, both physical and academic and determine if after the commitment to the program hours and the hours to the job that there is enough time left to eat, sleep, study, travel, and for family while still meeting the requirements of the program…for 18 months.

The increased interest in cardiac sonography over the past few years has indeed resulted in an increased number of applicants applying for a limited number of positions in the program and has therefore made the application process more competitive. For any applicant to be considered for acceptance they will need to demonstrate a history of successful academic performance as well as a personality that is compatible with both the academic and healthcare environment. Our selection panel evaluates many factors when selecting candidates for the program and has found that there is no one “model” for the ideal student. There is no one factor or attribute that can guarantee acceptance into the program.

The program is full time and 18 months in length. During the week a student will spend 3 days in the clinic usually from 7:30am – 3:30pm and 2 days in the classroom usually from 9:00am – 2:00pm. The program is unable to accommodate applicants seeking any form of part time education.

No, the Cardiac Sonography program is a separate concentration within the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at the St. Vincent College of Health Professions. There are separate applications for each concentration.