The St. Vincent Cardiac Sonography Program is part of the St. Vincent College of Health Professions, the only hospital-sponsored academic institution in Indiana accredited to award academic degrees. The Cardiac Sonography program will be rewarding a certificate upon graduation while seeking approval to award an associates of applied science degree. The students accepted into our program have access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art Cardiac Sonography technology and all types of radiology science modalities. Our students also gain patient-focused, hands-on experience with all types of patients receiving medical imaging services. We anticipate having clinical training sites at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital and the St. Vincent Heart Center.
Dear Prospective Cardiac Sonography Students,
Thank you for your interest in the St. Vincent College of Health Professions Cardiac Sonography Program! Our program serves to educate and train qualified individuals to obtain the appropriate certification required for entry-level employment in Cardiac Sonography. Cardiac Sonography is a rapidly growing field and is in need of qualified technologists to fill the demand. The College is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Educations Schools (ABHES). The Cardiac Sonography Program is approved to award the graduate with an Associates in Applied Science degree in Cardiac Sonography from the St. Vincent College of Health Professions.
We value individuals and want to make a positive difference in the lives of patients we serve. Our commitment is to provide students with the highest quality health education available and the appropriate pathway to professional certification. Each program has designed a rigorous curriculum with an active clinical and field participation. Please take some time to look over the information presented.
Our goal is to serve as a model for hospital-based allied health education and training and we are looking for individuals that are called to serve and learn in our hospital communities. Please let us know if you have any questions. We hope to hear from you soon!
Brock Monroe, ACS, RCS, RVS
Cardiac Sonography Program Clinical Coordinator/Co-Manager
St. Vincent College of Health Professions
Ashlie Munchel, BS, RT(R), RDMS, RVT
Sonography Program Director
St. Vincent College of Health Professions
St. Vincent College of Health Professions Cardiac Sonography Program is an 18-month, full-time program. Individuals interested in the program must submit an application to be considered for acceptance into the program. Applications are accepted only from November through January of each year. Classes will begin in June with graduation occurring 18 months later in December. Since the program has limited student capacity, selection into the program is competitive. Not every applicant who applies to the program will be selected.
The program will enroll the first cohort of students in June of 2021. Since the Cardiac Sonography Program structure is still in development, more information will be periodically released online.
The program's curriculum will consist of both intensive classroom education and hands-on clinical training. Enrolled students will be engaged in clinical or classroom activities on-site five days per week. All classroom education and clinical training will be conducted within the St. Vincent Health System.
After completion of the first year of the program, the students will be eligible to sit for the Sonography Physics Instrumentation (SPI) board examination through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Upon graduation from the program, graduates will be eligible to sit for the ARDMS or CCI board examination in Cardiac Sonography, which awards the credential of Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) or (RCS) upon passing of the exam.
This website contains substantial information about the Cardiac Sonography Program. If you have any questions after reviewing the information, please contact Brock at the email listed below and he will respond promptly.
Brock Monroe, Cardiac Sonography Program Clinical Coordinator/Co-Manager - robert.monroe@ascension.org
St. Vincent College of Health Professions Cardiac Sonography Program provides equal opportunity to all applicants. The Program is selective in its admissions practices and evaluates applicants based on merit without discrimination on the basis of age, race, religion, creed, color, national origin, marital status, gender, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. The program selects one class annually based on requirements and preference categories listed herein.
The 2021 Cardiac Sonography Program Application is available NOW!
The enrollment period is Nov. 1, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2021 for the program that begins June 1st, 2021.
All applicants must be 18 years of age by June 1. All candidates must complete and submit each of the following:
Pre-registration is not necessary. PRE-ADMISSION CONFERENCES WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY. Click on the Google
hangout link to attend virtually. Attendance will be monitored and recorded.
To be accepted in the program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Final acceptance and enrollment of applicants will be contingent on the following:
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.
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.
In order to meet all of the requirements in the Cardiac Sonography concentration, clinical sites are assigned by the Clinical Coordinator/Co-Manager.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Course | Credits |
---|---|
Algebra, Statistics or Higher Math | 3.0 Credits |
General Physics or Radiographic Physics | 3.0 Credits |
Communication Skills: | 3.0 Credits |
Human Anatomy and Physiology: | 5.0 Credits |
Medical Terminology: | 1.0 Credits |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the knowledge and understanding of ultrasound terminology involved in all aspects of echocardiography. This course provides the student with a basic understanding of the cardiovascular system and cardiac anatomy. This course provides the student with the basic knowledge and understanding of the cardiac vessels, valves and cardiac blood flow. This course provides the student with a basic understanding of cardiovascular physiology and its underlying components. This course provides the student with an introduction to the complete transthoracic echocardiogram. This course contains educational objectives, learning activities and scan labs directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Parallel: DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
1.5 Credits |
This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the basic concepts of patient care including consideration for the physical and psychological needs of the patient. Some topics to be covered include: Safety and transport of a patient, infection control, isolation techniques, aseptic technique, handling acute situations, pharmacology, emergency recognition and response, and vital signs. This is a time for the students to develop their own patient care techniques while developing an understanding of body mechanics, patient assessment techniques, ethical, legal, and professional issues. This course contains educational objectives and learning activities directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Parallel: ECH 111, DMS 113, ECH 119. Open only to sonography students. |
1.5 Credits |
This course is designed to provide the cardiac sonography student with an understanding of work related musculoskeletal injury, incidence of sonographer injuries, and prevention of such injuries by following proper ergonomic guidelines. This course will also provide the student with knowledge of and the importance of professional development and continuing education within the field of Cardiac Sonography. The student will be able to discuss and define the use of Information Technology within the field of Radiology. This course will also give the student a good understanding of Medical Ethics and Law as it pertains to the Patient’s Bill of Rights and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Parallel: ECH 111, DMS 112, ECH 119. Open only to sonography students. |
1.0 Credit |
This course provides the cardiac sonography student with an introduction to sonographic anatomy, sonographic scanning, and patient care. This course unit contains educational objectives and learning activities directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Parallel: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
2.5 Credits |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the knowledge and understanding of the comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram including all modalities, measurements and pertinent equations. This course provides the student with a review of normal cardiac blood flow and an introduction and understanding of abnormal cardiac blood flow, assessment of cardiac systolic and diastolic function and associated cardiac pathology. This course provides the student the knowledge and understanding of the cardiac cycle including Wiggers diagram. This course provides the knowledge and understanding of valvular heart disease and a review of valvular anatomy and function. This course contains educational objectives, learning activities and scan labs directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119. Parallel: DMS 124, DMS 129. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students |
5.5 Credits |
This course allows the cardiac sonography student to develop a fundamental knowledge of the physical and vascular principles that are used in the field of cardiac sonography. This course unit contains educational objectives and learning activities directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119. Parallel: ECH 121, ECH 129. Open only to sonography students. |
3.0 Credits |
This course has students rotate through various clinical sites. This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the clinical opportunity to develop their scanning techniques and patient care skills with the guidance of a staff sonographer. Students will be assigned approximately 16 clinical hours per week. Students will perform competency exams as required by the syllabus. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119. Parallel: ECH 121, ECH 124. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
6.5 Credits |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course provides the cardiac sonography student with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of valvular heart disease, pertinent advanced measurements and equations. The course provides the student with knowledge and understanding of the most commonly seen adult congenital and pediatric heart disease including pertinent echocardiographic assessments. This course provides knowledge and understanding of cardiac abnormalities including background and echocardiographic assessments. This course provides knowledge and understanding of the use of echocardiography in stress testing, three-dimensional assessment, speckle tracking, cardio-oncology, cardiac transplant and others. This course provides knowledge and understanding of related imaging techniques and their relationship to echocardiographic findings. This course provides a basic knowledge of cardiovascular pharmacology. This course contains educational objectives, learning activities and scan labs directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129. Parallel: DMS 134, ECH 139. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
6.5 Credits |
This course is a continuation of Ultrasound Physics I and allows the cardiac sonography student to develop a fundamental knowledge of the physical and vascular principles that are used in the field of cardiac sonography. This course unit contains educational objectives and learning activities directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129. Parallel: ECH 131, ECH 139. Open only to sonography students. |
3.0 Credits |
This course is a continuation of Clinical Practicum I as students continue to rotate through various clinical sites. This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the clinical opportunity to develop their scanning techniques and patient care skills with the guidance of a staff sonographer. Students will be assigned approximately 16 clinical hours per week. Students will perform competency exams as required by the syllabus. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129. Parallel: ECH 131, DMS 134. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
6.5 Credits |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course is a continuation of Clinical Practicum II as the student will continue to rotate through various clinical sites. This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the clinical opportunity to develop their scanning techniques and patient care skills with the guidance of a staff sonographer. Students will be assigned approximately 40 clinical hours per week. Students will perform competency exams as required by the syllabus. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129, ECH 131, DMS 134, ECH 139. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
6.5 Credits |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course allows the cardiac sonography student to develop professional awareness of the knowledge that can be gained, by doing follow-up work and research on interesting cases. This course unit contains educational objectives and learning activities directed toward aiding the student in obtaining this goal. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129, ECH 131, DMS 134, ECH 139, ECH 219. Parallel: ECH 222, ECH 229. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
1.5 Credits |
This course will review all subjects covered throughout the course of the program. The goal is to prepare the cardiac sonography student for taking the ARDMS and/or CCI registry examinations upon completion of the program. The course will also teach the students how to write a resume and how to excel in an interview. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129, ECH 131, DMS 134, ECH 139, ECH 219. Parallel: ECH 221, ECH 229. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
3.0 Credits |
This course is a continuation of Clinical Practicum III as students continue to rotate through various clinical sites. This course provides the cardiac sonography student with the clinical opportunity to develop their scanning techniques and patient care skills with the guidance of a staff sonographer. Students will be assigned approximately 24 clinical hours per week. Students will perform competency exams as required by the syllabus. Prerequisites: ECH 111, DMS 112, DMS 113, ECH 119, ECH 121, DMS 124, ECH 129, ECH 131, DMS 134, ECH 139, ECH 219. Parallel: ECH 221, ECH 222. Open only to Cardiac Sonography students. |
10.0 Credits |
St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital
2001 W. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-338-2868
St. Vincent Heart Center
10580 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290
317-583-5000
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.
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.
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
Safety
Patient Care
Professional Practice
Qualifications
The Cardiac Sonography Program will award graduates with an Associates in Applied Science degree in Cardiac Sonography 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.
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.
College students are eligible to receive the following health services:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All College programs are offered only in English. Language assistance is not available.
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:
To practice sonography, sonographers must possess the following skills and abilities:
1. Physical/Motor Skills
2. Sensory Abilities
3. Communication Abilities
4. Emotional and Behavior Skills
5. Intellectual Abilities
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
2. Exposure to Potentially Harmful Radiation
3. Exposure to infectious disease
Cardiac Sonography Program tuition and fees paid to the St. Vincent College of Health Professions.
Tuition | |
---|---|
Summer Semester Year 1 | $400 |
Fall Semester Year 1 | $1,400 |
Spring Semester Year 1 | $1,400 |
Summer Semester Year 2 | $400 |
Fall Semester Year 2 | $1,400 |
Books and Materials | $710* |
Other Fees | $0 |
Total | $5,710 |
Additional fees not paid to the College or programs are listed below.
CPR | Up to $100** |
---|---|
Uniforms | $100 - $150** |
Books & Materials | $600** |
SPI Exam (Year 1) | $250*** |
Specialty Exam (Graduation) | $250*** |
Total | $1,050 - $1,100 |
It is a requirement that each student brings their own laptop to every didactic class and scan lab.
Tuition is paid each semester. Accepted students will be required to pay a deposit of $400 by the date established in the student's acceptance letter to reserve their place in the program. This deposit will cover the tuition for the first summer semester. Material fees will still be due for the first semester as stated in the acceptance letter.
Tuition (excluding textbook, materials and other fees) refunds are made for voluntary student withdrawal from the program. Upon the student's written request, a refund will be made on the basis of a percentage of the tuition payment. The semester refund schedule is as follows:
The College does not participate in Title IV federal student aid (FASFA) programs and as a result students may not be able to have their student loans deferred. Students should contact the financial aid office of the college through which the loan was processed to discuss their options.
College programs are approved by the Indiana State Department of Veterans Affairs under Title 38, US Code 3676 for G.I. Bill funding. Eligible enrolled students may obtain financial assistance to cover College fees through this provision. Interested candidates should contact the Program Director for more information. While the College will work with any third-party payer, it is the student’s responsibility to secure adequate funding sources.
St. Vincent Indianapolis
2001 W. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-338-8423
E-mail: robert.monroe@ascension.org
Brock Monroe is the Clinical Coordinator/Co-manager of the Cardiac Sonography concentration for the St. Vincent College of Health Professions. He attended Indiana University Wesleyan where he graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Business. He is registered in adult echocardiography (RCS), vascular ultrasound (RVS), advanced cardiac sonography (ACS) and cardiovascular technology (CCT) through Cardiovascular Credentialing International. Currently, he would like to pursue certification in pediatric echocardiography. He began his career in medical sonography at Premier Healthcare (now Indiana University Health) in 2002 performing echocardiograms before training in vascular in 2004. He became the first sonographer at Premier Healthcare to be registered in both cardiac and vascular modalities. In 2014, he furthered his career at Community Health Network as an echo technologist before becoming the quality coordinator of all the echocardiography labs in Community’s Indianapolis network. He has a passion for mentoring and teaching and is looking forward to giving back to a new generation of sonographers.
St. Vincent Indianapolis
2001 W. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-338-2484
E-mail: ashlie.munchel@ascension.org
Ashlie Munchel is the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Director for the St. Vincent College of Health Professions. She attended IUPUI, where she graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Radiography and a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Imaging Technology. She is certified by the ARRT in radiography and by the ARDMS in abdominal sonography. Currently, she is pursuing her ARDMS vascular certification and undergoing classes for her Master of Science degree in Adult Education through Indiana University. She began her radiology career as a radiographer at St. Vincent Carmel Hospital in 2006 and became a sonographer in 2012. Over the last six years, she has worked within IU Health and Franciscan Heath as a sonographer. In 2017, she began teaching at IUPUI in the Medical Imaging Technology Program as an Adjunct Lecturer. She is excited to bring her professional experience to St. Vincent Health and build the sonography program within St. Vincent College of Health Professions. She has a passion for teaching and sonography and she is excited to share this passion with our first class of sonography students starting in June of 2019.
St. Vincent Indianapolis
2001 W. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-338-5319
E-mail: Rebecca.edwards1@ascension.org
Rebecca Edwards is the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Clinical Coordinator for the St. Vincent College of Health Professions. She attended Butler University, where she graduated with an Associate of Science degree in the Allied Health Ultrasound Technology Program. She is certified by the ARDMS in abdominal sonography, obstetrical & gynecological sonography, and breast sonography. Currently, she would like to pursue her ARDMS vascular certification. She began her career at Methodist Hospital in 1985. She has worked in the Methodist Hospital/IU Health system in both the inpatient and outpatient Radiology Departments. She has also worked PRN for Advanced Fertility Group and Riverview Health. At Methodist Hospital, Rebecca worked for several years with students who were attending the Methodist Hospital Ultrasound Add-A-Comp training program. It was here that she developed her love of teaching. Rebecca has a passion for the field of sonography and feels it is time to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of sonographers.
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:
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:
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.