Sonography Program  

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

1. Be 18 years of age by June 1 of the year applying for enrollment.
2. Have a minimum college GPA of 2.50 (4.00 scale) on all college academic work.
3. Complete at least 3 credit hours in Algebra, Statistics or higher mathematics course by June 1* of the enrollment year.
4. Complete at least 3 credit hours in general college-level physics and/or radiographic physics courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
5. 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.
6. Complete at least 5 credit hours in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
7. Complete at least 1 credit hour in Medical Terminology courses by June 1* of the enrollment year.
8. All general education courses must be 100 level or higher courses.
9. The above coursework must be from regionally-accredited institutions.
10. All of the above courses must be completed with a letter grade of "C" or better.
11. Application to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
12. Narrative, signed and dated, that addresses the following:
1. Explain why you want to be a sonographer
2. Through your observation experience, explain what various sonography examinations are performed by the sonographer in a general, vascular and obstetric sonography department and explain what concentration interested you the most
3. Describe what you believe are essential traits of a diagnostic medical sonographer
4. List your long-term career goals
13. Submission of verification of observation within general, vascular and obstetric areas of sonography. A minimum of four (4) hours must be completed in EACH general AND vascular concentrations AND a minimum of four (4) hours in the obstetric concentration for a total of twelve (12) hours. This needs to be completed before the application deadline and must be completed less than one year prior to the start of the program. Please contact Ashlie Munchel at ashlie.munchel@ascension.org to organize observation. All observation hours must be documented in the observation log and verified by the supervising sonographer.
14. Attend mandatory pre-admission conference during the year of application.

* #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7 requirements not met by June 1 will have to be approved by the program director prior to enrollment with the understanding that all requirements will have to be met prior to program graduation.

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
• Completion of a health questionnaire and passing a physical exam
• Submission of the $700 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 Program Director at ashlie.munchel@ascension.org for details)
• ARDMS pre-eligibility approval for candidates who disclosed a positive criminal history (more information)
• Proof of health insurance coverage

To be considered for admission, it is a requirement that candidates complete an onsite observation in general, obstetric and vascular sonography. Applicants are advised to allow sufficient observation time in general, obstetric and vascular sonography to familiarize themselves with the role of sonographers in a healthcare setting. Observations may or may not be completed at a hospital affiliated with the Sonography Program. It is required that a minimum of 4 hours must be completed in each general and vascular concentrations AND a minimum of 4 hours in the obstetric concentration for a total of 12 hours. This needs to be completed before the application deadline and must be completed less than one year prior to the start of the program. All observation hours must be documented in the observation log and verified by the supervising sonographer. To request an observation at a St. Vincent Health hospital, contact the program director listed below.

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 Diagnostic Medical 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 general and vascular concentrations, clinical sites are assigned by the program director. Sonography students will rotate through all concentrations including general, obstetric, and vascular rotations. It is up to the program director if the student is allowed to focus their clinical sites to a certain concentration in the second year of the program.

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 program director, Ashlie Munchel at 317-338-2484 or ashlie.munchel@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 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. with breaks and lunch but the exact schedule may vary slightly depending on the semester. Clinical hours are typically 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. but some clinical sites will require 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Junior year students attend class on Tuesday and Thursday and clinical observation on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the first summer session. Junior year students attend class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters. Clinical days for junior year students are Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clinical days during the senior summer term will be Monday through Friday. Senior year students attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the fall and spring semesters. Clinical days for senior year students are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the fall and spring semester.

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 a significant portion of their clinical education within the Indianapolis area. However, some travel to other St. Vincent Health clinical sites in Indiana is necessary to provide students with an expansive understanding of sonography in different settings. Travel to St. Vincent Anderson, St. Vincent Kokomo, St. Vincent Carmel and St. Vincent Fishers can be expected in order to gain the most experience within sonography.

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

The Diagnostic Medical 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 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 = 93.0 - 100% 
• B = 85.0 - 92.9% 
• C = 75.0 - 84.9% 
• F = <75.0%

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.

Please check back as we continue to develop the sonography program.

The Diagnostic Medical 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.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program will not consider individuals wishing to transfer into the program from another program in sonography.

Although not employees of St. Vincent Health, enrolled students do receive some services and benefits as a result of their enrollment in the Diagnostic Medical 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 health services as describe below.

1. Pre-enrollment Health Assessment through Associate Health departments. Pre-enrollment services include a physical exam, immunization screening to assure compliance with hospital and regulatory requirements, and drug screening.
2. Training-related injury: Initial assessment and care is provided through either the respective hospital associate health. Follow-up care is provided by the student’s healthcare provider. Approved out-of-pocket expenses are covered by an insurance policy.
3. Training-related exposure to communicable disease: Initial assessment and care is provided through either the respective hospital associate health. Follow-up care is provided by the student’s healthcare provider.
4. Annual surveillance to includes annual TB testing and flu vaccinations.

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.

There are several areas of specialization in the field of sonography, including:

• Abdomen (AB) - evaluation of all the soft tissues, blood vessels and organs of the abdominal cavities (for example, liver, spleen, urinary tract and pancreas)
• Obstetrics (OB)/Gynecology - evaluation of the female reproductive system
• Vascular Technology (VT) - evaluation and analysis of the hemodynamics (blood flow) of peripheral and abdominal blood vessels

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). College Physical/motor skills, sensory abilities, and communication skills are not assessed during the selection phase of the admissions process. For applicants selected for admission into the College, these essential skills and abilities will be evaluated as part of an overall health assessment by a St. Vincent Health hospital Office of Associate Health Promotion (OAHP) during which candidates may disclose their disability. OAHP will advise the College on accommodations necessary for the disability. The College, in consultation with the respective OAHP, will determine if disability accommodations are reasonable. The College reserves the right to not accept an individual with a disability requiring accommodations that are not deemed reasonable.

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, ability to compose an essay, and ability to communicate effectively in English during a personal interview.

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 infectious disease

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

3. Repetition of body mechanics while scanning

• Scanning patients requires an abducted arm and holding a transducer during the scan.
• Ergonomics is taught to the DMS students to avoid musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel, tendonitis and back injuries.

No, but preference will be given to applicants who have or will have all general education courses finished prior to enrollment in June. If an applicant is accepted without having all general education course-work complete, the student will be required to complete the remaining general education courses while enrolled in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.

Please check back as we continue to develop the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.

There are opportunities available for new graduates. The long-term employment projections still show that there will be a need for qualified sonographers as our population continues to age.

The sonography field is growing at a much faster rate than average and the job outlook remains promising. However, please keep in mind that no academic program can guarantee employment after graduation.

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 coursework. We also look for work experience with customer contact and service-oriented emphasis. Candidates should possess good interpersonal communication skills and a discernable interest in health care.

Due to the limited number of spaces within the Diagnostic Medical 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 radiography, 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.

The program does have a central classroom located at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. Additionally, the program requires some traveling to clinical sites in Carmel, Fishers, Anderson and Kokomo during the program.

To help offset the expenses of travel, the program keeps tuition and book expenses very reasonable. While the tuition costs of some local programs can reach $14,000 annually, our tuition is a very reasonable $3,200 annually. We encourage candidates to inquire about all programs regarding their travel expectations and to weigh the costs of travel with tuition and textbook expenses.

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 making our graduates highly marketable!

Sonographer salary varies throughout the country and depends on what credentials you obtain following graduation from the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program. The average full-time salary for sonographers in Indiana is about $58,000-$62,000. For more information, see www.asrt.org/main/news-research/research-studies-and-surveys or www.sdms.org/resources/salary-calculator.

Although courses may have similar names and subject matter, the program courses are presented with an emphasis on material that is relevant to sonography.

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 24 months.

The program is full time and two years in length. During the week a student will spend 2-3 days in the clinic usually from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and 2-3 days in the classroom usually from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The program is unable to accommodate applicants seeking any form of part-time education.