Diagnostic medical sonographers, non-physician professionals who use ultrasound, or high-frequency sound waves, to record images of patient body parts, are the most common types of sonographers. A physician can then use these images to prevent, diagnose, and treat a variety of medical conditions, as well as track the development of fetuses in the womb.
There are many different types of sonography jobs to choose from. Vascular technologists, for example, are experts in imaging and testing blood vessels. Abdominal sonographers are in charge of assessing abdominal organs like the liver, spleen, urinary tract, and pancreas, as well as soft tissue and blood vessels in the area.
Sonographers who perform echocardiography examine the heart’s blood flow, as well as its blood vessels and valves. Diagnostic mammography sonographers focus on breast analysis, whereas obstetrics and gynecology sonographers assess the female reproductive system. Ophthalmology sonographers examine the eye while neurosonology songographers work on imaging the brain and spinal cord.
The duties and responsibilities of most sonography jobs are similar, if not identical. An average sonographer’s responsibilities include maintaining patient records, analyzing data after diagnostic procedures, determining the need for a procedure on a case-by-case basis, and providing an oral or written summary of technical findings to the ordering physician. People looking for sonography jobs should expect to work with doctors and other members of the medical team.
In the United States alone, there were 47,000 sonography jobs in 2007. Hospitals employ more than half of all sonography professionals. Outpatient care centers, as well as medical or private practice physician offices, clinics, public health facilities, diagnostic imaging centers, and laboratories, all employ ultrasound technicians. The rapid growth of these facilities is expected to continue, resulting in an even greater demand for sonographers.
Because ultrasound is preferred over x-rays, there is a high demand for sonography. Ultrasound is generally safer and less expensive for patients than x-rays. Jobs in sonography will continue to be in high demand as new technologies emerge. New procedures, such as 3D and 4D sonography, are expected to grow rapidly, necessitating both updated education for current technicians and an increase in the overall number of technicians. Indeed, as the population ages and grows, sonography jobs are expected to grow faster than the average job demand.