Profession Description
A Vascular Sonographer is a healthcare professional who utilizes medical ultrasound in various medical settings to gather sonographic data to aid in the diagnosis of a variety of medical conditions and diseases. The Vascular Sonographer records and processes anatomical and pathophysiological data for integration with medical history, and properly communicates those findings to a licensed physician. In addition, the Vascular Sonographer educates patients in matters that involve medical ultrasound procedures, and promotes basic principles of good health. Specifically, Vascular Sonography is vital in the diagnosing and treating patients with venous and arterial pathologies such as atherosclerosis, clots and aneurysms. Using ultrasound and other techniques, Sonographers acquire, analyze and document diagnostic information about the patient’s condition. They obtain patients history, perform appropriate test procedures and write preliminary reports of the data obtained for the interpreting physician or vascular surgeon. Sonographers use their judgment, reasoning abilities and discretion to perform vascular ultrasound. Communication skills play a vital role in the sonography profession enabling Sonographers to communicate with physicians and patients. Full-time Vascular Sonographers generally work a 5-day, 40 hour week. Approximately one half are required to be on-call outside normal operating hours (e.g., evenings, and weekends).
Program Description
This program is designed to train entry level Vascular Sonographers to assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of disorders affecting the vascular system. Students are taught by experienced Vascular Sonographers and physicians. The program is five semesters including the summer semesters. The first three semesters consists of classroom, laboratory, and patients’ observation. The last three semesters clinical rotations starts. Students perform procedures under the supervision of experienced Vascular Sonographers. Graduates work in hospitals, imaging centers, mobile vascular labs, and physician’s offices. Learning outcome categories include but are not limited to the categories listed below.
Students learn
Verbal and non verbal modes of expression appropriate for the purpose and audience
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Vascular sonogram acquisition.
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Mathematical skills as related to various aspects of technology appropriate for task cognition
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Critical thinking skills analysis for the evaluation and synthesization of information and ideas.
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Independent judgment and systematic problem solving methods to produce high quality diagnostic information for optimizing patient care.
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Global knowledge, responsibility and community consciousness utilization.
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Demonstration of understanding different cultures.
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Acquire knowledge of historical eras and the importance of community involvement.
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Performance of patient assessment plans for individual patient.
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Spectral and color-flow Doppler identification.
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Patient history acquisition.
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Prioritization of patient safety, including patient transfer, and immobilization techniques.
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Proper patient positioning and scan/test techniques for non-invasive vascular tests.
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Acquisition and analysis of data obtained from ultrasound and related diagnostic technologies.
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Selection of appropriate technical factors to produce images within the limits of the ALARA principle.
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Non-invasive vascular test indications, capabilities, and limitations pertaining to vascular physiology, pathology and pathophysiology.
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Interventional non-invasive vascular testing use.
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The capabilities, limitations, and contraindications of invasive vascular tests relative to vascular diseases pathologies.
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The mechanism of vascular diseases.
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Therapeutic, medical, surgical, and non-surgical vascular interventions.
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Normal physiology of blood circulation and the abnormalities that occur in the presence of vascular diseases.
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Signs, symptoms, and risk factors of vascular disease.
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Parameters used in interpretation of non-invasive vascular tests.
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vascular pathologies Identification.
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Invasive and other correlative vascular tests relative to vascular pathologies identification.
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Identification of normal vascular anatomy and normal variants.
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The characteristics that disseminates arterial and venous flow pattern differences.
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Recognition and function of sonographic vascular grafts appearance.
Program Length/Time
Program length is 20 months, ( 5 semesters -75 weeks) days only. Hours are 8:00 am to 8:30 pm Monday to Thursday in the first year and vary in the second year from 7:00 am to 6:00 Monday to Friday based on clinical schedule. The maximum allowable time to complete this program is one and a half times (150%) times the # of semester credit hours. The length of the program excludes vacation time.
Course Schedule/Semester:
Semester 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits |
| PC 210 | Sonography Medico Legal Principles and Patient Care | 3 |
| BIO 110 | Anatomy & Physiology | 4 |
| PHY 216 | General Physics | 3 |
| VAS 214 | Vascular Anatomy, Physiology & Hemodynamics | 3 |
| MT 100 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| Total Semester Credits Hours | 14 |
Semester 11
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits |
| PHY 201 | Sonographic Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation | 3 |
| VAS 220 | Principles of Vascular Sonography 1 | 4 |
| VAS 218 | Vascular Pathology | 4 |
| VAS 221 | Principles of Vascular Sonography Lab 1 | 5 |
| Total Semester Credits Hours | 16 |
Semester 111
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits |
| VAS219 | Vascular Clinical rotation 1 | 6 |
| VAS 225 | Principles of Vascular Sonography 11 | 4 |
| VAS 223 | Principles of Vascular Sonography Lab 11 | 5 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester 1V
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits |
| MATH 220 | College Algebra | 3 |
| BIO 111 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| VAS 222 | Vascular Clinical rotation 11 | 7 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 14 |
Semester V
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits |
| VAS 226 | Vascular Clinical rotation 111 | 7 |
| PSYC 110 | Physiological Psychology | 3 |
| ENG 110 | Communication | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 13 |
Total Semester Credits 72