A sonographer is a medical professional who is specially trained to operate an ultrasound machine. They are also trained to view the information obtained from the images produced by the ultrasound machine while working in conjunction with medical professionals who analyze these images and consults with patients. Some attributes that are required to be a general ultrasonographer is: compassion and empathy towards patients, to be relatively physically fit (sonographers generally stand for long periods of time and some heavy lifting may be required), high level interpersonal and communication skills and an interest in science and technology.
After putting in the time and effort of studying and being trained to become a sonography specialist, you can look forward to a long and rewarding career. With a rising employment demand, a lot of job opportunities are available when training have to completed and are ready to start practicing. A career in health, medicine and science can be immensely rewarding and is well worth the consideration.
Australia
In Australia, year 12 or equivalent needs to be completed before enrolling in a Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Science or related discipline at university. After this has been completed, a postgraduate diploma or masters in sonography must be undertaken. When it is completed, you must be registered with the Australian Accreditation Registry (ASAR) before you can formally practice as a sonographer. One of the leading universities offering the above courses is Curtin University, but there are also courses available at the University of South Australia, Charles Sturt University, Monash University and Swinburne University. There are limited courses available for study online as well through Open Universities Australia.Salary
The starting pay of a sonography specialist is roughly $60,000 a year, with average sonographer salary at $78,000 per year. Employment trends currently indicate that ultrasonographers are becoming more in demand as time goes on. Employment is available in a variety of locations. Most commonly sonographers work in radiology clinics, but they can also have opportunities in hospitals and surgeries.Job Outlook and benefits
If you are passionate about health and science, then considering a career as a medical ultrasonographer could be the ideal choice for you. There are plenty of different areas that use ultrasound technology such as obstetric, neurosonography, vascular, cardiac, breast, abdominal organs and gynecology. So whatever area you are interest about you are sure to find something that suits you. A quick look over the jobs available for sonographers will indicate that this field have plenty of opportunities for someone with the right training and skills.After putting in the time and effort of studying and being trained to become a sonography specialist, you can look forward to a long and rewarding career. With a rising employment demand, a lot of job opportunities are available when training have to completed and are ready to start practicing. A career in health, medicine and science can be immensely rewarding and is well worth the consideration.
