Ultrasound Technician School in District of Columbia - Washington, DC

By Allison Skoglind, allied health world contributing writer
Published: February, 2 2011

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Although formal education and certification are not legal requirements to practice as an ultrasound technician in the Distric of Columbia, aspiring techs will not likely find employment in today’s competitive job market without some kind of formal training. Clinical training can be found in area hospitals through supervised unpaid externships, but online schools also provide ultrasound technician training via web based resources for individuals who prefer home study.

Career advancement opportunities are mainly achieved by gaining supplementary certification in specialty areas of sonography, as employers show hiring preference to specialized sonography technicians. The more areas of sonography an ultrasound technician is certified in, the more marketable and valuable they become to employers. According the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Services, ultrasound technicians usually gain specialized certification in:

Cardiac sonography
Breast sonography
OB/GYN sonography
Vascular sonography
Neurosonography

Continuing Education for Ultrasound Technicians in Washington, DC

As in most healthcare professions, employers rely on continuing education to keep employees up-to-date regarding current industry trends, procedural innovations, medical technology advancements and diagnostic techniques. In fact, many times continuing education can take place wherever sonography imaging is offered such as:

Local hospitals
Outpatient clinics
Physicians’ offices
Laboratories
Public health facilities

For registered diagnostic medical sonographers in Washington, DC, continuing education is not merely suggested, it’s required. Typically, ultrasound technicians apply for recertification on an annual basis. However, every other year documented continuing medical education (CME) credits must be submitted along with recertification applications. Failure to engage in continuing education activities results in forfeiture of active certification status.

Each certification agency is responsible for communicating specific guidelines for acceptable CME credits. In addition, most agencies provide approved CME opportunities that fulfill specified criteria. Some CME credits are gained through: