LER.me

Make All Learning Count.

Get Connected

  • What is a LER?
  • FAQs (opens in new tab)
  • Partner with Us
  • Visit EBSCOed (opens in new tab)

View our Policies

  • Accessibility (opens in new tab)
  • Standards (opens in new tab)
  • Terms of Use (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy Policy (opens in new tab)
  • Opt out (opens in new tab)

Get the app

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store

© 2026 All rights reserved.

Powered by EBSCOed

Skip to main contentSkip to footer
  • Live Data
My LER
My LER
  1. Programs
  3. Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Northwest-Shoals Community College

Associate's Degree

Become a contributor for free to openly demonstrate student outcomes, industry alignment & eligibility criteria.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography program prepares students for ARDMS certification and careers as ultrasound technologists. CAAHEP-accredited program covering abdominal, OB/GYN, and vascular sonography.

Credits

76 credits

Format

In-Person

Eligibility Calculator

Which aid programs apply to this program?

Record QualityEligibility Calculators
Loading Skills & Competencies
Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

Loading What You'll Learn
Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.

Visit Program Website
Locations

Where this program is offered

  • Alabama

    Alabama

Loading Student Outcomes
Related Programs

Programs related to this one

No related programs.

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populated·from O*NET via SOC 29-2032.00

Skills

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessCritical ThinkingMonitoringTime ManagementActive Learning

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguagePhysicsMedicine and DentistryAdministrative

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionProblem SensitivityNear VisionWritten ExpressionSpeech ClarityInductive ReasoningArm-Hand SteadinessControl Precision

Tasks

  • Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, ma
  • Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.
  • Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical d

Technology

Calendar and scheduling softwareData base user interface and query softwareMedical softwareElectronic mail softwareSpreadsheet software

Tools

3D sonography equipmentA-Mode ultrasound machinesCardiac ultrasound equipmentColor Doppler ultrasound equipmentContinuous-wave ultrasound equipmentDesktop computersEvacuated blood collection tubesHigh frequency transducersImmobilization and positioning devicesIntravenous IV suppliesLancetsLead barriersM-mode ultrasound machinesMedical ultrasound printersNotebook computers

Work Values

RelationshipsSupportAchievementWorking ConditionsIndependenceRecognition
Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

  • Diagnostic Medical Sonographers29-2032.00
What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populated·from NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

  • Image quality assessment — evaluate real-time sonographic displays independently, adjusting gain, depth, and focal zones to ensure diagnostic-grade images during routine examinations.
  • Multi-region scanning — operate ultrasound equipment across abdominal, pelvic, and vascular protocols with limited oversight, adapting transducer selection to patient body habitus.
  • Patient positioning optimization — modify patient angles and probe placement based on anatomy and clinical indication to obtain the best diagnostic windows in a busy outpatient imaging center.
  • Oral and written technical reporting — compile clear, organized summaries of sonographic findings and transmit them accurately to referring physicians within established turnaround times.
  • Scope-of-exam judgment — recognize incidental findings during routine scans and determine, using departmental guidelines, whether additional image planes or structures should be evaluated.
  • Pathology differentiation — distinguish common pathological presentations from normal anatomy on screen, selecting representative images that document clinically significant differences.
  • Time and workflow management — schedule and complete a standard daily caseload of varied scan types on time, balancing patient preparation duties with image acquisition in a clinical setting.
  • Equipment troubleshooting — identify and resolve minor calibration or connectivity issues with ultrasound units and PACS workstations to minimize examination delays.
  • Patient-centered care — proactively address patient anxiety and physical needs throughout examinations, applying empathy and service-orientation skills in a hospital or outpatient environment.
  • Electronic health record usage — input exam data, update patient records, and retrieve prior imaging studies using medical and office suite software with routine accuracy.

Some details on this page are auto-populated from public workforce data sources: O*NET (opens in new tab), BLS (opens in new tab), College Scorecard (opens in new tab), DOL Training Provider Results (opens in new tab), NSX (opens in new tab). Provided in partnership with LER.me Career Intelligence.

Student Outcomes

Performance metrics for this program

Auto-populated·from Scorecard + DOL
Completion Rate
78%
Placement Rate
79%