Overview

Welcome to the Medical Training Institute of New York Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program. The program is a 14-month full-time and 18-month Part-time beginning Summer of the enrollment year and running continuously through the Fall of the following year.

This program is designed to provide clinical training, including hands-on practice, for Diagnostic Medical sonography and an academic curriculum in Diagnostic sonography principles, technology, physics, and instrumentation.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography at the Medical Training Institute of New York is designed to prepare students to perform Diagnostic Sonography examinations under the direction of a physician.

The student will have the opportunity to study the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of scanned organ systems, recognize the sonographic patterns of the organs, learn the protocols for a logical and thorough survey of the organs, and provide accurate and technical impressions of the interpreting physician.

Our goal is to prepare competent entry-level adult general sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. We are dedicated to training sonographers who exemplify this standard and degree of excellence. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to sit for the ARDMS and/or ARRT Registry Exams.

One of the many advantages of the Medical Training Institute of New York program is that all clinical training is performed at one location. There is a strong collaboration with the didactic and clinical instructors to ensure harmony throughout the program.

The core curriculum is structured to include an on-campus lecture component, an on-campus imaging laboratory component, and an off-campus integrated Externship/clinical component.

The Medical Training Institute of New York Echocardiography Lab offers a variety of educational offerings in conjunction with the school's didactic sessions.

The final externship portion of the curriculum is structured to include supervised experiences in the clinical environment that require competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student. At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and their externship studied and practiced their skills should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as (noninvasive) cardiovascular technologists.

What Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, Technologists, and Technicians Do

Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists, and technicians operate special equipment to create images or conduct tests. They work closely with Physicians and Surgeons who view the images and test results to assess and diagnose medical conditions.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, Technologists, and Technicians typically do the following:

• Prepare patients by explaining the procedure to them and answering their questions.
• Prepare exam rooms and maintain diagnostic imaging equipment.
• Properly situate patients for imaging
• Operate equipment to obtain diagnostic images or to conduct tests.
• Review images or test results to check for quality and adequate coverage of the areas needed for diagnoses.
• Analyze results for abnormalities and other diagnostic information and provide a summary of findings to physicians.
• Record findings and keep track of patients’ records.

Diagnostic medical sonographers specialize in creating images, known as sonograms or ultrasounds, that depict the body’s organs and tissues. Sonography is often the first imaging test performed when the disease is suspected. Sonography uses high-energy sound waves to produce images of the inside of the body. The sonographer uses an instrument called a transducer to scan parts of the patient’s body that are being examined. The transducer emits pulses of sound that bounce back, causing echoes. The echoes form an image on a computer that physicians use for diagnosis. The following are examples of types of medical sonographers:

• Abdominal sonographers specialize in imaging a patient’s abdominal cavity and nearby organs, such as the kidney, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen. Abdominal sonographers may assist with biopsies or other examinations requiring ultrasound guidance.
• Breast sonographers specialize in imaging a patient’s breast tissue. Sonography can confirm the presence of cysts and tumors that may have been detected by the patient, the physician, or a mammogram. Breast sonographers assist with procedures that track tumors and help to provide information that will aid physicians in making decisions about treatment options for breast cancer patients.
• Cardiac sonographers (echocardiographers) specialize in imaging a patient’s heart. They use ultrasound equipment to examine the heart’s chambers, valves, and vessels. An echocardiogram may be performed either while the patient is resting or after the patient has been physically active. Cardiac sonographers also may take echocardiograms of fetal hearts so that physicians can diagnose cardiac conditions during pregnancy.
• Musculoskeletal sonographers specialize in imaging muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. These sonographers may assist with ultrasound guidance for injections or during surgical procedures that deliver medication or treatment directly to affected tissues.
• Pediatric sonographers specialize in imaging of children and infants. Many of the medical conditions they image are associated with premature births or birth defects. Pediatric sonographers may work closely with pediatricians and other caregivers.
• Obstetric and gynecologic sonographers specialize in imaging the female reproductive system. For example, many pregnant women receive sonograms to track the baby’s growth and health.
• Vascular technologists (vascular sonographers) create images of blood vessels and collect data that help physicians diagnose disorders affecting blood flow. Vascular technologists often evaluate blood flow and identify blocked arteries or blood clots.