You may have this belief that ultrasound technician courses regarding the different concentration fields, i.e. General Sonography, Vascular Sonography and Echocardiography, would also have different ultrasound coursework. In other words, like a bicycle is different than a car, the General sonography courses would also be different than the Echocardiography courses.

Well, if your thoughts are also wandering along these lines, then let me inform you that this particular though is partially right and partially wrong too since there are some common ultrasound courses that every sonography schools or top online college classes will make you acquainted with.

What are the Core Ultrasound Technician Courses that every Sonographer has to face?

Each and every sonography program would make the students explore certain subject matters, namely the patient care, ultrasound physics, anatomy & physiology and sonography clinical practicum. And, since these subject matters come up in every sonography programs, they are dubbed as the “core ultrasound technician courses”.

Thus, no matter whether it is a Certificate level sonography program or an Associate’s/Bachelor’s degree sonography program, the ultrasound technician coursework of these programs would be largely similar to each other with the main exception being the specialty courses. For instance, if you are in a General Sonography program, then you can expect to have classes on abdominal and OB/GYN (obstetrics and gynecology) sonography. Likewise, the Echocardiography program would contain courses regarding Doppler physics.

Note:– Aside from the core sonography courses, there are some pre-requisite courses that every ultrasound tech-wannabe has to complete for becoming eligible to enroll in the ultrasound programs as issued from the best sonography schools of Texas or any other states. Even the online tech courses demand the completion of the physics, physiology, computer technology and other such pre-requisite ultrasound tech courses.

1. Patient Care| Course Description:–

If you had no knowledge about what the profession of the ultrasound technician is about, then let me enlighten you with the fact that ultrasound techs, with the application of the ultrasound technology, take sonograms (photographs, in common language) of the internal body parts of the patients.

From the above description, you must have figured out that the ultrasound techs have to communicate with the patients and make them understand how the ultrasound technology is used.

That’s why every ultrasound program, be it certificate or degree program, will make the students first acquainted with the patient care course, which, to be brief, will teach the ultrasound aspirants about good communication skills, patient monitoring and professional ethics. Besides these, the patient care courses would also encompass a brief introduction to the ultrasound machine (i.e. transducer), basic diagnostic sonographic techniques and sonography related medical terminologies.

2. Human Anatomy & Physiology| Course Description:–

Since the ultrasound technology is applied for projecting the sonograms of the internal organs of the human body, it is crucial for the ultrasound technicians-wannabes to receive an in-depth study on the human anatomy and physiology.

Speaking of the anatomy & physiology course, it teaches the ultrasound students about the different systems of the body (like the digestive system, circulatory system, musculoskeletal system and reproductive system) and their relationship in making the human body work properly.

This course, which usually starts in the first semester, would also make the students familiar with the sonographic images of the various organs like the kidneys, thyroids, livers and other abdominal body parts so that, while inspecting the sonograms or X-rays, the ultrasound students would be capable of identifying the different parts of the human body.

Besides the lecture classes regarding this course, there would also be some laboratory practice where you will be able to put this course in practical application and find out yourself how necessary it is for an ultrasound tech to be acquainted with the human anatomy and physiology.

3. Ultrasound Physics| Course Description:–

The classes regarding the ultrasound physics course will reveal how the ultrasound technology is used for producing the sonograms. In other words, this course will teach you about how the high frequency sound waves are emitted from the ultrasound machines i.e. transducer (details of this ultrasound machine will also be discussed in this topic) and how images or sonograms of the internal body parts are retrieved and stored.

Students would also get to learn about the proper way of measuring the velocity and frequency of the sound waves so as to project quality images of the internal human body.

Besides this, the ultrasound students would also get to explore the subject matters like Doppler, 3-dimensional applications, pulsed sound and transmission of sound, not to mention that this course would also give the opportunity to the students to use the ultrasound machine and practice producing sonograms with their classmates.

4. Clinical Practicum| Course Description:–

The clinical practicum is an inseparable portion of the ultrasound tech training and is valued more highly than the ultrasound lecture or theoretical classes, owing to the fact that the sonography is a technical profession, which requires practical skills in using the ultrasound machines.

Hence, you can expect to find ultrasound clinical practicum course in every sonography program, be it a class-based regular program or an online program. Generally, this clinical portion of the ultrasound coursework would start as the last semester of any sonography programs i.e. once you have completed the theoretical portion of the ultrasound technician courses.

Now, for your information, the clinical practicum course would take place in the local hospitals or ultrasound facilities as a clinical internship program. And, during this clinical internship period, you will be able to gain hands-on skills in your chosen field of ultrasound specialty.

For instance, if your ultrasound program is concerned about the General Sonography, then this clinical program will give you practical training on monitoring the fetal growth, identifying abnormalities in the fetus and such other obstetrics and gynecology related clinical works. Likewise, if your ultrasound program is concerned with the echocardiography, then you will be able to gain hands-on practice on how to project quality images of the human heart as well as track blood clotting and cancer & stroke signs.

In addition, you will discover that the clinical practicum course, along with making you familiar with the hospital or ultrasound settings, also bestows you the chance to interact with the surgical techs, medical assistants, X-ray techs and other healthcare practitioners. This way you will be able to learn what the profession of an ultrasound technician is about.