Why become an ultrasound technologist?
Ultrasound is a highly respected field that involves the use of ultrasonic waves for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, specifically for imaging an internal body structure, monitoring a developing fetus, or generating localized heat deep in tissues.
However, regardless of how respected a field is, at the end of the day you want a career that pays well. Ultrasound technologists in the Toronto area make between $40,898 and $76,546 so it’s a high paying field too!
What do I need to do to become an ultrasound technologist?
You need to certify yourself. The most recognized certification for ultrasound technologists in Canada is the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) certification. Once you have this certification, you can begin working as an ultrasound technologist throughout Canada and the United States.
How do I get certified as an ultrasound technologist?
To become certified, you must pass the ARDMS exam. However, to be eligible to write the ARDMS exam, you must meet some prerequisites. These can be found on the prerequisites page on the ARDMS website. To meet these requirements, you can choose to go to an ultrasound school if your grades are really high and you have the money. You can expect to pay around $5000/year and get certified in 2-3 years.
What are the best ultrasound schools in Ontario?
Although ultrasound is a growing field in Ontario and across Canada, there are only a couple of ultrasound schools in Ontario. The most popular are the Michener Institute and Mohawk College.
Both places have ultrasound programs, but the main problem is that it is extremely difficult to get into these schools. They have long waiting lists of people who have applied for admission for years. They also have strict prerequisites. For example, the Michener Institute only accepts students who have a bachelor’s or bachelor’s degree in kinesiology or a degree or diploma in a health profession.
So while these ultrasound schools are highly respected and produce excellent ultrasound technologists, what good is a school if you can’t get into it? There is also another way to get certified with as little as $3000 in total investment and in less than 2 years… read on for more details.
What other options do I have to certify?
If you look closely at the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) prerequisites for certification as an ultrasound technologist, you’ll notice that nowhere does it say you need to go to a certified ultrasound technologist program like those offered by Michener. and mohican. Here is a link to the prerequisites page just to confirm this.
If you look closely at the 3A prerequisite, you’ll notice that the requirements to become certified as an ultrasound technologist include a bachelor’s degree in any specialization, 12 months of clinical experience in ultrasound/vascular along with some documentation.
All of these requirements can be completed without the need to go to one of these ultrasound schools!
As? Simply learn from an ARDMS-certified ultrasound instructor with experience teaching ultrasound. The one I personally recommend is Dr. Khadija Siddiqui from Mainz Ultrasound in Mississauga. She has taught over 1700 students practicing ultrasound around the world and is an amazing instructor. If you go to their website you can see in detail how it can help you meet each prerequisite.
UPDATE: Mainz Ultrasound has recently changed its prerequisites to only accept students who already have ultrasound experience.
Plus, he has small one-on-one classes and gives you hands-on training during your course of study. Courses are offered on weekdays and weekends based on your schedule and there are no difficult prerequisites for admission.
She prepares you for the ARDMS licensing exam and also teaches you the skills you need to start working and complete your 12 months of clinical/vascular experience in a clinic or hospital. Clinics and hospitals are eagerly seeking these “trainee ultrasound technologists” because they typically bring new skills with them and are paid only half of what certified ultrasound technologists pay during their training period.
After completing your study with her, you can take the ARDMS exam and become certified as an ultrasound technologist within 1-2 years.
I hope this information has been helpful. Best of luck in your career.