do you have any info about being an ultrasound technician?

Question

i am possibly interested in going to school for sonography/ultrasound technology.

i need to know what types of courses to expect, and is the courseload very heavy on math/science (not my strongest areas but if it's not TOO intense in these areas i think i can do it)
Also, is it imperative that i take ONLY an accredited program? or is it actually conceivable that i will get a job if i go to a school or institute where the program is not accredited? I've been told that if you take non-accredited classes you have to find work in the field & intern for a year before testing. But does anyone actually do this? I mean is it possible to get a job this way or are those programs just scams? i don't want to end up jobless w/a worthless degree.
if anyone has experience & can give me any insight i would really appreciate it! thanks in advance!

Answer 1

The correct title is diagnostic medical sonographer. If you go to a school that isn't accredited, you have to work a year before becoming eligible to get registered, but employers don't want to hire someone who isn't registered, so it's kind of a vicious circle. You also might consider becoming a radiologic technologist first. You will be much more attractive to an employer if you can do both x-ray and ultrasound, and make more money. You can find accredited schools here:
http://arrt.org/index.html?content=http://www.arrt.org/nd/listOfSchools.ndm/listSchools&iframe=yes
http://www.caahep.org/Find_An_Accredited_Program.aspx

Answer 2

Hey,

You don't have to go to an accredited institution. I know many people who are working without ever going to an accredited institution. As long as you're good at it, you'll get a job pretty easily.

Check out http://www.ultrasoundtraining.ca if you're located in Ontario.

It is pretty heavy on the science area though. If that's something that scares you, I wouldn't recommend this field.