Cardiovascular Sonography
Hands-on Cardiovascular Sonography Education in California
Diagnostic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs, tissues, and other structures inside the human body. It’s an effective, non-invasive method for helping healthcare professionals diagnose illnesses and ailments, and it’s projected to be a fast-growing sector of the healthcare field over the next several years. In California, the projected growth in employment for diagnostic medical sonographers is 28% from 2018-2028.* At Smith Chason College’s campus in Los Angeles, we offer diploma and degree programs that combine online lectures and in-person labs and externships utilizing industry current ultrasound technologies. Learn more about our ultrasound programs below:
*Source: Projections Central 2018-2028 long-term projections
Bachelor’s Degrees:
Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Cardiovascular Sonography
Can be completed in just 36 months
Enrolling every Summer quarter
Sit for relevant ARDMS and CCI registries upon completion*
Explore how cardiac and vascular ultrasound is used to assist doctors in diagnosing often life-threatening cardiac and vascular abnormalities. This program provides an educational journey into cardiovascular sonography, vascular sonography, structural heart disease, and congenital heart disease (CHD), Electrocardiography (EKG), and other advanced cardiovascular + vascular ultrasound protocols utilized by cardiovascular sonographers.
*Graduates of Smith Chason College’s imaging programs are eligible to sit for their registry exams, including ARDMS, CCI, and ARRT.
Associate Degrees:
Academic Associate of Science in Cardiovascular Sonography
Can be completed in just 21 months
Sit for relevant CCI registry upon completion*
Study the world of cardiovascular sonography! In this program, students will gain instruction on cardiovascular and vascular ultrasound, structural heart disease, and congenital heart disease (CHD), and Electrocardiography (EKG) and how it is used to assist doctors in diagnosing heart health.
*Graduates of Smith Chason College’s imaging programs are eligible to sit for their registry exams, including ARDMS, CCI, and ARRT.
Diploma Program:
Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound and Congenital Heart Disease Diploma
Can be completed in just 9 months
Sit for relevant Pediatric Echocardiography ARDMS registry upon completion
Gain a comprehensive knowledge of pediatric cardiac ultrasound and congenital heart disease in adult and pediatric patients. Applicants must have successfully completed an adult cardiovascular sonography program. Graduates will be able to enter the field as a pediatric cardiac sonographer.
*Graduates of Smith Chason College imaging programs are eligible to sit for their registry exams, including ARDMS, CCI, and ARRT.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smith Chason College
Your Smith Chason College education can be divided in three sections:
Lecture – Online through asynchronous courses + Through live zoom lectures
Lab – In-person on campus
Externship – 6 months In-person at a designated site
Communication is critical to your development and success
Time flies when you’re having fun and learning! Your first few courses are the building blocks to your educational journey if you are struggling to comprehend a subject or balancing your schoolwork and life, cracks in those building blocks will develop. It is important to keep an open dialogue with your instructors, student services team, and program director and reach out if you are struggling. They are there to help assess and cultivate a plan that can help you succeed.
Like learning a new language
You’ll be learning new terms that will become part of your day-to-day conversations and evaluation of patients.
You’ll build on this language from the very beginning, all throughout your education and well into your career.
Patients from all walks of life will need your help, compassion and professionalism
In the medical field you will have the opportunity to help people from all parts of your community including those who may be low-income, struggling with homelessness, enduring extreme pain or mental illness. Often people who require medical help are not at their best and will need compassion and care from their physicians, technologists, nurses, and therapists. Your attitude can affect their medical journey.
Hands-on work
You will need to be hands-on with your patients, requiring you to be comfortable touching other people.
You will also need to hold and manage equipment with your hands, oftentimes while multitasking and utilizing hand-eye coordination to complete your job.
Vaccinations may be required by your externship site or future employer
As part of the healthcare industry, you are exposed to viruses and diseases that the common population does not come across every day. Your future employer and externship site may require vaccinations to work at their facility.
This includes vaccinations against the Flu, Annual TB, Hepatitis, COVID-19, etc. as required by your Externship site or Employer.
Externship is a critical time that will help you develop real experiences in your chosen field
During your externship, you will spend 6 months working alongside other healthcare professionals who will teach you the ins and outs of your chosen field. This will require potentially long and late hours, hand-on work with patients, and travel to your designated externship site.
This is the moment you can take the skills and knowledge you built in lecture and in lab and apply it to the field! You will have mentors with years of experience guiding you, but there will be moments where you will need to follow instructions and work on your own.
You will need to maintain a professional manner – you’re with real patients now! And they’re counting on you.
What is a transfer credit?
All transfer credits will be evaluated by the Smith Chason College Registrar office. Eligible transfer credits must be from a previous college level course, this does not include AP level high school courses.
Accreditation
& Licensure
Graduates Are
Registry Eligible
