Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Associate Degree Program
Diagnostic Medical Sonography is one of the safest medical imaging specialties available today. Sonography, or ultrasound, is a non-invasive diagnostic medical imaging procedure used to visualize organs or systems in the body. As a diagnostic medical sonographer, you will use special equipment to direct high frequency sound waves into areas of a patient’s anatomy. The sound waves bounce off the surfaces of the structures they hit, creating an image on a monitor. You will use these images to assist qualified physicians to make a medical diagnosis.
The Georgetown campus offers the general learning concentration in diagnostic medical sonography. The Wilmington campus offers two learning concentrations: general & cardiovascular.
The general learning concentration focuses on the areas of abdomen, obstetrics/gynecology, superficial structures, and vascular. The cardiovascular learning concentration focuses on procedures that help to diagnose abnormalities related to heart and vascular diseases.
Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of the Allied Health admissions process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements.
Offered at the following campus(es): Georgetown, Wilmington
What You Can Do
In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions such as:
- Sonographer
- Lead technologist/supervisor/manager
- Educator/researcher
- Equipment application specialist
Working environments may include hospitals, private imaging centers, physician offices, health care facilities, colleges or universities, and equipment manufacturers.
What You Will Learn
Program Graduate Competencies
The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.
- Perform competently a full range of diagnostic medical sonographic procedures pertaining to their learning concentration.
- Utilize professional verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills in patient care, procedure intervention, and professional relationships.
- Act in a professional and ethical manner and comply with professional scope of practice.
- Integrate critical thinking and problem solving skills as expected of a healthcare professional.
Core Curriculum Competencies
The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:
- Apply clear and effective communication skills.
- Use critical thinking to solve problems.
- Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
- Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
- Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
- Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
Courses for Application
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
SSC 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
BIO 120 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 5 |
MAT 162 | Statistical Reasoning | 4 |
ENG 101 | Composition I | 3 |
PHY 111 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
Semester 1
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 100 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
DMS 107 | Essentials in Patient Care/Sonography | 3 |
ENG 102 | Composition II | 3 |
Semester 2
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 104 | Intro to Clinical Internship | 1 |
DMS 113 | Gynecological Sonography | 2 |
DMS 131 | Abdominal/Small Parts Sonography I | 2 |
BIO 121 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 5 |
Semester 3
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 110 | Acoustical Physics | 3 |
DMS 114 | Obstetrical Sonography | 2 |
DMS 231 | Abdominal/Small Parts Sonography II | 2 |
DMS 240 | Clinical Internship I | 3 |
Semester 4
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 241 | Clinical Internship II | 6 |
Semester 5
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
PSY 121 | General Psychology | 3 |
DMS 235 | Pediatric Sonography | 1 |
DMS 214 | Essentials in Vascular U/S | 2 |
DMS 242 | Clinical Internship III | 5 |
BIO 130 | Disease Process/Pathophysiology | 3 |
Semester 6
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
SOC 213 | Ethical Issues in Healthcare | 3 |
DMS 250 | Selected Topics in U/S | 2 |
DMS 243 | Clinical Internship IV | 5 |
To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 76 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).
AHTAASDMO
Courses for Application
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
SSC 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
BIO 120 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 5 |
MAT 162 | Statistical Reasoning | 4 |
ENG 101 | Composition I | 3 |
PHY 111 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
Semester 1
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 107 | Essentials in Patient Care/Sonography | 3 |
BIO 100 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
ENG 102 | Composition II | 3 |
Semester 2
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 104 | Intro to Clinical Internship | 1 |
DMS 113 | Gynecological Sonography | 2 |
DMS 131 | Abdominal/Small Parts Sonography I | 2 |
BIO 121 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 5 |
Semester 3
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 110 | Acoustical Physics | 3 |
DMS 114 | Obstetrical Sonography | 2 |
DMS 231 | Abdominal/Small Parts Sonography II | 2 |
DMS 240 | Clinical Internship I | 3 |
Semester 4
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DMS 241 | Clinical Internship II | 6 |
VAS 111 | Vascular Techniques I | 3 |
Semester 5
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
PSY 121 | General Psychology | 3 |
DMS 235 | Pediatric Sonography | 1 |
VAS 112 | Vascular Techniques II | 3 |
DMS 242 | Clinical Internship III | 5 |
BIO 130 | Disease Process/Pathophysiology | 3 |
Semester 6
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
SOC 213 | Ethical Issues in Healthcare | 3 |
DMS 250 | Selected Topics in U/S | 2 |
VAS 213 | Vascular Techniques III | 3 |
DMS 243 | Clinical Internship IV | 5 |
To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 83 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).
AHTAASDMS
Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree?
This is a Connected Degree program that enables you to complete your associate degree and then transfer to a four-year degree program as a junior. See a program advisor for details!
Alumni | Alondra Lara-Zavala
Kelly Disidoro
Department Chair
kdisidor@orkexpo.net
(302) 259-6683
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs are accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775, (727) 210-2350, http://www.caahep.org, upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 21043, (443) 973-3251 phone, (443) 738-3444 fax, http://www.jrcdms.org.
Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the national credentialing exams through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) http://www.ardms.org
A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the national credentialing exam.
This program is offered at the Georgetown and Wilmington campuses.
Daniel Hernandez, RVT, RDCS, RDMS
Department Chair
dherna16@orkexpo.net
(302) 320-4548
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs are accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775, (727) 210-2350, http://www.caahep.org, upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 21043, (443) 973-3251 phone, (443) 738-3444 fax, http://www.jrcdms.org.
Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the national credentialing exams through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) http://www.ardms.org
A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the national credentialing exam.