Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Program Overview
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Associate Degree program is a sequence of courses that provide didactic and clinical instruction designed to provide the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to graduate and become successful entry-level DMS professionals. Sonographers use high frequency sound waves to produce dynamic visual pictures of internal body structures. The images are evaluated by physicians to make a medical diagnosis.
Graduates will receive an Associate of Science Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Program graduates who fulfill exit requirements will be eligible to apply to the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) testing in the specialty areas of diagnostic medical ultrasound to become a credentialed sonographer.
Students may compete to enter the DMS program each fall semester. A full-time student can complete this program in 6 semesters. To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 78 semester credit hours.
Oconee Fall Line Technical College has made application for programmatic accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS). This programmatic accreditation promotes appropriate quality standards for educational programs in diagnostic medical sonography.
As a part of this accreditation process, Oconee Fall Line Technical College will publish student and graduate achievement information. The following information explains the outcomes that will be reported once the first class of diagnostic medical sonography students graduate.
1. Licensure Pass Rate
The DMS program will achieve a 60% overall licensure pass rate within one year of a cohort graduation. Students will earn either an abdomen or OB/GYN credential on the ARDMS: RDMS(AB) and RDMS (OB/GYN) or ARRT: RT(S) credential.
2. Placement Rate
The DMS program will employ 75% of graduates. Employment is defined as working as a sonographer in one of the program’s accredited concentrations, continuing their education, or serving in the military within six months of graduation.
3. Retention Rate
The DMS program’s enrollment per cohort will maintain a retention rate of 70% of total enrollment.
Career Traits/Requirements
Applicants for the program must possess critical thinking skills, excellent communication capabilities, and the ability to provide health care services with compassion and patience.
Offered at the Following Campuses/Delivery Mode
Salary Potential
$65,000.00 – $70,000.00
Program Costs
Tuition & Fees: $9,786.00
Books & Supplies: $2,000.00
(Costs are estimated and are subject to change.)
Additional Fees
Uniform Costs: $250.00
Malpractice Fee: $11.00 per academic year
Criminal Background Check: $49.50
Drug Screening: $42.00
My Clinical Exchange Fee: $59.50
Verified Credentials: $169.50
BLS for HCP: $7.00
Trajecsys: $150.00
Science Lab Fees: $75.00
Pegasus Lectures ExamSim V3 Ultrasound Physics: $185.00
Ergonomic Cable Brace: $25.00
Butterfly IQ+: $83.50 (last three program semesters)
(costs are estimated and are subject to change.)
Employment Opportunities
Successful completion of this program should enable graduates to pursue job opportunities in one of several diagnostic imaging areas such as hospitals, imaging centers, and physician offices.
Admission Requirements
- Submit a completed application and application fee;
- Be at least 16 years of age;
- Submit official high school transcript or GED transcript;
- Submit official college transcripts, if applicable;
- OFTC may accept a student’s official entrance score on the following validated assessment instruments if the scores meet the required minimums: COMPASS/ASSET, SAT, ACT, PSAT, PACT, Accuplacer/Accuplacer Next Generation/Companion, HOPE GPA after completion of 10th grade of 2.6 or higher or GED.
Competitive Admission Requirements
Students must complete an application to compete for their name to be placed on the list of potential program students. Students without an application on file will NOT be considered for program courses.
Articulation Agreements
For information on further advancing your education after completing your Associate of Applied Science Degree, see our Articulation (Transfer) Agreements.
Course Overview
AREA I - Language Arts/CommunicationENGL1101Composition and Rhetoric3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) Placement Test Score and Appropriate Degree Level Reading Placement Test Score or ENGL 0988
Explores the analysis of literature and articles about issues in the humanities and in society. Students practice various modes of writing, ranging from exposition to argumentation and persuasion. The course includes a review of standard grammatical and stylistic usage in proofreading and editing. An introduction to library resources lays the foundation for research. Topics include writing analysis and practice, revision, and research. Students write a research paper using library resources and using a formatting and documentation style appropriate to the purpose and audience.186AREA II - Social/Behavioral SciencesPSYC1101Introductory Psychology3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) and Reading Placement Test Scores
Introduces the major fields of contemporary psychology. Emphasis is on fundamental principles of psychology as a science. Topics include research design, the organization and operation of the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, thinking and intelligence, lifespan development, personality, psychopathology and interventions, stress and health, and social psychology.
473AREA III - Natural Sciences/MathematicsMATH1111College Algebra3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Appropriate Degree Level Math Placement Test Score or MATH 0098 and MATH 0099.
Emphasizes techniques of problem solving using algebraic concepts. Topics include fundamental concepts of algebra, equations and inequalities, functions and graphs, and systems of equations; optional topics include sequences, series, and probability or analytic geometry.187MATH1127Introduction to Statistics3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Appropriate algebra placement test score.
OFTC Prerequisite: MATH 1111
Emphasizes the concepts and methods fundamental to utilizing and interpreting commonly used statistics. Topics include descriptive statistics, basic probability, discrete and continuous distributions, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing chi square tests, and linear regression.
5084PHYS1110Conceptual Physics3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: ENGL 1101 and MATH 1101, MATH 1103, OR MATH 1111
Co-Requisite: PHYS 1110L
Introduces some of the basic laws of physics. Topics include systems of units and conversion of units, vector algebra, Newtonian mechanics, fluids and thermodynamics, heat, light, and optics, mechanical waves, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics.435PHYS1110LConceptual Physics Lab1 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: ENGL 1101 and MATH 1101, MATH 1103, OR MATH 1111
Co-Requisite: PHYS 1110
Selected laboratory exercises paralleling the topics in PHYS 1110. The laboratory exercises for this course include systems of units and systems of measurement, vector algebra, Newtonian mechanics, fluids and thermodynamics, heat, light, and optics, mechanical waves, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics.436AREA IV - Humanities/Fine ArtsENGL2130American Literature3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: ENGL 1101
Emphasizes American literature as a reflection of culture and ideas. A survey of important works in American literature. Includes a variety of literary genres: short stories, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and novels. Topics include literature and culture, essential themes and ideas, literature and history, and research skills.
471NON-GENERAL EDUCATION DEGREE COURSESBIOL2113Anatomy and Physiology I3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Co-Requisite: BIOL 2113 L
Introduces the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is placed on the development of a systemic perspective of anatomical structures and physiological processes. Topics include body organization, cell structure and functions, tissue classifications, integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, and nervous and sensory systems.316BIOL2113LAnatomy and Physiology Lab I1 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Co-Requisite: BIOL 2113
Selected laboratory exercises paralleling the topics in BIOL 2113. The laboratory exercises for this course include body organization, cell structure and functions, tissue classifications, integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, and nervous sensory systems.317BIOL2114Anatomy and Physiology II3 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L
Co-Requisite: BIOL 2114 L
Continues the study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Topics include the endocrine system, cardiovascular system, blood and lymphatic system, immune system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system.318BIOL2114LAnatomy and Physiology Lab II1 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L
Co-Requisite: BIOL 2114
Selected laboratory exercises paralleling the topics in BIOL 2114. The laboratory exercises for this course include the endocrine system, cardiovascular system, blood and lymphatic system, immune system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system.319OCCUPATIONAL COURSESDMSO1010Foundations of Sonography3 credit hours75 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Using classroom didactic instruction and laboratory experiences, this foundations course prepares students for the role of a sonographer. The course provides a base of knowledge and experiences from which complementary and subsequent courses build on. Topics include diagnostic medical sonography history; medical ethics and law; patient privacy and confidentiality; body mechanics, lifts and transfers; patient assessment and administration of care; transducer care; response to medical emergencies; professionalism; medical and sonographic terminology; cultural competence; ergonomics: work related musculoskeletal disorders; basic sonographic physical principles and system operation; Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and sonographic scanning techniques
5426DMSO1020Sectional Anatomy and Normal Sonographic Appearance3 credit hours75 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course combines the didactic education of sectional anatomy with active student participation in classroom laboratory experience. Information is weighted toward normal structures which are sonographically visible. Structures are described according to relative location and proportionality. Topics include: normal sectional anatomy of the neck, liver, biliary system, pancreas, genitourinary tract, spleen, peritoneal cavity, retroperitoneum, gastrointestinal tract, and vascular system structures within the upper and lower extremity; anatomic planes related to sonographic images; sonographic appearance and sonographic patterns of structures in the female and male pelvis, neck, liver, biliary system, pancreas, peritoneum and retroperitoneum, gastrointestinal tract, non cardiac chest, and upper and low extremities; and related imaging, laboratory testing procedures and functional testing procedures.
5428DMSO1040Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation3 credit hours75 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Sonographers apply principles of ultrasound in the operation of medical sonographic equipment to produce a sonogram. Knowledge of the interaction of ultrasound with tissue is important for image optimization, acquisition and interpretation of sonographic images, and critical to the accurate diagnosis of disease. Introduces concepts for the factors involved with diagnostic ultrasound principles and instruments. Emphasis will be placed on ultrasound physics, transducer construction, operation and characteristics, artifacts and adjustable physics parameters. Topics include: basic principles and wave analysis; propagation of acoustic waves through tissues; principles of pulse echo imaging; sonographic transducers and sound beams; hemodynamic and Doppler imaging; sonographic instrumentation; artifacts; quality assurance/quality control of sonographic instruments; bioeffects and safety. Student laboratory scanning hours are included in this course.
5430DMSO1050Abdominal Sonography I3 credit hours75 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course combines the didactic education of normal and abnormal abdominal with active student participation in classroom laboratory experience. Introduces advanced abdominal anatomy, sonographic appearance and procedures, pathology and pathophysiology for diagnostic medical sonography. Topics include: embryology; anatomy; protocols for all organs and organ systems of the abdomen and non-cardiac chest; variants of normal and congenital anomalies; function of organ and organ systems; patient history and indications for examination; scanning techniques; normal sonographic appearance; pathology and pathophysiology; related imaging and functional testing results; normal and abnormal Doppler and color flow characteristics.
5432DMSO1060Clinical Sonography I4 credit hours180 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Provides students with a more detailed introduction into the hospital, clinic or other patient care setting work experience. This course covers the control of the physical parameters of the sonography unit and application of sonographic physics as it relates to image quality. Sonographic examinations are conducted under direct and indirect supervision. Topics include: oral and written communication; provide basic patient care; equipment manipulation for optimum image resolution; ergonomically correct scanning techniques; perform basic sonographic examinations of normal and abnormal
abdominal anatomy and superficial structures; related imaging procedures and relevant laboratory findings; students must demonstrate progression of knowledge and scanning skills during this clinical rotation.
5434DMSO1070Pelvic Sonography and First Trimester Obstetrics2 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course introduces gynecology physiology, pathology, and pathophysiology along with normal and abnormal embryonic and fetal development during the first trimester using diagnostic medical sonography. Topics include: the role of the sonographer in obstetric imaging; antepartum obstetric sonography evaluation; Doppler imaging for the obstetric patient; significant laboratory values in early pregnancy; anatomy, physiology, pathology and pathophysiology of the female pelvis; gynecologic patient care and imaging techniques; clinical assessment of obstetrical patient; normal first trimester; uterine and extrauterine assessment during the first trimester; first trimester complications; prudent use; and performance standards and documentation.
5444DMSO1080Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation Registry Review1 credit hours30 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Provides a review of knowledge from previous courses and helps the student prepare for national certification examinations for sonography. Information concerning test taking skills will also be reviewed. Topics include: patient care, safety and communication; physics principles, ultrasound transducers, pulse-echo instrumentation, Doppler instrumentation; and quality assurance/quality control of equipment.
5446DMSO1090Introduction to Vascular Sonography1 credit hours30 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course is designed as an introduction into the field of vascular sonography. The general practitioner will be required to perform venous examinations of the lower extremity, arterial studies of the neck, and some Doppler studies within the abdomen. Emphasis is on the functional workings and settings associated with Doppler signals and waveforms. Topics include: machine/image settings for Doppler imaging; venous imaging of the lower extremities; arterial imaging of the neck; and vascular imaging of the abdomen, including aorta and its primary branches, vena cava, portal and hepatic
veins, and renal arteries and veins.
5448DMSO1100Clinical Sonography II6 credit hours270 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course provides students with continued work experience in a hospital, clinic or other patient care setting. Students conduct sonographic examinations under direct and indirect supervision while continuing to improve their communication, professionalism and critical thinking skills. Topics include: patient care issues; advanced scanning techniques; normal anatomy and pathologic conditions of the abdomen; normal and abnormal sonographic imaging of the male pelvis; normal and abnormal anatomy and pathology of the female pelvis; normal and abnormal uterine and fetal development
through the first trimester; and introduction to vascular sonography.
5450DMSO2010OB Second and Third Trimesters3 credit hours60 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Using classroom instruction and laboratory experiences this course introduces the knowledge of fetal anatomy, pathology, pathophysiology and procedures for diagnostic medical sonography. Instruction emphasizes normal fetal growth, fetal anomalies and maternal complications throughout all the second and third trimesters. Topics include: fetal assessment in the normal second and third trimesters; extra-fetal assessment of the second and third trimesters; assess abnormal fetal growth; high risk obstetrics; fetal structural abnormalities; genetic abnormalities and syndromes; interventional procedures; post partum complications; prudent use; and performance standards and documentation
5456DMSO2020Specialized Sonographic Procedures2 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course provides students with three independent areas of concentration. They are High Resolution Sonography, Interventional Sonography and Pediatric Sonography. I. High Resolution Sonography introduces superficial structure anatomy, pathology and procedures for diagnostic medical sonography. II. Interventional Sonography this course provides instruction in sonographic procedures which are considered invasive and/or require sterile procedures. III. Pediatric Sonography provides the sonography student with specialized imaging procedures for the pediatric patient. Topics include: Intervention Sonography use of sonography in interventional procedures, transducer care, infection
control, response to medical emergencies, contrast media, and organ transplant; High Resolution Sonography contrast media, and organ transplant; High Resolution Imaging anatomy and normal variants, function and physiology, indications for examination, sonographic imaging, pathology and pathophysiology, correlative and prior imaging, pertinent lab values; Pediatric Sonography embryology, anatomy and normal variants, function and physiology, indications for examination, sonographic imaging, and pathology and pathophysiology
5458DMSO2031Clinical Sonography III (Part A)1 credit hours45 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course provides students with continued work experience in a hospital, clinic or other patient care setting. Students improve skills in performing songraphic procedures previously introduced. Topics include: normal uterine and fetal development through the three trimesters including placental grading; equipment manipulation for optimum resolution; manipulation of equipment to minimize biological effects; normal anatomy and pathologic conditions of the abdomen and female pelvis; fetal biometry including gestational sac size, crown-rump length, bi-parietal diameter and head circumference; ectopic pregnancies; normal anatomy of the venous and arterial systems of the body; abnormal
conditions of the human vasculature system; patient care issues; and demonstration of significant progression of knowledge and scanning skills.6985DMSO2032Clinical Sonography III (Part B)7 credit hours315 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
This course provides students with continued work experience in a hospital, clinic or other patient care setting. Students improve skills in performing songraphic procedures previously introduced. Topics include: normal uterine and fetal development through the three trimesters including placental grading; equipment manipulation for optimum resolution; manipulation of equipment to minimize biological effects; normal anatomy and pathologic conditions of the abdomen and female pelvis; fetal biometry including gestational sac size, crown-rump length, bi-parietal diameter and head circumference; ectopic pregnancies; normal anatomy of the venous and arterial systems of the body; abnormal
conditions of the human vasculature system; patient care issues; and demonstration of significant progression of knowledge and scanning skills.6989DMSO2040Comprehensive ABD and OB/GYN Registry Review2 credit hours60 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Provides a review of knowledge from previous courses and helps the student prepare for ARDMS national certification examinations for sonography. Information concerning test taking skills is also reviewed. Topics include: patient care, preparation and technique; instrumentation, normal pelvic anatomy; abnormal pelvic anatomy; extra-pelvic pathology associated with gynecology; pediatric sonography; post menopause; infertility and endocrinology; first trimester; placenta, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord; second and third trimester; congenital fetal anomalies; complications during pregnancy;
fetal demise; coexisting disorders; HIPPA and patient care techniques utilizing a professional sonographer; anatomy and physiology of abdominal structures, small parts, and superficial structures; patient preparation and protocols for sonographic examination of abdominal structure; clinical indications, pertinent related diagnostic imaging procedures and laboratory tests; sonographic technique and appearance of normal anatomic abdominal structures, small parts; characteristic sonographic features and/or patterns of pathology in the abdomen, small parts; and instrumentation.
5467DMSO2050Clinical Sonography IV10 credit hours450 contact hoursPrerequisites: Program Admission
Provides a culminating work experience in the hospital, clinic or other patient care setting for students to improve skills in performing procedures introduced during prior clinical and didactic courses to the level of an entry-level sonographer. Topics include: refinement of equipment manipulation techniques, performance of sonographic examinations as an entry-level sonographer, role of the sonographer in performing interventional/invasive procedures, and completion of necessary competency requirements for graduation.
5469
