r/Sonographers

I’m studying for my RVT. I used mostly URR for my Abdomen and OB/GYN registries and passed both on the first try, but vascular feels overwhelming with URR.
I’ve heard MUT’s videos break vascular down in a way that’s easier to follow, but it’s $300 and I want to be sure first.

• Did MUT make vascular click for you?
• Did you pass with just URR, or combine resources?

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all,

I’m currently still a student, about 2 months out from graduation. I’ve been working on building my confidence to eventually be able to scan independently, and I feel I’ve been doing really well. The techs I scan with make comments like “You don’t really need us there, you’re doing so well!”, etc. One tech in particular, I’ll call her Sam, has been very chill when I scan and tells me not to overthink things and to trust myself. There have been multiple times I’ve scanned with her where I point something out that looks odd to me and she says it’s normal and not to overthink it. I measured what I thought was a discreet thyroid nodule one day and she backscanned and told me she thought it was just part of a larger nodule, so we deleted my images that characterized it as a solitary nodule. Little things like that.

All of this being said—I’ve been working to make more independent judgement calls when I scan, and to “not overthink” when I am scanning.

Fast forward to last Wednesday. Sam and I went to scan a pelvic on a patient with AUB. I insert the TV probe and see a large, complex nabothian cyst almost immediately. I take my images of the uterus, move on to cervix, document the large nabothian, and also notice some echogenic material in the endocervical canal. I throw on color and interrogate, trying to make sure I don’t see a vascular stalk. All good there. Finally, as I’m doing sweeps, I notice some asymmetry to the cervix. The left side looks a little heterogeneous, almost like it has tiny calcs in it, and looks “fuller” than the right side. I sweep through in long and trans, but I’m not seeing super discrete borders on anything… huh. Sam is behind me observing, and doesn’t say anything. In my head, I’m thinking “Don’t overthink it…”, so I move on and complete the rest of the exam. As I’m getting ready to end it, Sam stops me and says we need to take more pictures. She tells me to go to the cervix, and then points at the area I’d been looking at earlier, saying “You need to measure THAT and take cines.” I immediately knew what she was talking about (the weird area!) and went through and documented. Now that she had pointed it out as abnormal, I noticed I was using a bit more probe pressure and I felt I could make out borders better in the area.

After the exam, Sam seemed disappointed. She asked me “What HAPPENED?”, and I was just kind of flustered and I told her “I feel like the area looked weird,” and she said “Yeah it looked weird! She had a giant mass on her cervix! What was going through your mind when you scanned that?” And I explained that I thought it looked funky but I wasn’t seeing discrete borders. She said “It’s okay, that’s why I’m here.” I felt awful. This is someone I really respect who used to tell me she felt I could scan on my own no problem.

This situation really shook me to my core. The bit of confidence I thought I was building has been really shot, and every time I think about the situation, I feel awful. Later in the day, Sam asked me how I was doing and I told her I was feeling awful about not catching the path from earlier. She reassured me and told me we all make mistakes and have missed things, and not to beat myself up over it, that she didn’t mean to make me feel badly. I just can’t help but feel incompetent now. How did I miss identifying something that Sam so clearly saw as a “giant mass”?

In the moment, looking back, I see I should’ve done a few things differently:

1. Spent more time interrogating the area I thought looked abnormal, of course.
2. Being uncertain if it was abnormal, I should have asked Sam in the moment what she thought of the area before moving on.
3. Taken full responsibility for the exam rather than expecting Sam to intervene if she thought I was missing an abnormality.

Have you missed path before? What did you feel and how did you move forward? How can I work to rebuild my confidence as I’m approaching graduation?

Thank you for reading!

Hi everyone!
So I’ve been working for about two years since graduating. I work at a major hospital. I started working there because I loved the hospital over outpatient! I finally was hired per diem at this hospital after my first 6 months working as a new grad at an outpatient clinic part time. It took about 8 months of waiting to be next in line for a full time position. However it was not the typical 3 twelves hospital position. We have an outpatient clinic right on site but seperate from the main hospital that the per diem and full time girls rotate working through with not regular employee being there consistently. They finally opened a full time position so someone could keep a better eye on the schedule, check referrals are aligning with exams..etc. it’s a 4 tens shift. Of course I took the first full time opportunity I could. I have missed the main hospital and wanted to start working in the hospital to grow, learn pediatrics, TCDs, and difficult exams. And of course being outpatient the schedule mostly consists of pelvics. On top of it all, I started already having shoulder and neck pain so that makes me nervous for my career. And finally, wanting to be a mom soon, I would like a job that gives me a little bit for flexibility in work life.

So, lots of my friends work in med sales and I have recently considered applying for different med sales job and then staying per diem at the hospital. This gives my shoulder a better chance and honestly more flexibility. I have no idea if this is a good choice and curious if anyone knows someone who does both, or if you’ve moved from sonography to sales? I’m torn because I love ultrasound but where I’m at right now is not was I was hoping for and I could be a very long time until I am next in line for a 3 12 day shift due to seniority.

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you all!

Currently an RVT new grad looking for a job just passed my RVT last month and I’m having such a hard time landing a job. Any job I’ve interview for wants someone with more experience or doesn’t even call me back. I finally do land a job that is paying $10 less than the average in my area. I expressed that the pay was lower than what was expected but I was willing to accept and happy to start. Was given a call back to tell me I didn’t sound ENTHUSIASTIC enough about the pay so they will be holding out on the offer. I feel like I’m running out of options and wasted my time doing all of this. I’m so super frustrated

For full time as a post grad with 7 months experience, dual registered in nyc. How much is appropriate to ask for a full time hospital position. Those who have gotten positions, what did you get ?

Just started school and wondering if you use each other for external near privates scans such as these. Thank you!