r/Sonographers

Hi you guys! This week is my first week of Sonography school. I’m hopeful, but I’m realizing that we are being hit with a LOT of reading. I’m currently reading Vol. 1 of Textbook of Diagnostic Sonography for Intro to Abdomen. It honestly takes me so long to read one chapter and take notes, while also having to read three more chapters for the same class, plus additional books for my other classes.

For those who are currently in Sonography school or have already graduated, do you have any recommendations? Did you read every chapter page by page, or did you find ways to maximize your time without reading every single word?

Any reading tips, study strategies, videos, or other resources that helped you would be greatly appreciated! I’m trying to figure out how to study smarter and manage all of the reading without spending my entire day on one chapter.

i don’t want to flunk out of this program i just don’t know what to do atp

hey guys,

does anyone know where you can get your NT certification? I’ve been applying to some jobs and some require it but it’s not part of training and I’ve searched and haven’t found anything. I am in SoCal area not sure if that helps. thanks!!

Echo techs who are paid per study and 1099 what are you getting paid per study?
2 years experience, RDCS and RCS
Thanks!

I’m having trouble with augmenting. My issue is that I find the vessel and turn it to long and when I reach to augment I just lose the vessel. I can keep it on the vessel if I press hard with my scanning hand but that usually closes the veins which doesn’t help.

Specifically augmenting smaller vessels like GSV bk or SSV.
My hand is usually steady but having to turn my body to scan while leaving very little pressure to leave the vein open results in me moving before I can augment .

Any tips that any experienced scanners have I would appreciate it.

Hello, I take the SPI in two days! I've been studying the last two weeks using the Penny book, Prepry, and I bought the 4 mocks from URR.

My question is, how similar are the question styles in the SPI to any of these sources?

I'm consistently getting 95% on the Prepry mock exams and the review questions from the Penny book, but I for the life of me have only passed 1/4 of the URR mock exams. There's just so much vague, confusing verbiage in the URR that makes me question if I ever even studied 😭 while I feel like the Prepry and Penny questions are straightforward and easy to understand.

I'm freaking out, my clinicals start next week.
I have no idea what floor I need to go on my first day, who to talk.
And I have to go comps by the ends of September.

Hi guys so I took my OBGYN test and failed it by alot I believe my score was 508 I was just using URR and read the and wrote notes on the penny book.

Any other study material I should know of? Please help 😔

Hello, I am ARDMS-eligible in Canada, will hopefully be RDMS in a month or so. Some provinces do not require Sonography Canada certification and I can legally start scanning there just as a RDMS. (BC, MB, PEI)

I am based in Ontario but willing to relocate anywhere, even rural.

Does anyone have experience applying in those provinces?

Hows the job market doing there? What about the rest of the country?

This exam almost took me out, but I’m SO happy to say I passed! Not my best score, but a pass is a pass 🎉 Thank you to everyone who posted study tips and tricks, they helped so much. I used Penny and URR for most of my prep, but about a week before the exam I bought the ESP ultrasound questions, and I found those to similar to the actual board questions.

I have a scanning interview for clinical placement as a student coming up. I interviewed with a classmate and they asked anatomy questions and regular interview questions. The interviewer could not choose between us, so he’s having us do a scanning interview next week. The interview itself was kind of difficult, but he liked us better than other students from other schools, so I know he will choose one of us. Have any of you guys had to do this as a student? If so do any of you guys have any tips ?

I've been applying for sonographer positions in Socal for the past 2 years and have had only 1 interview, which I had to decline due to the amount of driving and low pay. I'm curious how other techs are findings jobs out here today. I've used all the big job boards and hospital website directly, and nothing. I have 7 years of experience and have redone my resume to be ATS friendly a few times. Is anyone else having this much trouble finding a job?

I'm about seven months into my career and finding it hard to tell if this path is right for me or if its just imposter syndrome talking.

For those further along, was there a moment where things clicked or a moment you knew it was time to move on? Would love to hear how you sorted through it.

I’m in Nebraska USA and CCI isn’t really well known here. Eventually I do want to relocate to the PNW.

I’ve been considering getting my ACS but since I hold ARDMS credentials I don’t know how worth it this endeavor would be. Would I be more marketable outside of Nebraska? Right now it would do nothing for my current job.

Has anyone successfully continued a career in ultrasound after a TFCC tear debridement? I’ve had bilateral surgeries this year, my first transition back to work ended in a flare up after three weeks. The flare continued for four months and now hoping a steroid injection will help. I’m worried about returning to work too soon again so considering taking a year back as a radiographer to recover, but is it unrealistic to think I can eventually return as a Sonographer scanning gen med and gynae?

Experience wise — I’m a trainee Sonographer doing my postgraduate. I scanned for 5 months prior to the injuries, and it clicked straight away. I was very good at it even in that short time so it’s tough to just give up. I have a review with management and HR soon, so I’m looking for anyone else who has gone through something similar to gain insight into whether pursuing a career in ultrasound is still possible.

I don’t want to give it up if there is any hope, but I’m also painfully aware of how important the integrity of my wrists are, and what a long career in ultrasound can do even with no prior injuries.

I studied to be an echo tech. Realized im not that good at it. My clinical sites hated me. Nonetheless passed my boards.

I am now only doing echo casually its basically now just a side hussle to get a couple of extra bucks a month and even as a side hussle im not that into it.

I dont have any student debts but just kind of disappointed that i went into this to try and better my life but turned out to be a waste?

I work 2 other part time jobs and pick up 3-4 echo shifts a month

idk if anyone else felt like they had imposter syndrome or that they realized that echo hurts the arm and back and dont wanna do it regularly?

helllo, echocardiography student in WA.

If anyone is working in WA around the Seattle/ Tacoma area, how is it out there in the field? What’s expectations daily? Has it been worth it so far? Any tips or tricks, or recommendations to start preparing?

Thank you in advance,
A nervous Cardiac US student.

Hi all,

It’s been basically a year since I graduated and I am credentialed. I have no luck finding a place that’s hiring entry levels. The initial interviews goes well but then it’s a lot of weird things like we only have PRN and float positions and we don’t hire entry levels because we need to have someone train you. I was offered a position at my clinical site. I didn’t take a job at my clinical site because of my husband. We had to move because of his job. Now I feel stuck where I’m at and don’t know what to do. Makes me wonder if I need to move out of state temporarily to get that experience. does anyone know of any states that aren’t that saturated. I am struggling. At the same time the gap post graduation freaks me out. Husband doesn’t mind me moving temporarily now for a position. Is it impossible post grad to secure a job with a year gap? I do have my Abdominal credentials and of course SPI that had to be done before it. I was always very good at scanning in school too. Or I wonder if I need to go the recruiter route and find someone to just place me somewhere for my entry level experience. if anyone worked with any amazing recruiters for allied health, let me know in comments please.

I started my first US job this week but it’s been about a year since I finished my program, so I haven’t scanned since then. I did not get a job straight out of school due to my mom getting sick and then the job market. I’m struggling to remember protocols (I’ve been studying them) as well as getting good photos on harder patients. I get so nervous when I scan a patient alone that my mind goes blank and I feel much better when a tech is in the room with me watching me but it’s a busy hospital so they end up just having to finish the exam for me because I’m so slow. I know it’s only my first week but I really don’t think I should be this bad. I love healthcare and ultrasound but I feel awful and stupid. Should I change careers? Help

How difficult was the transition from ultrasound to MRI? I’m thinking of doing the pulse radiology course and wondering how the job market is also?