General Sonography

This specialty certificate trains students to become skilled dual board-registered abdominal and OB/GYN diagnostic medical sonographers. Dual registries can provide more job opportunities to graduates, and a higher pay rate.

Students receive training in abdominal, OB/GYN, high-risk OB, and vascular ultrasound. Students will learn to perform a variety of exams which include abdominal, pelvic, neurology, gynecological and obstetrical ultrasounds, and venous and arterial ultrasounds. Students attend didactic lecture courses, scan lab courses and clinical rotations throughout the 15-month program. Students attend clinical rotations across South Carolina and train in facilities including: inpatient and outpatient facilities, Trauma I hospital systems, outreach hospitals and offices, high-risk OB offices, maternal fetal medicine offices, and vascular offices.

The diagnostic medical sonographer is a skilled member of the imaging health care team. The sonographer must possess in-depth knowledge of ultrasonographic physics, human anatomy, physiology, and pathology. The sonographer's primary job is direct patient care, which necessitates excellent interpersonal skills. As there are several specialties within the realm of ultrasound, our graduates are able to work in a variety of settings after graduation because of the diverse training provided.

Procedures are performed with real-time B-mode, M-mode, and Doppler instrumentation, utilizing a transducer assembly against the anatomical part of the interest and recording the images with ancillary devices.

This is a 15-month program, broken in to 4 consecutive Sessions. There is one cohort start date per year, each September. Please see an example of courses per Session in the ‘Program Outline’ section below.

All courses in the curriculum must be passed with a grade of “C” or higher in order to proceed to the next Session.

Program Outline – Year 1

First Year

fall  – Session I	Contact Hours	CEUS
Introduction to DMS	26	2.6
Introduction to DMS Scan Lab	26	2.6
DMS Vascular Sonography	26	2.6
DMS Vascular Scan Lab	26	2.6
Professional/Medical Ethics	26	2.6
DMS Sonography Physics	52	5.2

spring  – Session II	Contact Hours	CEUS
Gyn and OB Sonography	26	2.6
Abdominal Sonography I	26	2.6
DMS Scan Lab I	26	2.6
Clinicals I	531	53.1

Program Outline – Year 2

Second Year

summer  – Session Iii	Contact Hours	CEUS
Obstetrical Sonography	52	5.2
Abdominal Sonography II	26	2.6
DMS Scan Lab II	26	2.6
Clinicals II	486	48.6

fall  – Session Iv	Contact Hours	CEUS
Obstetrical Sonography II	26	2.6
Small Parts Sonography	26	2.6
Registry Review	26	2.6
Clinicals III	351	35.1

Admissions Requirements

Changes to Admissions Policy

Our admissions procedure has changed from previous years. We no longer have rolling admissions and will no longer transfer offers of acceptance from year to year. Students must provide the $25 application fee again should they decide to reapply for the next year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration into the program the student must have successfully completed at least one of the following:

An Associate Degree (60 Hours) - two-year Allied Health Care program with direct patient contact (must include a clinical internship/externship). Allied Health occupations include, but are not limited to, radiologic technologist, respiratory therapist, paramedic, occupational therapist, physical therapist and registered nurse.

OR

A Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) - any major.

Successful completion of three prerequisite courses (listed below) before the program start date in September. Courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” or higher. These three courses must be less than three years old from the year of the program start date. If they were taken more than three years prior, students must retake these courses.

Prerequisite Courses

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab – 4 credit hours
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab – 4 credit hours
• Medical Terminology – 3 credit hours

Students can be interviewed/accepted on a probationary status if they are completing their degree and/or prerequisite courses the semester before the program start date. Full acceptance will be pending on all completion of all required coursework. Please email cce@midlandstech.edu if you have any questions regarding the Associate’s Degree in an Allied Health Care Field.

Additional Information

• The 15-month program begins each fall semester, September 1st, and concludes in December of the following year. The priority application deadline is April 15th. Applications are accepted until May 1st, pending space availability.
• Those applicants who are currently completing their degree studies (or pre-requisite courses) may apply to the Sonography program, interview, and receive ‘probationary acceptance status’, pending proof of completion prior to the first day of Sonography classes (September 1st). Those who do not provide this proof prior to the beginning of the first day of class will not be eligible to proceed in the program.
• Foreign applicants must meet certain academic admission requirements and should contact CCE Registration office to ensure eligibility. Students who do not use English as their first language may have to demonstrate proficiency in the English language before being accepted into the program.
• As part of the admission requirement, all applicants must have their official transcripts forwarded to the Program Director's office.
• Each program has approximately 8-10 seats per year.
• There is no waitlist for the Sonography Program. If a student is not accepted, they may reapply and complete the application process again in a following year.
• Students in this program are involved in their professional course work and clinical education rotations for a minimum of 35 hours per week. Full-time work is not possible for the 15 months of the program, due to the time commitment of classes and clinicals.
• Students will interact with sick and injured patients of all ages and conditions. Rotations will involve three or more affiliate hospitals and offices in order to provide the student with the most comprehensive clinical education and experience. This requires traveling throughout the state of South Carolina. Clinical schedules are made per semester, by the Program Director, so students can schedule their outside activities accordingly.
• Students must be of a physical and emotional state that will allow them to meet all clinical objectives which involve the moving of patients, moving equipment, and communicating with patients and medical staff.
• The students will adhere to a prescribed dress code while in clinical rotations and classes, as well as follow policies and procedures set forth by the program to properly educate students to the hospital setting. Students must wear scrub uniforms during all classes and clinical rotations.
• Attendance requirements for class and clinical rotations are much more stringent than the overall College's policy. More than two violations of dress, attendance, or professionalism policies will not be tolerated and are grounds for dismissal from the program.
• Students must be certified in adult and infant BLS for Healthcare Workers throughout the program.
• Students must submit a background check and clean drug screening prior to the start date of the program, as instructed by the Program Director after being accepted into the program. The background check must be clean for the past 10 years.
• Students are responsible for receiving all titers and vaccinations required by hospital clinical sites before they begin clinical rotations. These include, but are not limited to: MMR, Hep B vaccine, TB test (or chest X-ray if necessary), flu vaccine, TDAP, and COVID-19 vaccine. Instructions for completing vaccine requirements are given to the students AFTER they are accepted in to the program. It is not required to complete vaccines/titers before the program start date.

Application Process

Prospective students must apply for admission to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program by completing the steps below.

The 15-month program begins each fall semester, September 1, and concludes in December of the following year. The priority application deadline is April 15. Applications are accepted until May 1, pending space availability.

Step 1:

Download application and mail along with a $25 non-refundable application fee to:

Continuing Education Department
Attention: Sonography Program
Midlands Technical College
PO Box 2408
Columbia SC 29202 

Include with your application a copy of any professional certification for verification (ARRT card as an example), if you have been previously certified.

Step 2:

Official college transcripts showing a completed undergraduate degree and the three prerequisites listed above are required. Transcripts may be mailed to the same address listed in ‘Step 1’; or official e-transcripts can be ordered and emailed directly to the Program Director: kelseymmarl@midlandstech.edu.

Step 3:

A minimum of 2 letters of recommendation from employers, professors, or professional colleagues are required with the application packet. Please have letters of recommendation sent to the same mailing address or email address above.

After You Apply

Applicants will be placed on the qualified list to be interviewed once ALL required documentation listed above has been received. Applications received without the $25 fee will not be processed, and the applicant will not be contacted.

Once a student has met the preliminary admissions requirements he/she will be required to attend a mandatory ‘Sonography Information Session’ in summer term. Upon completion of these two requirements, the student will then be invited to interview with the committee. Job shadowing prior to the ‘Information Session’ is strongly encouraged, if it is possible for the applicant to complete on their own.

All students are required to have a clean background check for 10 years, and a clear drug screening. The forms and instructions for completing background check and drug screen will be distributed after the student has received their letter of acceptance in to the program.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The 2024-25 program cost is $15,900.00.

Don't delay a better future because you think you can't afford it. Invest in yourself. Learn more about our loans and payment plans for Training students and financial aid for veterans.