This program is available in the following campuses:
San Mateo Campus
We are currently enrolling for the October 18, 2010 prerequisite start date, applicable for the September 6, 2011 core program start. Class size is limited, contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ: Ultrasound Technology | Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
To download the application package for Ultrasound Technology Program please CLICK HERE.
Program Files
Click Here for the Upcoming Schedule
The next Ultrasound Technology Program prerequisite start date is October 18, 2010 for the September 6, 2011 core program start date. There are currently openings in the prerequisite courses and in this core program.
Ultrasound Technology Video
Ultrasound Technology Program Description
The Ultrasound Technology Program prepares graduates for entry-level employment as an Ultrasonographer with specialization in general sonography (Abdominal and Small Parts, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Introduction to Vascular). Graduates will be qualified to work in hospitals, imaging centers, physicians’ offices, or clinics.
Mission Statement
The mission of Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is to offer quality medical programs that integrate professional skills, career-focused education and hands-on practical experience, empowering students to develop and achieve their personal and career potentials. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts believes that education should promote the development of positive self-esteem. Therefore, the institution provides services that support the efforts of students to succeed academically, vocationally and personally. The Academy provides a sophisticated level of training to individuals who desire a professional career in the medical field. This is accomplished through educational programs utilizing advanced training equipment, didactic lectures and hands-on experience provided by highly trained instructors, physicians and technologists.
Program Goals and Objectives
1. To train students to be professional and competent sonographers in the medical community.
2. To develop interpersonal skills in communicating with patients, medical and administrative individuals.
3. To teach students about using sound waves in projecting an image of the human body so they can contribute to the diagnosis of disease.
4. To help students acquire the necessary skills to practice proper patient care.
5. To ensure that students have the ability to produce quality diagnostic images with a maximum of information contributing to the diagnostic process.
6. To provide students with knowledge, clinical skills, problem solving abilities, and interpersonal skills to practice in the profession of sonography.
Admission and Prerequisite Coursework Requirements
Applications are available from the admissions office and are accepted according to the current program schedule. For the December 7, 2010 program start date applications for the core program will be accepted following the completion of the prerequisite sequence on November 5, 2010 through 5pm November 19, 2010. To be considered for the core program, the applicant must:
1. Applicant must submit a completed application. It is recommended that interested applicants fill out the application with the admissions advisor.
2.Applicant must have graduated from high school, or earned a GED and be at least 18 years of age.
3.Applicant must possess an Associate of Science Degree in an Allied Health field that is directed at human patient care or a Bachelor of Science or Arts Degree in any field. Student must provide official transcripts which reflect a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all college course work directly from the registrar’s office before the application will be considered complete. Copies will not be accepted.
4.Applicants holding a foreign diploma must bring proof of successful completion of an ESL class equal to ESL 26/ English 1A in the Foothill - De Anza community college system or to successfully pass TOEFL test with the following minimum scores: 560 for the PBT (paper-based test); 220 for the CBT (computer-based test); and 87 for the iBT (internet-based test).
5.Applicant must pay all applicable fees, as per the current published fee schedule prior to the issuance of an enrollment contract or must make other arrangements acceptable to the school.
6.Applicant must complete a Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) with a score of at least 30.
7.Applicants who can demonstrate 2 years of allied health education including but not limited to Nursing sciences, Radiology Technicians, Paramedics, etc., may be exempted from taking certain prerequisite courses and challenge exams by providing an official grade transcripts for each of the following courses: a.Anatomy and Physiology b.Biology c.Algebra (College Level) d.Physics (College Level)
8.Applicant must pass all of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of “C” defined as a 2.0 grade point value*. a.Essential Medical Bio-Science b.Anatomy and Physiology c.Ultrasound Basic Physics and Instrumentation d.Cross-Sectional Anatomy *Applicants may request to challenge the prerequisite courses by taking and passing a challenge exam for each course after submitting an original transcript that proves equivalent coursework was successfully completed within the last 5 years and given a grade of at least 2.0 or “C”.
9.Applicant must submit an essay (no longer than two typed pages) which describes the following: a.Synopsis of their observation, experience, and the impact on their decision to pursue this career path based upon one 4 hour Ultrasound Department visit to our affiliated hospitals scheduled by the Program Director during their completion of the pre-requisites. b.Reasons for applicant’s desire to become an ultrasound technologist. c.Reasons for applying to the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts San Mateo Campus Ultrasound Technology Program. d.Personal attributes which would contribute to the applicant’s success in the program. e.Pertinent employment, volunteer, or other experience which would support applicant’s knowledge of the medical field.
10.Applicant must comply with the Gurnick Academy requirements for Immunizations, Health Screening, Background Check, and CPR policy.
11.Applicant must pass an interview with the Ultrasound Program Director and the Associated Program Director of Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts.
Ultrasound Technology Program schedule
Core Program Length: 78 Weeks excluding hoolidays and Vacations which is approximately 18 months (2092 Hours)
Day Program: Monday 10AM-2PM and Wednesday & Thursday 9:30AM-1:30PM & 2PM-6PM.
Clinical Practicum/Internship: 960 hours of clinical training in affiliated medical facilities Clinical/Internship Sessions Schedule: 8AM-6PM Weekdays (During normal business hours)
Ultrasound Technology Program fees
Registration Fee of $75.00 (non-refundable fee due at the time of first registration)
Program Tuition: $36,610.00 Books & Materials: $1050.00 Uniforms: $60.00 Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $95.00 (non-refundable) RSDRF: $100.00 (refundable deposit) Total Program Cost: $37,915.00
Additional Prerequisite costs if applicable: Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $12.50 (non-refundable) Prerequisite Tuition and Books: $4,255.00 Total Prerequisite Cost: $4267.50
Prerequisite courses cover general medical science courses such as: Essential Medical Bioscience (80 Hours); Anatomy & Physiology (56 hours); Ultrasound Basic Physics & Instrumentation (48 Hours); and Cross-Sectional Anatomy (32 hours).
For details please call 650-685-6616
Earning
According to the Employment Development Department's Occupational Employmnet Statistics (December 2009), the annual average wage of a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer in the San Francisco Bay Area was $82,379. The bottom 25th percentile made $70,851 and the top 25th percentile made $96,614.
Job Outlook
According to the statistics of US Labor Deportment, Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012 as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. In addition to job openings due to growth, some job openings will arise from the need to replace sonographers who leave the occupation permanently.
Opportunities should be favorable because sonography is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures, as patients seek safer treatment methods. Unlike most diagnostic imaging methods, sonography does not involve radiation, so harmful side effects and complications from repeated use are rarer for both the patient and the sonographer. Sonographic technology is expected to evolve rapidly and to spawn many new sonography procedures, such as 3D-sonography for use in obstetric and ophthalmologic diagnosis. However, high costs may limit the rate at which some promising new technologies are adopted.
Hospitals will remain the principal employer of diagnostic medical sonographers. However, employment is expected to grow more rapidly in offices of physicians and in medical and diagnostic laboratories, including diagnostic imaging centers. Health facilities such as these are expected to grow very rapidly through 2012 due to the strong shift toward outpatient care, encouraged by third-party payers and made possible by technological advances that permit more procedures to be performed outside the hospital.
State Certification
Disclaimer Form:
To all Ultrasound Technology Program students: The law does NOT require Ultrasonographers to be ARDMS certified to work, but such certification increases the chances of being hired. To get more information about ADRMS certification & examination you can visit ARDMS web site @ www.ardms.org or contact them at The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, 51 Monroe Street, Plaza East One, Rockville, MD 20850
Since Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, Diagnostic Medical Sonography program accepts applicants only with Bachelors Degrees or an Associates of Science in the Alled Health field that is directed towards human patient care; the graduates who hold BS or BA degrees are eligible to sit for the ARDMS examination right after completion of the program (ARDMS prerequisite # 3A) or those with the specifically categorized AS degree are eligible to sit for the ARDMS examination right after completion of the program (ARDMS prerequisite # 1).
Videos
Would like to know more about Ultrasound Technologists? Watch this "Career Encounters Video" presented by ASRT:
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography - (Sonography)
