Ultrasound Technology Program

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.

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.

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.

Gurnick Academy is committed to providing thorough and timely vocational medical training to our students so they may obtain gainful employment.

Our institution has provided program specific information regarding gainful employment in compliance with the new Gainful Employment regulations for Title IV eligible institutions, put forward by the U.S. Department of Education, in July 2011.

All required information can be found throughout this page. Please click HERE to download a consolidated version of all necessary gainful employment information for the Ultrasound Technology program.

Disclosure Information:

• Award:
  Ultrasound Technology Diploma
• Length of Program:

  	78	Weeks
  	110.0	Credit Hours
  	2092.0	Clock Hours

• Occupations by name and SOC codes that the program prepares students to enter:
  Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, SOC Code: 29-2032.00
• Occupational Profile on O*Net for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.
• On-time graduation rate (Number of on-time graduates / Number of all graduates during the reporting period * 100)  (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011): 37%
• Cost of Program:

  	Tuition:	$36,610.00
  	Books & Materials:	$980.00
  	Uniforms:	$30.00
  	Refundable Statistical Data Recovery Fee:	$100.00*
  	Student Tuition Recovery Fund:	$95.00**
  	Room and Board:	Not available
  	Total Program Cost:	$37,815.00
  	*Refundable **Non-refundable

• Placement rate for those completing the Ultrasound Technology Program:
  As reported to Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011: 80%
• Median loan debt:

  	Title IV Loan Debt:	$9,454.00
  	Private Loan Debt:	$6,953.00
  	Institutional Loan Debt:	$0.0

You may also visit the Gainful Employment Disclosure link to see this disclosure information for all campuses/programs.

Applications are available from the admissions office and are accepted according to the current program schedule. For the November 21, 2011 program start date, applications for the core program are due following the completion of the prerequisite sequence on October 14, 2011 through 5pm. All internship requirements for the November 21, 2011 program start date are due no later than September 6, 2011. 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 Directors of Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts.

Core Program Length:

78 Weeks excluding holidays and vacations which is approximately 19 months (2092 Hours)

Didactic Sessions Schedule:

Students accepted for the Spring start date will attend:

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Fridays:  2:00PM-6:00PM

Students accepted for the Autumn start date will attend:

Mondays and Wednesdays: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Fridays:  1:10PM-5:00PM

Students accepted for the Spring start date will continue with DMS 002 and DMS 002L, Abdominal and Small Parts and Abdominal and Small Parts Laboratory, by attending twenty (20) hours per week*.  Students accepted for the Autumn start date will continue with DMS 004 and DMS 004L, Vascular Ultrasound and Vascular Ultrasound Laboratory, by attending twenty (20) hours per week.  
    
Mondays and Wednesdays: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Fridays: 9:00AM-1:00PM

Students attend DMS 003 and DMS 003L, Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound and Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Laboratory, following DMS 004 and DMS 004L by attending twenty (24) hours per week*.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: 9:00AM – 5:00PM

*After their fifth (5th) month, students attend DMS PC, Patient Care for Ultrasound Professionals, by attending an additional three (3) hours per week over the course of four (4) weeks:

Mondays: 5:30PM – 8:30PM

Clinical Practicum/Internship:

960 hours of clinical training in affiliated medical facilities
Clinical/Internship Sessions Schedule: 7AM-6PM Weekdays (During normal business hours)

After the seventh (7th) month, students start attending internship for an additional sixteen (16) hours per week:
Tuesdays and Thursdays:  Eight (8) hour shifts according to the assigned clinical site’s schedule

After the thirteenth (13th) month, students start attending internship at twenty-four (24) hours per week:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: Eight (8) hour shifts according to the assigned clinical site’s schedule

Registration Fee of $75.00 (non-refundable fee due at the time of first registration)

Program Tuition: $36,610.00
Books & Materials: $980.00
Uniforms:  $30.00
Student Tuition Recovery Fund:  $95.00 (non-refundable)
RSDRF: $100.00 (refundable deposit)
Total Program Cost: $37,815.00

Additional Prerequisite costs if applicable:

Prerequisite Tuition: $4260.00
Books: $275.00
Uniforms:  $30.00
Student Tuition Recovery Fund:  $12.50 (non-refundable)
Total Prerequisite Cost:  $4,577.50

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 (48 hours).

For details please call 650-685-6616

According to the Employment Development Department's Occupational Employmnet Statistics (1st Quarter 2010), the annual average wage of a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer in the San Francisco Bay Area was $83,071 and the hourly average wage was $39.93.  In California State the hourly wages were as follows: the lowest 25th percentile earned $29.61, while the median was $36.11, and the top 75th percentile was $43.13.

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.

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).

Would like to know more about Ultrasound Technologists? Watch this "Career Encounters Video" presented by ASRT:
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography - (Sonography)

Accreditation of Ultrasound Practices

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
http://www.aium.org

American College of Radiology (ACR)
http://www.acr.org

The Joint Commission (JCAHO)
http://www.jointcommission.org/

Educational Programs Accreditation

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) http://www.caahep.org

Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) http://www.jrcdms.org

Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT)
http://www.jrccvt.org

Ultrasound Registry Associations

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS)
http://www.ardms.org

The Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
http://www.cci-online.org

American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
http://www.arrt.org

Professional Membership Associations and Organizations

Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS)
http://www.sdms.org

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
http://www.aium.org

American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)
http://www.asecho.org

Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU)
http://www.svunet.org

Canadian Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
http://www.csdms.com

Health Professions Network
http://www.healthpronet.org

Ultrasound Equipment

Toshiba Nemio XG  
http://www.medical.toshiba.com/products/us/nemio.aspx

Ultrasonix
http://www.ultrasonix.com/

GE Ultrasound Systems
http://www.gehealthcare.com/usen/ultrasound/index.html

Medison
http://www.medisonusa.com/index.asp?p=1

Siemens
http://w1.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/

MedSim
http://www.medsim.com/main.html

Universal Diagnostic Solutions
http://www.u-d-s.com

Hitachi
http://www.hitachimed.com/contentindex.asp?ID=218

Philips
http://www.medical.philips.com/us/products/ultrasound

This is a new section for many of you who expressed interest in such facts as the ones below about our Academy and our Programs. Ultrasound Technology is offered at Main Campus only. Our main campus is located in San Mateo, California. Let us share with you some facts:

• Most of Ultrasound Technology students are from Fremont, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward as well as nearby smaller/larger Bay Area cities.

• According to our statistical data more than 25% ultrasound students are from: Danville, Daly City, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Leandro, San Ramon and Sunnyvale.

• Students from Foster City, Menlo Park, Newark, Milpitas, Pacifica, San Bruno, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek and other nearby locations combine 32% of our student population.