Echocardiography
Offerings for Echocardiography:| AAS Degree | |
| The associate of applied science degree in echocardiography is designed to prepare graduates for employment in the healthcare industry as an Echocardiographer (Cardiac Sonographer). The program is also designed to provide opportunities for job advancement and retention for currently employed radiologic technologists. More |
Offerings Available At:
- CyFair
The Echocardiography Program Has Additional entrance Requirements, Please Read Further.
What is Echocardiography?
Echocardiography (Cardiac Sonography) is the use of continuous ultrasound waves to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests for heart disease. Echocardiography can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart, its pumping capacity and the location and extent of any damage to its tissues. It is especially useful for assessing diseases of the heart valves. Echocardiographers, also known as Cardiac Sonographers, are highly specialized sonographers that undergo extensive training to conduct these ultrasound exams of the heart. They may also administer medication to physically active patients during a “stress test” to assess their heart function and can assist physicians who perform transesophageal echocardiography (which involves placing a tube in the patient’s esophagus to obtain ultrasound images). Job opportunities and salaries in the healthcare specialty of Echocardiography have been rising steadily over the last few years and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts another 43 percent increase in the need for Echocardiographers in Texas by the year 2016. Cardiac Sonographers are ranked in the Top 10 Best Paid positions for associate degree careers. A career in Echocardiography can be a very rewarding and well-paying choice that balances high-tech expertise with compassionate care of the individual in the continuously growing healthcare industry.
Who Hires Echocardiographers?
- Outpatient Imaging
- Private Doctors’ Offices (Cardiologists, Vascular Surgeons)
- Hospitals
Certification and Career Contact Information
For more information on Echocardiography (Cardiac Sonography), visit the The American Society of Echocardiography or the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
Tell me more about the Echocardiography program at Lone Star College
This degree program is currently only offered at Lone Star College-CyFair on the Barker Cypress Campus. One of two Diagnostic Medical Sonography associate degree offerings, the associate of applied science degree in echocardiography is designed to prepare graduates for employment in the healthcare industry as an Echocardiographer (Cardiac Sonographer). The program is also designed to provide opportunities for job advancement and retention for currently employed radiologic technologists.
Echocardiography At-A-Glance
According to the Bureau Labor of Statistics, the median salary is $57,000 a year. The middle 50 percent earned between $48,890 and $67,670 a year (http://www.bls.gov/). Additionally, there will be a 43 percent increase in the need for Echocardiographers over the next 7 years in Texas and a 26 percent increase nationally. Many employers provide excellent benefits including medical insurance and paid vacation. Further employment benefits might include a flexible schedule (working a certain number of days a week) and overtime opportunities, which pay time-and-a-half.
For more information please visit our Diagnostic Medical Sonography Department.
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