Ultrasound Certification – Why is it Important?

For a sonographer to obtain professional credentials is crucial to obtaining and maintaining employment. Licensure, certification, and registration are all technically different terms. It can be a bit confusing, but healthcare professionals require some type of credential to work in the profession. In the ultrasound world, the most common type of credential is through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Another organization, Cardiovascular CI, offers credentials related to cardiovascular ultrasound.

In this excerpt from her book “Diagnostic Medical Sonography – The Definitive Guide to Planning Your Career”, author Samantha Callis will help you understand the important reasons for sitting for these exams.

How do you get Certified?

Certification exams are applied for under a certain prerequisite. This prerequisite is determined by your educational program or other experiences. The time frame in which you may sit for these exams is often determined by this prerequisite. Therefore, it is crucial to do your research about the type of sonography program you attend.

For example, if you attend a CAAHEP-accredited program, you may be able to take your physics exam prior to graduation. In a non-CAAHEP-accredited program, you may have to obtain one year of full time, paid working experience as a sonographer before you fulfill the prerequisite for specialty examinations.

This doesn’t mean you can’t get your credential, but if you finish school and want to gain your professional experience in an area that requires an ARDMS credential to be hired, you can see how this becomes a bit tricky. Ask programs you are interested in how and when prerequisite requirements are met for enrolled students.

Do you Need to Take all of the ARDMS Certification Exams?

You will be encouraged to take each exam you are eligible for by your advisors/program faculty as soon as possible for several reasons:

• Credentials are required to obtain employment in several organizations or ultrasound specialties.
• Credentialing exams are part of how educational programs monitor student outcomes. Student outcomes are required to be reported to their accrediting body to maintain continuing accreditation. These are often reported at the end of a one-year time frame from graduation.
• The material is fresh in your mind. The longer you wait, the more studying you generally will have to do-especially if you intend to sit for an exam that you aren’t presently working in but still want to take. Make like Nike and just do it.
• You earned it! You spent hours in class, lab, and clinical… you should be proud of your education, and this is a great way to show it.
• Plan with the future in mind. Often, I hear students say, ‘I don’t want to take -_….._ exam because I don’t plan to work in that field.” That is completely fine, you should certainly work in a specialty and field of interest; however, down the road, if you would like to move into a different specialty or want to advance in the profession, it may be of benefit to have these credentials completed already.

A clinical verification form is completed for students by the program director stating their eligibility so these exams can be attempted and are good for one year. Once the CV form expires, it can no longer be completed by program faculty. It would have to be completed by a registered sonographer in the specialty area.

Let’s look at an example:

A student graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sonography. She was eligible to sit for abdomen, OB/GYN, and adult echocardiography. She chose to take abdomen and OB/GYN because she had a great job lined up at a local community hospital. A year after graduation, management informed staff the ultrasound and echo department would be merging. Those working in the department would need to complete the ARDMS adult echo cardiography examination within a year as a condition of employment. The department was very busy with a heavy call schedule.

Working full time with a heavy call schedule makes completing clinical verification requirements and studying for a registry exam challenging. This example is realistic and while it is not impossible, her stress could have been minimized if she already had that credential. Work smart! You want to enjoy your time outside of work doing non-work things.

Learn more about how to achieve your goal of becoming a sonographer in Samantha’s new workbook “Diagnostic Medical Sonography – The Definitive Guide to Planning Your Career”. Available now at sononotebook.com