School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography

The School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a nationally accredited 18-month program that trains students in a wide range of sonography specialty areas, including abdominal, obstetrical/gynecological, and vascular ultrasound. Through a wide range of clinical experiences in different health care settings, the program provides students with the skills necessary to succeed in a profession that is rapidly growing in demand.

The School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography program offers:

  • An affordable education that can be completed in 18 months
  • A curriculum that combines classroom instruction with clinical experience
  • Specialized instructors with expertise in each field
  • Stellar graduate outcomes
  • A wide range of clinical experiences in different health care settings

Program goals and student learning outcomes

Goal #1: To maintain the standards set forth by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography by providing the community with entry level sonographers who have successfully passed the national registry.

Outcomes:

  • Students will pass required didactic courses.
  • Students will successfully pass the ARDMS national registries including SPI, Abdominal, OB/GYN, and Vascular Technology.

Goal #2: To provide students with the clinical and academic learning experiences that will produce a competent entry level Diagnostic Medical Sonographer for a diverse health care community.

Outcomes:

  • Students will pass all didactic courses.
  • Students will pass all required clinical competencies.
  • Students will successfully pass the ARDMS national registries including SPI, Abdominal, OB/GYN and Vascular Technology.
  • Students will be employed six-months post-graduation.
  • Employers will be satisfied with graduates’ performance.

Goal #3: To promote the critical thinking practices of the student by challenging them to a variety of examinations within the clinical setting

Outcomes:

  • Students will adapt protocols for abnormal exams.
  • Students will understand normal vs abnormal findings on exams.
  • Students will manipulate machine parameters for routine and non-routine exams.

Goal #4: To encourage the successful negotiation of the program by fostering a positive learning environment through a systems feedback mechanism that is both appropriate and given in a timely manner.

Outcomes:

  • Students will participate in individual monthly evaluations to assess personal didactic and clinical performance.
  • Students will complete semester evaluations on didactic courses and clinical sites for learning effectiveness of didactic and clinical instructors.

Goal #5: To provide the student with the opportunity to develop skills to effectively identify the needs of the patient and to address those needs in a timely and empathetic manner.

Outcomes:

  • Students will use effective conversation skills with patients and clinical staff.
  • Students will provide exam details, in laymen’s terms, to the patient.
  • Students will make the patient comfortable during the exam to ensure quality patient care.

Goal #6: To prepare competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the Abdominal Sonography–Extended concentration.

Outcomes:

  • The student will successfully pass the Abdominal Sonography 106-506 courses.
  • The student will successfully complete and pass all required abdominal sonography clinical competencies.  
  • The student will successfully pass the ARDMS abdominal sonography registry.
  • The student will successfully pass the Clinical Education 107-507 courses.

Goal #7: To prepare competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the Obstetrics and Gynecology concentration.

Outcomes:

  • The student will successfully pass the Obstetrical Sonography 103-403, Gynecological Sonography 104-304, and Obstetrical and Gynecological Sonography & Review 503 courses.
  • The student will successfully complete and pass all required obstetrical and gynecological sonography clinical competencies.  
  • The student will successfully pass the ARDMS OB/GYN registry.
  • The student will successfully pass the Clinical Education 107-507 courses.

Goal #8: To prepare competent entry-level sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the following concentrations:

  • Abdomen-Extended Sonography
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology Sonography
  • Vascular Sonography

Outcomes:

  • The student will successfully pass the Vascular Ultrasound 105-305 and Vascular Ultrasound & Review 505 courses.
  • The student will successfully complete and pass all required vascular sonography clinical competencies. 
  • The student will successfully pass the ARDMS vascular technology registry.
  • The student will successfully pass the Clinical Education 107-507 courses.

Career opportunities

The job outlook for sonographers is excellent. It is a rapidly growing, dynamic profession that is projected to increase growth in the future. Salaries for sonographers are competitive, in line with or higher than other professionals with similar levels of education.

Sonographers have a relatively flexible work schedule and can work full-time or part-time in a variety of environments:

  • Clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Private practice
  • Public health facilities
  • Laboratories
  • Medical settings according to areas of specialization
  • Education and application specialists in commercial companies
  • Sales representatives
  • Technical advisers

Career advancement opportunities exist in:

  • Education
  • Administration
  • Research

Career resources

As you begin your journey in medical sonography, these professional organizations can provide valuable support, networking opportunities, and career guidance:

Tuition and fees

  • Application fee: $25 (must be submitted with application)
  • Matriculation fee: $100 (must be submitted with acceptance letter to reserve a position in the program)
  • Tuition: $8,660 for the 18-month program
  • Books (approximate): $1,200 (students are required to have all books purchased prior to the start of the program)
  • Professional memberships: $200 (SDMS, SVU, GKCSU, AIUM)
  • National Registries are the responsibility of the student. Fees are determined by the ARDMS and are non-refundable by the Sonography Program. Students are required to sit for the Physics (SPI), Abdominal, OB/GYN, and Vascular registries prior to graduation upon administrative approval. 

 

Apply Now

Application deadline: Jan. 30, annually

Start date: September, annually

Program effectiveness

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Effectiveness Data (PDF)

Accreditation

CAAHEP
9355 113th St. N. #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727-210-2350 
Fax: 727-210-2354 
Email: [email protected] 

JRC-DMS
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500 
Ellicott City, MD 21043 
Phone: 443-973-3251 
Fax: 866-738-3444 

The Saint Luke’s School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

The Saint Luke’s School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography is also approved to operate an instructional program in the state of Missouri in accordance with standards required by the Missouri Department of Higher Education Proprietary School Certification.  Any student complaints may be directed to this organization at: 

Missouri Department of Higher Education Proprietary Schools 
P.O. Box 1469  
Jefferson City, MO 65102 
Phone: 573-751-2361 

The program's sponsor, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, is accredited by The Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Phone: 630-792-5800 

Contact us

For questions or more information, contact:

Saint Luke’s Health System
ATTN: School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
901 E. 104th St., Mailstop 3000 South
Kansas City, MO 64131

Program Director:
Tiffany Johnson, MBA, RDMS (AB)(OB) RVT, RT(R)
816-932-2788
816-932-2815 fax
[email protected]

Clinical Coordinator: 
Ghazal Brojerdi-Nejad, MBA, RDMS (AB)(OB), RVT, RT(R) 
816-932-2786 
[email protected]  

Request a transcript

Complete and return the transcript release form to have a copy of your transcript mailed.

Transcript release (PDF)

More Information

 Application Clinical Sites & Faculty Program Description