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Sonographers use ultrasound equipment to screen and diagnose medical conditions.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
As a sonographer you'll:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital or in a therapy clinic.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You will need a degree in a relevant subject like:
You must also complete a postgraduate certificate or a postgraduate diploma in medical or clinical ultrasound, recognised by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE).
The course is a mix of study and practice, so you will need to have an agreed placement in an approved setting.
Some universities offer a master's course in medical ultrasound as part of a medicine degree.
You'll usually need:
You could do a sonographer degree apprenticeship.
There may be apprenticeship opportunities with the NHS, or with independent and private providers of healthcare services.
The apprenticeship takes a minimum of 36 months to complete.
You'll usually need:
If you're a health professional like a nurse, midwife, radiographer, doctor or a healthcare scientist, you may be able to take in-service training for medical ultrasound. This will add sonography to your skills.
Courses vary in length and are run by experienced healthcare professionals.
You'll need to:
You can join the voluntary register of sonographers run by the Register of Clinical Technologists.
If you're already qualified in another healthcare profession you may find it useful to continue your registration with your previous professional body, as employers often require this for entry to jobs.
You'll find more details about a career in sonography from the British Medical Ultrasound Society.
There are opportunities to move into specialist sonography areas like:obstetrics and gynaecology; vascular; cancer services
You could work with specific patient groups such as children or pregnant women.
With experience, there are opportunities to go into teaching sonography or to do clinical research.