CARDIAC SONOGRAPHY (ULTRASOUND)
ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and
nearly one in four Americans of all ages suffer from one or more
cardiovascular diseases, according to the American Heart Association.
Leading the charge against heart disease are the medical professionals
who specialize in cardiovascular care, including cardiac sonographers.
In Kirtland Community College’s cardiac sonography program at the M-TEC
campus in Gaylord, students will gain the expertise to diagnose heart
disease before it can claim more lives.
What is it?
Cardiac sonography, maybe better know as “ultrasound,” is the use of
ultrasound imaging to examine a patient’s heart and diagnose any
life-threatening illnesses or conditions. It is performed by
sonographers trained in identifying visual and auditory symptoms or
irregularities of the heart.
What makes it a great career choice?
Employment in the medical sonography field is expected to grow
“faster than average,” at 19 percent from 2006-2016. Median annual
earnings for medical sonographers were reported as $57,160 in 2006,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’
Occupational Outlook Handbook.
As the population ages, demand for cardiac care increases. Additional
growth is expected for cardiac sonography as it becomes an increasingly
attractive alternative to other imaging technologies.
Cardiac sonography has become an extremely competitive imaging
technology, providing medical professionals an accurate view of the
heart in real time, but at a far lower cost than MRI or nuclear-imaging
technology. Cardiac sonography equipment also offers portability, while
MRI and nuclear-imaging units are stationary. That affordability and
portability have contributed to cardiac sonography’s increasing appeal.
Kirtland’s cardiac sonography graduates may be eligible to apply to
the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) or the
Cardiovascular Credentialing Institute (CCI) to obtain their registry.
Graduates may find employment in public and private hospitals, physician
offices, mobile services, laboratories and educational institutions,
just to name a few.
 Why
study Cardiac Sonography at Kirtland?
Focus. Kirtland’s two-year associate in applied science program
zeroes in on cardiac sonography, providing students with intensive
training on using ultrasound specifically to examine the heart.
Throughout the program, students are trained in patient care, anatomy
and physiology, ultrasound physics, cardiac principles and clinical
practice.
And KCC students learn on state-of-the-art equipment, the same used
in hospitals and clinics, not second- or third-generation equipment.
While other programs spend their time skimming the surface of
sonography in general, Kirtland students emerge from the M-TEC’s
concentrated instruction with in-depth knowledge and expertise in
working with the heart, better preparing them for their work in the
field and making them more valuable to prospective employers.
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SOME OF THE JOBS PURSUED BY STUDENTS FOLLOWING
OUR HEALTH CAREER PROGRAMS:
(click on the links below to view detailed
information about each specific job/career and for job outlook information)
> Get general and transfer information on specific colleges and
universities.
For more information about our programs, contact the M-TEC at
Kirtland-Gaylord at 989-705-3600 or email us at
mtec@kirtland.edu.
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