|
When you have
your next ultrasound examination, you may notice that the
professional who performs it is wearing a blue and white
"ARDMS" patch on his or her sleeve, or a framed ARDMS
certificate is hanging on the wall. Why'?
The patch and
the certificate let you know that your sonographer has attained
the high achievement of certification by the prestigious
American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, or "ARDMS."
Individuals with ARDMS certification may also be referred to as
"certificants" or "registrants." ARDMS has
been certifying the sonographers who meet its standards for more
than 27 years, and its credentials are widely recognized
throughout the medical profession.
Eminent
educators and clinicians in the ultrasound field work with the
ARDMS to decide on the best policies and requirements for ARDMS
certification—which may need to be adjusted occasionally to
stay in step with the rapid pace of change in ultrasound
technology.
Steps
Sonographers Must Take to Achieve Certification
The first step
in applying for ARDMS-certification is to complete enough
education and clinical experience in performing ultrasound
examinations on patients. Once the ARDMS has determined that an
applicant meets its requirements in all areas, the applicant is
officially designated as a "candidate," and has 90
days to take at least one of the required examinations.
One exam that
candidates must take covers the physical principles of
ultrasound and the instrumentation that makes ultrasound
equipment work. This material is technically complex, and it
gets more sophisticated every year, as scientists discover new
ways of using ultrasound to get better images of the various
tissues and structures inside of the body.
The other
required examination covers the specialty area in which the
sonographer candidate practices, such as
obstetrics/gynecology, neurosonology, or vascular technology
(which is used to look within arteries and veins for conditions
such as cholesterol-containing atherosclerotic plaques). In
these specialty examinations, candidates must demonstrate
specific clinical and ultrasound knowledge in specific areas.
The
ARDMS examinations are taken on a computer, and many of the
questions are based on actual ultrasound images. These
examinations are very difficult, and many ultrasound
professionals who take them are not able to pass them.
Once an
applicant has passed at least two examinations, one on
ultrasound physics and one on a clinical specialty area, he or
she becomes an official ARDMS “registrant" or "certificant."
But ARDMS
requirements don’t end there. All ARDMS certificants must
pursue continuing medical education to keep up with the rapid
advances in ultrasound and fine-tune their skills in patient
care.
ARDMS
Certification
ARDMS
certification is a voluntary process, unlike licensure, and the
specific requirements for certification are developed by
experienced ultrasound professionals who have been expert
practitioners in the ultrasound field for many years. ARDMS
certification is a means of assuring professional competency for
all patients. Certification standards are the same nationwide,
while there may be minor, but important, differences in what’s
required for licensure from state to state.
So you can
breathe easier when you see the ARDMS patch on your
sonographer’s sleeve. This professional has met the high
standards of the ARDMS, and your sonogram will too.
from
the American Institute of
Ultrasound in Medicine
http://www.aium.org
|
