Academics
DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY PROFESSIONAL COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
1-year Diploma Program
Program Description & Job Opportunities
Course Listings
Course Descriptions
DS223 ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND I (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Presents normal and abnormal conditions of the gallbladder,
liver, spleen, pancreas, abdominal vasculature, kidneys, adrenals,
and bile ducts. Describes in detail the proper techniques of imaging each individual organ,
including transducer selection, patient position, and scan technique.
Covers the interrelationships of various organs in disease processes such as renal
carcinoma, metastatic lever disease, adult and juvenile polycystic kidney disease,
gallstones, adrenal tumors, and obstructive jaundice. Includes lab. Prerequisites: None.
DS233 ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND II (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
Presents abnormal conditions of the gallbladder, liver, spleen,
pancreas, abdominal vasculature, kidneys, adrenals, and bile ducts.
Moves from techniques for scanning individual organs to learning
complete scanning protocols. Covers the interrelationships of
various organs in disease processes such as renal carcinoma,
metastatic liver disease, adult and juvenile polycystic kidney
disease, gallstones, adrenal tumors, and obstructive jaundice.
Includes lab. Prerequisite: Abdominal Ultrasound I.
DS243 CARDIAC PATHOPHYSIOLOGY I (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Systematic presentation of diseases and conditions of the heart, Part I.
Prerequisites: None
DS246 CARDIAC PATHOPHYSIOLOGY II (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
Systematic presentation of diseases and conditions of the heart,
Part II. Prerequisites: Cardiac Pathophysiology I.
DS302 CLINICAL INTERNSHIP II (10.0 credits/420 clock hours)
The student is assigned to a carefully selected hospital ultrasound department
where he/she will begin by observing ultrasound scans. The student will gradually
begin supervised scanning of actual patients, and will eventually perform complete
diagnostic procedures with minimal supervision. Supervision of the student is
provided by the site medical advisor (physician) and by the supervisory
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. The clinical coordinator of the program
maintains regular contact with both of these individuals throughout the
course to monitor progress of the student on a week-by-week basis.
Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed terms 6 and 7 of the program.
DS303 CLINICAL INTERNSHIP III (10.0 credits/420 clock hours)
The student is assigned to a carefully selected hospital ultrasound department
where he/she will begin by observing ultrasound scans. The student will
gradually begin supervised scanning of actual patients, and will eventually
perform complete diagnostic procedures with minimal supervision. Supervision of
the student is provided by the site medical advisor (physician) and by the
supervisory Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. The clinical coordinator of the
program maintains regular contact with both of these individuals throughout
the course to monitor progress of the student on a week-by-week basis.
Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed Clinical Internship II
with a grade of “C” or better.
DS204 CLINICAL OBSTETRICS (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Begins with endocrinology of ovulation, fertilization and implantation,
moving on to embryology and progressive development of the fetal and
maternal structures throughout the first, second and third trimesters.
Physiology and pathophysiology of the placenta are discussed.
Emergent conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, placenta abruptio, and
impending abortion (miscarriage) are presented. Congenital anomalies,
syndromes, intrauterine growth retardation, and other pathologies involving
the developing fetus are discussed. Fetal presentation and problems of
labor and delivery are covered. Prerequisites: None.
DS202 CROSS SECTIONAL & THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANATOMY
(2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Presents human anatomy in various planes, and spatial relationships of organs to one another.
Presents anatomic detail in cross-sectional format in 1 cm thick “slices” of the human body.
Compares actual anatomical sections with ultrasound, computed topography, and MRI images.
Prerequisites: None.
DS244 ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY I (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Presentation of instrumentation and principles of Transthoracic
Echocardiographic Exam Part I; including M-Mode, Two-Dimenstional (2D)
imaging; all views. Presentation of potential artifacts, optimization of
M-Mode and 2-D imaging techniques, with attention to quality and accuracy;
recognition of the limitations of a Transthoracic Echocardiogam.
In-Depth study of normal cardiac anatomy ans seen on routine
Transthoracic Echocardiography, M-Mode, and 2-D views.
Positioning of the patient; selection of the transducer and applying
measurements and calculations. Sonographic appearance and findings of
cardiac disease as detected with M-Mode and 2-D imaging. Prerequisites: None.
DS247 ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY II (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Presentation of instrumentation and principles of Transthoracic Echocrdiographic
Exam Part II; including continued M-mode, 2D imaging; with the addition of basic
Color/Doppler techniques; in all views. Optimization of Color/Doppler techniques
with presentation of potential artifacts; attention to quality, accuracy and
quantitations; recognizing limitations of Color/Doppler. Study of normal
Color/Doppler displays; normal cardiac hemodynamics; basic Color/Doppler
principles and instrumentation for Transthoracic Echocardiograms.
Positioning of the patient; selection of the transducer and performing
routine Doppler calculations. Continuing the recognition and Sonographic
findings of cardiac diseases with M-Mode, 2-D and Color/Doppler techniques.
Prerequisite: Echocardiography I.
DS255 ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY SPECIAL TOPICS (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
Presentation of Echo Color/Doppler principles and instrumentation,
in-depth, for cardiac applications. Study of cardiovascular hemodynamics
in diseased states. Presentation of Echo Doppler derived cardiac pressures,
formulas and quantifications performed in the diseased states, Correlation of
Echo Doppler data with Cardiac Cath Lab data. Introduction to advanced topics
of Transesophageal Echo. Contrast Studies, Intraoperative and Epicardial Echo,
Stress Echo, and the latest advances in cardiac ultrasound equipment and technology.
Prerequisite: Echocardiography I.
DS224 GYNECOLOGIC ULTRASOUND (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Begins with anatomic relationships of the female pelvic organs as related
to ultrasound imaging, comparing ultrasound images of normal and abnormal
structures. Various tumors, cysts, congenital anomalies, and other
pathologic conditions are covered, along with ultrasound diagnosis of
these conditions. Includes lab. Prerequisites: None
DS245 INTRODUCTION TO CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY
(2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Presentation of a broad spectrum of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic procedures
used in the assessment of heart disease. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and
II or equivalent. Prerequisite: None.
DS234 INTRODUCTION TO VASCULAR ULTRASOUND (3.5 credits/72 clock hours)
This course is an introduction to the various applications of Ultrasound to the diagnosis
and treatment of vascular disorders, including cerebrovascular, peripheral arterial,
and peripheral venous applications. It begins with the anatomy and physiology of
the veins and arteries, and includes pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, cerebral
ischemia, and deep vein thrombosis. It includes hemodynamics of atherosclerotic
lesions, and reduction of catheter induced pseudoaneurysms. Prerequisite:
Ultrasound Physics & Instrumentation.
DS218 OBSTETRIC ULTRASOUND (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Presents an in-depth study of Ultrasound evaluation of the pregnant uterus
in the first, second, and third trimesters. Begins with Ultrasound diagnosis
of pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, abnormalities in early gestation, miscarriage,
blighted ovum, and moving on to Ultrasound dating of pregnancy, fetal anomalies,
general malformations and syndromes, placental development, placental abnormalities,
placental abruptio, and multiple pregnancy. Also includes discussion on infertility,
genetic testing, and determination of fetal sex. Prerequisite: None.
DS231 OBSTETRIC ULTRASOUND II (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
Continues and expands upon fetal anomalies, genetic malformations and syndromes.
Stresses the development of scanning protocols and scan techniques for the
pregnant uterus. Presents Doppler applications in obstetrics. Prerequisites:
Obstetric Ultrasound and Gynecologic Ultrasound I.
DS225 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I (2.0 credit/30 clock hours)
The student meets with his/her classmates and instructor for a full day,
several times during the concurrent internship term, to discuss
interesting cases which the student has researched and written up
during his/her internship experience. Additional classroom time is utilized
for topics which require further study and may involve outside professionals
speaking to the class. Pertinent journal articles are also presented and
discussed. Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed terms 6 and 7 of the program.
DS226 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT II (2.0 credits/30 clock hours)
The student meets with his/her classmates and instructor for a full
day, several times during the concurrent internship term, to discuss
interesting cases which the student has researched and written up
during his/her internship experience. Additional classroom time is
utilized for topics which require further study and may involve outside
professionals speaking to the class. Pertinent journal articles are also
presented and discussed. Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed
terms 6, 7, and 8 of the program.
DS210 ULTRASOUND OF THE THYROID, BREAST, AND SUPERFICIAL STRUCTURES (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Describes diseases and sonographic anatomy of the breast, including discussion of Xray,
mammography, ultrasound screening, and biopsy. Presents endocrinology of the thyroid gland,
including diseases such as thyroiditis, multinodular goiter, hyper and hypothyroidism, and
various benign and malignant tumors. Also describes diagnostic blood tests for thyroid dysfunction.
Other topics include evaluation of the testicles and prostate gland, superficial cysts,
and muscle tumors (sarcoma). Prerequisite: None.
DS201 ULTRASOUND PHYSICS & INSTRUMENTATION (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
This course presents basic physics of diagnostic ultrasound, including
properties of pulse-echo ultrasound, display modes, instrumentation, and
resolution. Prerequisite: None.
DS229 ULTRASOUND PHYSICS & INSTRUMENTATION II (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
Begins with discussion of the Doppler effect, calculation of flow velocities via the
Doppler equation, methods of spectral analysis such as FFT (fast fourier transformation),
analog and digital displays, and color Doppler. Covers properties of Doppler ultrasound
instruments such as pulse repetition frequency (PRF), aliasing, and Nyquist limit.
Includes discussion of power and intensity measurements of ultrasound instruments,
and various methods of calculating dosage. Discussion of legal ramifications of output
power of ultrasound instruments. Prerequisite: Ultrasound Physics & Instrumentation.
DS254 VASCULAR PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Systematic presentation of diseases and conditions of the vascular system.
Prerequisite: None
DS252 VASCULAR TECHNOLOGY I (3.0 credit/60 clock hours)
This is an in-depth course teaching various applications of ultrasound to
the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disorders, including cebrovascular,
aorto-iliac and lower extremity arterial, and lower extremity venous disease.
It begins with the anatomy and physiology of the extracranial arterial,
lower extremity veins and lower extremity arterial circulation systems and
includes pathogenesis and duplex assessment of aorto-iliac lower extremity
atherosclerosis and aneurismal disease, cebral ischemia, deep vein thrombosis,
and venous insufficiency. Prerequisite: None.
DS253 VASCULAR TECHNOLOGY II (3.5 credits/72 clock hours)
This is a course teaching various applications of ultrasound in the diagnosis
and treatment of vascular disorders, building upon the continuing topics in
Vascular Technology I. Prerequisite: Vascular Technology I.
DS248 VASCULAR ULTRASOUND SPECIAL TOPICS (2.0 credits/48 clock hours)
An in-depth presentation of special aspects and new procedures in noninvasive vascular
testing, as well as assessment of new vascular treatment methods such as endovascular
grafts and stents. This course focuses on assessment of case studies and hands-on
techniques as well as classroom instruction. Prerequisite: Vascular Technology I.
