FAQs - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program FAQ’s

You learn concentrations in abdomen, obstetrics and gynecology, and vascular technology. You may not opt out of any concentration.

You learn coursework through a combination of lecture, lab and clinical education.
The DMS program is a hybrid program following a cohort model. This means you will be assigned an academic cohort (group) and progress through the program with your cohort. Courses are taken in eight-week blocks both in person and online (hybrid). Courses continue to build on sonographic curriculum as you progress through the program. You must successfully pass all courses in each eight-week block before moving to the next eight-week block of courses.
For a full breakdown of general education courses and Diagnostic Medical Sonography course of study please refer to the DMS Program Details

You will take courses on campus for simulation labs and most lectures. You will have opportunities for online coursework throughout the program.
Your first semester you will report to The Alliance Building four days a week for lecture and lab.
Starting in your second semester, you will attend clinicals at an assigned location in addition to your lectures and labs.

Clinical education begins in your second semester enrolled in the program. You will complete an average of 25.5 clinical hours per week to reach a total of 1224 clinical hours while in the program.
You complete a variety of clinical experiences, rotating to different clinical sites every 3 weeks.
Clinical shift hours will vary depending on each individual site’s hours. Typically, clinical hours include day and evening shift rotations. Some weekend shift hours may be available upon request, but required clinical experiences cannot be fulfilled through weekend hours alone.

Our program prepares you to sit for the ARDMS Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation registry after completing all sonographic physics courses. Upon graduation, you can sit for the ARRT sonography board. Once you are ARRT credentialed, you may apply for the AB, OB/GYN and Vascular boards with ARDMS using prerequisite 5.
The ARDMS and ARRT credentials are both national credentials.

The DMS program is a selective admission program. You will complete a set of prerequisite courses before applying to the program. These courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher and an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher. Then, you will complete an application to the program separate from the application to Ozarks Tech.
For more information, make an appointment to meet with a faculty member or contact the health sciences office at 417-447-8803 or email healthsciences@otc.edu. Additional faculty contact information can be found under the DMS Faculty link
For a full breakdown of general education courses and Diagnostic Medical Sonography course of study please refer to the DMS Program Details

Applicants must complete 24 total hours of shadowing/observation. When you apply for the program, you must include the job shadowing form in your application with evidence of 24 total hours with sonographer signatures in the concentrations of abdomen, OB/GYN and vascular.
Job shadowing may occur in a hospital or clinical setting.
Job shadowing hours will not be accepted in the concentration of echocardiography.

Each year we choose from the applications who applied to the program in that cycle and select the twenty most qualified applicants. We encourage applicants who were not selected to reapply for the next application cycle.

Courses are completed in 8-week blocks. You complete 8 total blocks, or about a year and a half after prerequisites.

The DMS program is very rigorous and fast paced. Students attend lecture courses, lab or clinical close to 35-40 hours per week. Students should plan to study a minimum of 2-3 hours per week for every credit hour taken.
It is difficult to work full-time while in the DMS program. While we do our best to work clinical around some work hours, we make no guarantees. Students are not exempt from any rotation or shift hours.

Sonography uses high frequency soundwaves for imaging inside of the body to assist radiologists/physicians in diagnosis. Sonographers have a high level of skill and responsibility. Excellent communication is important. Must be comfortable working independently of others. Sonographers must be able to critically think through possible differential(s) based on patient history, clinical signs and symptoms, lab findings, and sonographic findings to provide a clinical impression/summary to the radiologist or physician provider.

Registered sonographers can work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, OBGYN clinics.

Hours and shift depend on the facility but can expect to work day, evening, or overnight shifts. Weekend, holiday and call shifts might be expected.
Sonographers must be able to handle high stress environments, high productivity levels, and a high level of responsibility.

Marketability in the profession of ultrasound is determined by the number of credentials a person holds, not necessarily the degree.
By furthering their degree and credential education, sonographers have future opportunities in healthcare management, ultrasound educator, application specialist with companies such as Philips, GE, or advanced practitioner.
Registered sonographers can move into other primary imaging modalities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Nuclear Medicine.

Starting hourly rate ranges from $28- $35 per hour, but compensation varies according to hospital or clinic of employment.