Cardiac Sonographer: pros and cons

[@kaila91999]

I’m currently an ekg tech & have been looking into becoming a cardiac sonographer, the physical impact on your body is what is most concerning for me though. 😞

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! I actually know a few ecg techs that became cardiac Sonographers. You are right, this career is a lot harder on your body. I find that those who spend the time taking care of their body (ex. Going to regular RMT, physio, or working out), they don’t feel the physical impact as much. Many who has transitioned from ecg to echo have no regrets :)

[@TheOverThinker92]

I am a nursing student in Ontario. And I am planning going into a sonography program. I realized nursing is not the right fir for me. But since some of the sonography programs are graduate studies or are really difficult to get in, my nursing education will be a great help. Thank you for the information

[@dayswithdee6670]

Glad you enjoyed it! :) best of luck to you in your career endeavours

[@DCTurner396]

Thanks for sharing. I have been in healthcare for 16 years now. I applied for a cardiovascular sonography program a week ago.

[@denissee8016]

Thanks for this video! I’m starting my four year program for Pediatric Cardiac Sonography this fall and i’m so excited, you explain everything with so much depth ☺️

[@dayswithdee6670]

Wow congrats to you! Best of luck! 😊

[@avafellows3850]

Where are you getting your degree? It’s my dream to become a Pediatric cardiac sonographer and I would love a school recommendation!

[@iHeartDubsteq]

Really Awesome Video Dee! I am also going to be graduating with a kinesiology degree, so its really cool to see someone who has gone through a similar path and is enjoying their career! Keep posting! excited for the future with this channel!

[@dayswithdee6670]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😊

[@LeePeachy]

Hey, Dee! Please continue to make informative and experience videos of your career!

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Thank you so much for the lovely words! Yes, I’m definitely planning more for the future!

[@RebeccaLittleDeLaPaz-b7y]

Thank you for the excellent information - provided professionally & efficiently!

[@gracenguyen2835]

Thank you so much for your sharing videos 🥰 It would be appreciated if you could share the videos which talk about the most important courses in DCS program as well as the tip to be successful in each semester. How to get a strong foundation to build up for the next semesters? Cause lack of the foundation of knowledge will be so tough to catch up later. Thanks a lot!! 😊

[@lamyaharis7610]

Thank you so much for the video. I have a couple of questions, I’d really appreciate if you could reply. 1. Was it hard to find a job after schooling? 2. Was the CMRTO hard to clear? Did you have to clear any other exams? 3. Did you have to spend a lot of hours studying after school?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey, Thank you for watching! 1. I graduated 8 years ago. Finding a job was not hard at the time. I was really fortunate to be able to start my career right away with a permanent full time position at a hospital. I did have to move to a different province for that position but I did not regret my decision 2. Because I don’t practice in Ontario, I did not have to go through CMRTO. Im not sure how it’s like now, but I did my sonography Canada exam as well as my ARDMS. I believe I can just enroll myself to CMRTO by proving that I graduated from an accredited school. 3. Yes, I did need to spend my time after hours to refresh my knowledge on cardiac sonography. I was working part time as well and it made it very hard to balance everything. I would suggest not working part time if you’re financially able to Hope that helps!

[@relaxin2074]

This was very helpful, thank you. I was wondering if many sonographers switch hands during the day for ergonomics and to reduce fatigue on one side? E.g. use the device with your right hand on the first patient and left hand on the second patient and so on? Or is it too difficult to train yourself to use both hands? Thank you in advance

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Thanks for watching? To answer your question, it really depends. Some techs have been trained to use both hands to perform the scan. If you’ve been lucky enough to get trained that way, then yes, I have seen some tech switch half way through the day to balance the strain in each arm. Personally, I’ve been trained to use both hands, but I do prefer using my left hand - for ergonomic purposes. I do find that right handed scanning has a lot of downfalls, such as poor ergonomics, but mostly because I personally find that it’s more difficult to obtain certain images. If you’re good at it, use it to your advantage. But I’ll admit that I’ll only use right handed scanning if the room doesn’t allow me to bring the machine where I need it to be for left handed scanning. Hope that helps!

[@gracenguyen2835]

Were u trained for left handed at Mohawk college? Thanks

[@emmap3210]

It's really nice to know how you guys do things out there in Canada! Thanks so much for posting this video. Subscribed (:

[@dayswithdee6670]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@Lov3my5]

So does being physically fit help significantly reduce the pain you may get? Can you stand up and scan?

[@jamesgilliam123]

Thanks for the video I hope to start a Associates in Adult Echo in the fall. Do most echo techs also have vascular certification?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! In Canada, I don’t know anyone who also have vascular certification. I believe it’s more popular/common in the US and maybe Australia.

[@JonathanS-h2q]

I'm curious and trying to find an answer as to how often do you/Cardiac Sonographers come into contact with bodily fluids? Is it less, as much, or more than other types of sonographers? Daily, weekly, monthly? What types if you do? Thank you!

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! That’s a great question. I think it really depends on the facility you work at. If you work at a hospital setting, you will obviously see more situations where you’ll have to handle bodily fluids. If you’re working at a clinic you may have to set up IVs and deal with contrast/bubble studies but like I said, it’ll depend on the facility you work at. If you’re able to, I would recommend you try and shadow a sonographer so you can get a more realistic idea of how much bodily fluids you’ll have to handle. Bodily fluids don’t bother me, but everyone is different

[@tril2736]

Thank you for this video! I am planning to start my cardiac sonography degree in the fall. Can you recommend ways to get good practice reading images beyond what you get in school/clinicals? Potentially missing pathology is a fear I know I have to get over, but I want to have as many tools at my disposal as I can!

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hi there! Sorry for the very late response. My life situation has drastically changed so I don’t have much time to respond to comments. To answer your question, my advice is to look into any echo focused apps or IG/TikTok pages that show pathologies so that you can train your eyes to recognize pathology. The more you see, the easier it will be to detect. Hope this helps!

[@Faith.Heavens]

Hey ! Loved your video btw. I wanted to know if you could cross train from cardiac sonography to diagnostic medical sonography with no extra schooling? My program wants me to do cardiac sonography but my heart is with medical sonography . I just want to make a smart choice . & essentially I want to work with children and make money

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Sometimes there are opportunities for you to cross train into cardiac sonography through work. You’re still able to work with children in cardiac sonography (look into paediatric echo). If you’re still torn, I would recommend you try to seek opportunities to job shadow into general Sonography. You may be surprised and realize that you may not work with children as much as you think you would. In the end, in terms of pay, they say income between the two streams are very similar. Hope that helps!

[@tendays456]

Omg yay a Canadian 😭 Thank you so much for making the video

[@dayswithdee6670]

Thanks so much for watching! ❤️

[@myoungsucha2016]

Can a person who is partially color blinded(red and green) become a sonographer?

[@tashannastevenson4876]

looking into this field. i have a undergrad degree in communication studies so im trying to become a cardiac sonographer instead of a medical speech pathologist because they want sooo much money for the speech program

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hi again! You’re right. Some healthcare programs are really really expensive! I was really surprised that the cardiac sonography program here in Canada was so affordable! I’m not sure if they have the same income potential, but I live comfortably with my salary. Hope that helps and I am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

[@tashannastevenson4876]

@@dayswithdee6670 thank you this was really helpful! and yes based on speech pathology and cardiovascular the salaries are simiilar up to 50.00 an hour here in chiago

[@yuntingyue3452]

Which sonography make most money ? Thank you

[@CozyPixelBiologist]

Very informative! Have you ever traveled as a CS?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! I’m glad you found the video informative! To answer you question, no, I have not. There is not many work travel opportunities in Canada. I’ve heard it’s a thing in the US. I did play with the idea of trying it out when I was younger but I am really happy where I work. Hope that helps but I would love to hear if you ever get the opportunity to try it!

[@FarrahWaller-m6x]

I’m only concerned about passing the classes due to the algebra and physics, it’s been a while since I’ve done algebra, is the math in class super difficult? Do they teach you equations or expect you to know them already?

[@dominicnonnenmacher9260]

Hi thanks for the great information on cardiac sonography. Im from NJ in the U.S, and I have my bachelors in exercise science. I plan on applying to cardiac sonography programs in the near future. I interned at a cardiac rehab program working with exercise physiologists/nurses and took blood pressure/did EKG’s. Would this experience and my bachelors of exercise science help with getting accepted into programs?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Sorry for the late response. I would personally say that you would have the upper hand when it comes to applying to echo programs. Every school is different so it would be best if you look into their requirements and see if there’s anything your missing. I wish you luck on your journey and hopefully I can get an update from you one day if you get accepted to the program! Cheers!

[@dominicnonnenmacher9260]

@@dayswithdee6670 no worries! That’s good to hear. I’ll definitely let you know if I do apply and get accepted into any programs. How are the pain levels/injuries while being a sonographer? I lift weights/exercise consistently and I’m always active, but I’ve heard that shoulder surgeries are common in the field. I played college baseball and had a torn labrum surgery done but now my shoulder is fine and I have no pain.

[@aryaraj7047]

Which college in canada you were studied

[@Mediatv254]

Hi dee am from Kenya, a graduate from a medical school...am interested in this cadre... unfortunately there is no accredited training school here...is there a chance to study online and get clinical training right here in kenya in one of the hospital...is that possible?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Really glad to hear that you are interested in exploring this sector in healthcare! To be honest, your best bet might need to be asking the hospital about the pathway in which workers became cardiac Sonographers. I’ve heard many countries have physicians that are basic trained to do POCUS (point of care ultrasound) and may not have dedicated techs to doing complete exams. There may be online courses that can help you with the theory of scanning - I know there’s one that can be done through the US. But its really about the hands on experience that will give you a true experience in this field. Hope that helps! Best of luck!

[@melanienailah]

Thank you for your video. What study materials did you use to pass the adult echo exam?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! The material I used to study for my ARDMS was actually by downloading the Quizlet app and searching for ARDMS practice questions. A lot of the questions ended up being on the actual exam. For sonography Canada, I used the textbook by kremkau for the physics component. They offer many practice questions that helped a lot with the physics concepts. I do want to mention that I did my exam over 7 years ago so things might have changed. Hope that helps!

[@huddifyx5550]

Wait, so no chairs allowed?😭is it not a thing?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey! I don’t think I mentioned anything about chairs. But to answer your question, yes, chairs ARE allowed :)

[@yourgirlchar902]

Hey Dee, I’m not sure if you mentioned this but do cardiac sonographers draw blood or look for veins to inject? I’m looking into Cardiac sonography but I’m scared of needles lol

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! It really depends on the facility you work at. There are procedures that require IV set up and many have their Sonographers trained to set up IVs. Where I work, it’s not a requirement, but it’s definitely an asset to have and saves a lot of time (vs. Waiting for a nurse to be available to set an IV for you). Hope that helps!

[@avafellows3850]

Hey Dee! It’s my dream to be a pediatric cardiac sonographer and was wondering if you knew of any schools to recommend? Love your videos!!!

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! That’s an awesome dream! Based on my knowledge in Canada, I know a few of my classmates were able to transition into paediatric echo by either having a small rotation during clinical or by securing a job at a site that performs/specializes in congenital heart disease. There isn’t a specific paediatric echo school in Canada (from what I know). I went to Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, and they offered mini paediatric rotations during clinical. Hope that helps!

[@SnLntertainment]

Hey where can I contact you I’m trying to get into cardiac sonography

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! You can contact me through email: [e-mail] :)

[@BellaBeeBaby]

Heyy, how long does the program take if you have never been to college before? Thank you

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! Great question. It really depends on the school you go to. In Canada, I’ve heard of 16 month programs however, there are some schools that are more lengthier (up to 4 or 5 years). Hope that helps!

[@viziouz19]

Awesome and informative video! I just started school to become a cardiac sonographer and I'm really excited to get into it. Have you worked with other male cardiac sonographers? How often do you notice patients who are uncomfortable with male cardiac sonographers and request a female to perform procedures instead?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there, thank you so much! Congrats to you! Yes, I’ve worked with a few male techs. Luckily, it does not happen too often. If you work with a large team with male and female techs, there shouldn’t be a problem with switching techs around - we have always figured it out.

[@thatsjennguyen5681]

Hi Dee! If I got into a program for Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, how so I get to specialize in cardiac like you? Do I have to go to school specifically for cardiac sonography or can I just go into the program of DMS and specialize there?

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey! Congrats on getting into the DMS program! There a several ways to get into the Cardiac Sonograohy program. It really depends on your location and admission requirements of each school. I have attached information on Sonography school requirements in Canada. But if you’re from a different country, you’ll need to look into their programs and see what requirements you’d need. I know there are some programs that will accept DMS as a requirement, so if you want to become a general and cardiac Sonographer, that might be something you’ll want to look in. Hope that helps!

[@moosmith4155]

Are you in the US ? I'm currently in a cardiac sonography program & may be able to help (if you still need some:) ) 😊

[@thatsjennguyen5681]

@@moosmith4155 Yes I’m in the US!! I need all the help I can get, so I appreciate you offering! :) Was it hard for you to get into your program? And how’s schooling for you so far??

[@christianbuonpastore5189]

@@moosmith4155 Hi Moo, I am in the US! Currently focusing on DMS at my local county college. I have the same question as Jen. I really like the idea of Cardiac and Echo specifically but really only a general DMS program near me. Can I do the DMS program and eventually move to cardiac?

[@moosmith4155]

@Christian Buonpastore hey sorry it took so long to reply but most cases you'll have to go straight into an echo program like I did or get cross trained...but I heard that is extremely hard to do (not impossible though)😫. There's a reason the heart is its own program. However, since you're in general, the only "bridge" I could think of, for you to get those echo doors open would be by getting into fetal echo... it's not the same as adult or pediatrics, but you'll get an idea if this is something you're undoubtedly interested😊.

[@Ayan-d8c]

Hi. I am from Bangladesh watching your video. I am working here as consultant cardiology and cardiac sonographer. I have MBBS post graduate diploma cardiology and MRCP uk. Is it possible for me get any course in Canada and become cardiac sonographer In canada ? Please let me know.

[@dayswithdee6670]

Hey there! That’s a great question! I am not entirely sure, but you may be able to qualify to register with ARDMS. Their registry is recognized in most Canadian clinics/hospitals however, you may be limited since the most recognized Registry organization is Sonography Canada. Hope that helps and best of luck!

[@HARISH_CCT]

Hi mam I'm Harish from INDIA Actually I'm cardiac technologist UG student looking for job in canada can i know the uplifting idea and value added point to get a job in Canada please it's my humble request and Talk about PG ideas too..... thank for your wonderful vedio i loved it❤