A diagnostic medical sonographer works in a hospital or clinic, and operates a sonograph machine to help determine problems in their patients’ health. Sonography can be used to determine a wide variety of conditions, and finds applications in pretty much all branches of medicine – from cardiology to neurology and urology, and even treatment of the muscoloskeletal system. The job of a medical sonographer is commonly associated with some muscle/bone-related injuries, as operating the sonograph machine involves some strainful procedures.
Diagnostic medical sonographers aren’t actual physicians, and their training is completely different than that of a doctor. However, it’s quite complicated in itself, and despite the shorter training period, becoming a medical sonographer is seen as a generally challenging task. In most jurisdictions, one would need to acquire a license, issued by a specific organization – for example, in the United States, programs for sonographer training are provided by the CAAHEP/JRC-DMS. It differs greatly from place to place though, so candidates are usually adviced to do some thorough research beforehand.
A diagnostic medical sonographer can expect an annual salary of between $45,000 – $66,000, though without any solid prospects for advancing in their career beyond the first few years of employment. Experience plays an important role in determining the salary of medical sonographers, though it doesn’t guarantee finding employment easily, as the market for the particular position tends to be highly competitive – the main reason for this being that it’s a job in the medical sector which doesn’t require a medical degree.