2 answers
Maryah
Student
Linden, New Jersey
1
Question
Updated
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What are some obstacles you faced while studying Diagnostic Medical Sonography and how did you over come them? Also, what are some things and advice you wish you knew while studying?
I want to be better prepared and know everything I'm likely to experience. This is something I really want to do so I would love to know all the pros and cons.
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2 answers
Téa C.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
6
Answers
Salt Lake City, Utah
Updated
Téa’s Answer
Hello!
I'm a general sonographer - aka not specializing in a singular thing & can do ultrasounds for veins, arteries, abdomens, thyroid/other glands, lumps/bumps, breast, pregnant (OB)/non-pregnant pelvic scans, etc. So, the biggest difficulty was how much information I needed to learn. Even though my program was for an Associate's degree, they warned us that it was 4 years-worth of information squished into 2 years. That information involved anatomy, physiology, ultrasound equipment & physics, pathology, syndromes & genetic anomalies, scanning techniques, etc. Also, I'm not a fast learner & I don't have a great memory, so I've always had to put in a lot of effort to learn & retain information.
It took some time to figure out what would work for me so I could understand what was being taught. I found I learned best by drawing things out & getting as hands-on as possible, rather than just learning the names of things & where they are. I needed more repetition than what flash cards gave me, so I made lots of Kahoot practice tests for myself & bought a cheap children's doodle board tablet to repeatedly draw organs, diagrams, & words. With that, I'd draw things like the arm or leg veins (with vein names included) from start to finish until I knew them well enough to be able to point to an area & know what vein should be there.
I did the same for medical terminology - rather than remembering what each word meant, I studied what the specific prefixes, suffixes, & root words meant. That might sound harder, but it was easier to me since different terms can share the same prefixes/suffixes/roots. I thought if I knew those well-enough, I could easily figure out what a word meant even if it was my first time hearing it. For example, the suffix "-ectomy" means 'surgically remove' & "mast-/masto-" means 'breast', so you know "mastectomy" = surgical removal of breast tissue.
During my ultrasound internship, I sometimes struggled with 1) being able to get enough scans & 2) with the other ultrasound techs.
1) While it wasn't their fault, the techs at my internship site would sometimes get so busy that I could go most of the day without scanning anything. I'd have to settle with just observing scans or scanning a little after they finished. So, it was sometimes stressful to ensure I could get all the types of ultrasounds checked off that I needed for each semester. My way around this was to do scanning check-offs as early as I could & scan anything available, even if I only ever observed it once or twice.
2) I never had conflicts with my site's techs, but at first it was difficult to learn from them since each tech did things a little differently & some wanted me to scan the same way they did. I couldn't avoid this, so I used it as an opportunity to write down what each tech did, such as how they scanned, techniques/positioning, specific settings they used to see things better that the other techs didn't do, etc. From there, I could incorporate the parts I thought were best for me. In the beginning, it was also difficult because all but 1 of the techs actually explained what they were doing, like why they used or changed a certain setting.
Pros:
~ As an ultrasound (US) tech, you have multiple options - you can be a general sonographer (like me) or focus on a specialty, like vascular or OB/GYN. I like the variety I get with general US, but some people prefer the consistency of getting the same types of ultrasounds. Some people might start with general US & later find they prefer a specific specialty, too.
~ As a "diagnostic" medical sonographer, it's your job to help diagnose issues. Even if you're not a doctor, you're helping people get the care they need!
~ I've had some very wholesome moments with patients. For example, imagine being the first one to show a happy couple their first baby's heart beating.
~ There's a bit more interpersonal interaction with your patients since you're directly next to them & scanning them, but this is a con for anyone who really dislikes people.
~ The pay tends to be pretty good, & your pay increases as you get more years of experience & additional US credentials (abdomen, breast, OB/GYN, vascular, etc.).
Cons:
~ Whether you specialize or are a general US tech, it's a lot of information to learn & understand (not just memorize).
~ Other imaging modalities, like CT, MRI, & Xray, take pictures of a whole body area (like a whole arm, abdomen, pelvis, or chest), but for ultrasound you're taking the images & making measurements of organs & abnormalities yourself. If you miss an abnormality (like a tumor/mass) by accidentally not taking pictures of it or not optimizing your image settings, then you could directly negatively affect your patient. I've seen this scare some people away from choosing US.
~ It can be very physically demanding, especially for scanning larger-bodied patients (your wrist/arm may ache afterwards).
~ As is with any job that involves interacting with people, you may meet very rude or "unsanitary" people (especially in healthcare). You're still there to help them get the care they need (even if they're uncooperative with you), whether you directly image the issue yourself or help their doctor narrow down possibilities.
Good luck on your sono journey!
I'm a general sonographer - aka not specializing in a singular thing & can do ultrasounds for veins, arteries, abdomens, thyroid/other glands, lumps/bumps, breast, pregnant (OB)/non-pregnant pelvic scans, etc. So, the biggest difficulty was how much information I needed to learn. Even though my program was for an Associate's degree, they warned us that it was 4 years-worth of information squished into 2 years. That information involved anatomy, physiology, ultrasound equipment & physics, pathology, syndromes & genetic anomalies, scanning techniques, etc. Also, I'm not a fast learner & I don't have a great memory, so I've always had to put in a lot of effort to learn & retain information.
It took some time to figure out what would work for me so I could understand what was being taught. I found I learned best by drawing things out & getting as hands-on as possible, rather than just learning the names of things & where they are. I needed more repetition than what flash cards gave me, so I made lots of Kahoot practice tests for myself & bought a cheap children's doodle board tablet to repeatedly draw organs, diagrams, & words. With that, I'd draw things like the arm or leg veins (with vein names included) from start to finish until I knew them well enough to be able to point to an area & know what vein should be there.
I did the same for medical terminology - rather than remembering what each word meant, I studied what the specific prefixes, suffixes, & root words meant. That might sound harder, but it was easier to me since different terms can share the same prefixes/suffixes/roots. I thought if I knew those well-enough, I could easily figure out what a word meant even if it was my first time hearing it. For example, the suffix "-ectomy" means 'surgically remove' & "mast-/masto-" means 'breast', so you know "mastectomy" = surgical removal of breast tissue.
During my ultrasound internship, I sometimes struggled with 1) being able to get enough scans & 2) with the other ultrasound techs.
1) While it wasn't their fault, the techs at my internship site would sometimes get so busy that I could go most of the day without scanning anything. I'd have to settle with just observing scans or scanning a little after they finished. So, it was sometimes stressful to ensure I could get all the types of ultrasounds checked off that I needed for each semester. My way around this was to do scanning check-offs as early as I could & scan anything available, even if I only ever observed it once or twice.
2) I never had conflicts with my site's techs, but at first it was difficult to learn from them since each tech did things a little differently & some wanted me to scan the same way they did. I couldn't avoid this, so I used it as an opportunity to write down what each tech did, such as how they scanned, techniques/positioning, specific settings they used to see things better that the other techs didn't do, etc. From there, I could incorporate the parts I thought were best for me. In the beginning, it was also difficult because all but 1 of the techs actually explained what they were doing, like why they used or changed a certain setting.
Pros:
~ As an ultrasound (US) tech, you have multiple options - you can be a general sonographer (like me) or focus on a specialty, like vascular or OB/GYN. I like the variety I get with general US, but some people prefer the consistency of getting the same types of ultrasounds. Some people might start with general US & later find they prefer a specific specialty, too.
~ As a "diagnostic" medical sonographer, it's your job to help diagnose issues. Even if you're not a doctor, you're helping people get the care they need!
~ I've had some very wholesome moments with patients. For example, imagine being the first one to show a happy couple their first baby's heart beating.
~ There's a bit more interpersonal interaction with your patients since you're directly next to them & scanning them, but this is a con for anyone who really dislikes people.
~ The pay tends to be pretty good, & your pay increases as you get more years of experience & additional US credentials (abdomen, breast, OB/GYN, vascular, etc.).
Cons:
~ Whether you specialize or are a general US tech, it's a lot of information to learn & understand (not just memorize).
~ Other imaging modalities, like CT, MRI, & Xray, take pictures of a whole body area (like a whole arm, abdomen, pelvis, or chest), but for ultrasound you're taking the images & making measurements of organs & abnormalities yourself. If you miss an abnormality (like a tumor/mass) by accidentally not taking pictures of it or not optimizing your image settings, then you could directly negatively affect your patient. I've seen this scare some people away from choosing US.
~ It can be very physically demanding, especially for scanning larger-bodied patients (your wrist/arm may ache afterwards).
~ As is with any job that involves interacting with people, you may meet very rude or "unsanitary" people (especially in healthcare). You're still there to help them get the care they need (even if they're uncooperative with you), whether you directly image the issue yourself or help their doctor narrow down possibilities.
Good luck on your sono journey!
Thank you so much for your response. I'm also not a fast learner and don't have great memory so I found what you said very helpful. Kahoots are very useful and so is drawing. I think that learning and memorizing specific prefixes, suffixes, and root words will be very useful to me, so thank you so much for including that. I can't wait to start my journey, thank you again! :D
Maryah
Melissa White
3
Answers
Updated
Melissa’s Answer
Hey there,
It's awesome that you're so passionate about sonography! Going in with your eyes wide open is the best thing you can do for yourself. The program is intense, but absolutely doable if you're prepared.
Obstacles I Faced and How I Got Through Them:
The biggest obstacle, hands down, was the sheer volume of information. You're not just learning anatomy; you're learning 3D anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the physics of how the machine actually works, all at the same time. In the beginning, I felt like I was drowning.
How I overcame it: I had to ditch my old study habits. I formed a small study group with two classmates, and we lived in the scan lab. We’d scan each other for hours after class, quizzing each other on anatomy and "knobology" (what all the buttons and dials do). It’s one thing to see the pancreas in a book; it’s another to find it on a real person. That hands-on time was what made it all click.
Another huge hurdle was the emotional side of clinicals. You're not just a student; you're in a room with a real person who is scared and looking to you for answers you can't give. My first time seeing a major fetal anomaly was devastating. I went to my car and cried.
How I overcame it. I had to learn to build a "professional wall" without losing my empathy. It’s a delicate balance. I leaned on my clinical instructor and trusted sonographers at the site. Talking it through with them helped me process what I was seeing and learn how to stay focused for the patient while still being a compassionate human being.
Advice I Wish I'd Known Before Starting:
Don't just memorize, understand it.
This is especially true for physics. A lot of students try to just memorize the formulas to pass the test, but physics is the foundation of everything you do. If you understand why turning a knob creates a certain image, you'll be a much better sonographer.
Your classmates are your lifeline, not your competition. You're all in the trenches together. Celebrate each other's wins and help each other when you're struggling. You'll need that support system.
Be a sponge in your clinical rotations. Show up early, stay late if you can, and always ask, "Is there anything else I can help with?" Some sonographers are amazing teachers, and some are... less so. You can learn something from all of them, even if it's just how , not to do something. Be humble and willing to do any task.
The Pros and Cons:
Pros: You play a direct role in patient care and diagnosis every single day. You're like a medical detective. It's incredibly rewarding when you find the cause of a patient's pain or get to show new parents their healthy baby for the first time. The pay is good, and you're not stuck behind a desk.
Cons: It's physically demanding. You'll be on your feet, pushing a heavy machine, and contorting your body to get the right angle. Repetitive stress injuries, especially to the shoulder and wrist, are a real and serious risk. You also have to deal with "scanxiety" from patients and sometimes see really sad outcomes.
It's a tough program, but it prepares you for a career that is anything but boring. Goodluck, Ms White
It's awesome that you're so passionate about sonography! Going in with your eyes wide open is the best thing you can do for yourself. The program is intense, but absolutely doable if you're prepared.
Obstacles I Faced and How I Got Through Them:
The biggest obstacle, hands down, was the sheer volume of information. You're not just learning anatomy; you're learning 3D anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the physics of how the machine actually works, all at the same time. In the beginning, I felt like I was drowning.
How I overcame it: I had to ditch my old study habits. I formed a small study group with two classmates, and we lived in the scan lab. We’d scan each other for hours after class, quizzing each other on anatomy and "knobology" (what all the buttons and dials do). It’s one thing to see the pancreas in a book; it’s another to find it on a real person. That hands-on time was what made it all click.
Another huge hurdle was the emotional side of clinicals. You're not just a student; you're in a room with a real person who is scared and looking to you for answers you can't give. My first time seeing a major fetal anomaly was devastating. I went to my car and cried.
How I overcame it. I had to learn to build a "professional wall" without losing my empathy. It’s a delicate balance. I leaned on my clinical instructor and trusted sonographers at the site. Talking it through with them helped me process what I was seeing and learn how to stay focused for the patient while still being a compassionate human being.
Advice I Wish I'd Known Before Starting:
Don't just memorize, understand it.
This is especially true for physics. A lot of students try to just memorize the formulas to pass the test, but physics is the foundation of everything you do. If you understand why turning a knob creates a certain image, you'll be a much better sonographer.
Your classmates are your lifeline, not your competition. You're all in the trenches together. Celebrate each other's wins and help each other when you're struggling. You'll need that support system.
Be a sponge in your clinical rotations. Show up early, stay late if you can, and always ask, "Is there anything else I can help with?" Some sonographers are amazing teachers, and some are... less so. You can learn something from all of them, even if it's just how , not to do something. Be humble and willing to do any task.
The Pros and Cons:
Pros: You play a direct role in patient care and diagnosis every single day. You're like a medical detective. It's incredibly rewarding when you find the cause of a patient's pain or get to show new parents their healthy baby for the first time. The pay is good, and you're not stuck behind a desk.
Cons: It's physically demanding. You'll be on your feet, pushing a heavy machine, and contorting your body to get the right angle. Repetitive stress injuries, especially to the shoulder and wrist, are a real and serious risk. You also have to deal with "scanxiety" from patients and sometimes see really sad outcomes.
It's a tough program, but it prepares you for a career that is anything but boring. Goodluck, Ms White
Thank you so much for your answer, I really appreciate it. I can't wait to start my journey and I'll be sure to keep these things in mind :)).
Maryah