The Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Associate Degree program is a sequence of courses that provide didactic and clinical instruction designed to provide the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to graduate and become successful entry-level DMS professionals. Sonographers use high frequency sound waves to produce dynamic visual pictures of internal body structures. The images are evaluated by physicians to make a medical diagnosis.
Graduates will receive an Associate of Science Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Program graduates who fulfill exit requirements will be eligible to apply to the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) for testing in the specialty areas of diagnostic medical ultrasound to become a credentialed sonographer.
Students may compete to enter the DMS program each fall semester. A full-time student can complete this program in 6 semesters. To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 77 semester credit hours.
Employment Outlook
Career Traits/Requirements
Applicants for the program must possess critical thinking skills, excellent communication capabilities, and the ability to provide health care services with compassion and patience.
Employment Opportunities
Successful completion of this program should enable graduates to pursue job opportunities in one of several diagnostic imaging areas such as hospitals, imaging centers, and physician offices.
Program Costs
Tuition & Fees: $9,786.00
Books & Supplies: $2,000.00
(Costs are estimated and are subject to change.)
Additional Fees:
Uniform Costs: $250.00
Malpractice Insurance: $11.00 per academic year
Drug Screen: $50.00
Criminal Background Check: $51.50
Clinical Onboarding Fees: Varies by clinical site
BLS for HCP: $7.00
Trajecsys: $150.00
Science Lab Fees: $75.00
Ergonomic Cable Brace: $25.00
Butterfly IQ+: $83.50 (last three program semesters)
(Costs are estimated and are subject to change.)
Certain facilities require clinical students to have an active health insurance policy during clinical rotations. Therefore, all students are required to obtain health insurance coverage prior to submitting pre-clinical onboarding documents for clinical rotations.
Admission Requirements
OFTC may accept a student’s official entrance score on the following validated assessment instruments if the scores meet the required minimums:
- COMPASS/ASSET, SAT,
- ACT,
- PSAT,
- PACT,
- Accuplacer/Accuplacer Next Generation/Companion,
- HOPE GPA after completion of 10th grade of 2.6 or higher, or High School GPA of 2.6 (for occupational programs), or 2.0 for Workforce Entry Level programs, or GED.
The College may accept transfer credit for other courses according to the College’s transfer policy.
Competitive Admission Requirements
All steps of the competitive selection process must be completed for students to be considered for admission into program classes. Access links and forms for Competitive Admissions Programs.
Applications to compete must be submitted no later than the specified deadline. Students without an application on file in the Admissions Office will NOT be considered for competition. Applications signify that the student:
- has completed or will complete the designated courses,
- has registered for and will complete TEAS (nursing, radiologic technology, and diagnostic medical sonography programs) test prior to the published deadline,
- understands the competitive process including deadlines for work experience forms and official college transcripts.
If designated core courses and additional curriculum/other requirements listed are not completed by the published deadline and/or if the student is not in satisfactory academic standing at OFTC, then the application will not be considered. The student is responsible for the payment of the drug screen fee and criminal background check fee that will be assessed when students register for classes with such requirements. All newly accepted students will be required to attend an orientation session prior to the beginning of the program. No new students will be accepted after program orientation occurs. The updated Guidelines for Entry into Allied Health Programs can be found on the OFTC website under Admissions.
Students must complete the following designated courses that will be used toward the GPA ranking: ALHS 1090, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, ENGL 1101, ENGL 2130, MATH 1111, PHYS 1110, PHYS 1110L, and PSYC 1101. Students may compete for program seats for each fall semester cohort.
Student/Graduate Achievement
Oconee Fall Line Technical College will publish student and graduate achievement information. The following information explains the outcomes that will be reported once the first class of diagnostic medical sonography students graduate.
- Licensure Pass Rate
The DMS program will achieve a 60% overall licensure pass rate within one year of a cohort graduation.
- Placement Rate
The DMS program will employ 75% of graduates. Employment is defined as working as a sonographer in one of the program’s accredited concentrations, continuing their education, or serving in the military within six months of graduation.
- Retention Rate
The DMS program’s enrollment per cohort will maintain a retention rate of 70% of total enrollment.
| PROGRAM COMPLETION |
2021 |
|
Total Number of Students Who
Entered the Program
|
10 |
| Number of Program Graduates |
8 |
Number of Students Who Did
Not Complete the Program |
2 |
| Attrition Rate |
20% |
| JOB PLACEMENT YEAR-TO-DATE |
2021 |
| Total Graduates |
8 |
Number of Graduates Employed
in the Field |
8 |
Number of Graduates Furthering
Their Education |
0 |
| Placement Rate |
100% |
| REGISTRY SUCCESS YEAR-TO-DATE |
2021 |
Number of Students Taking ARRT
Sonography |
6 |
Number of Students Earning the AART
Sonography Credential |
6 |
| AART Sonography Success Rate |
100% |
Number of Students Taking the Abdomen
Registry |
1 |
Number of Students Earning the ARDMS
Abdomen Credential |
1 |
| Abdomen Registry Success Rate |
100% |
Number of Students Taking the OB-GYN
Registry |
0 |
Number of Students Earning the ARDMS
OB-GYN Credential |
0 |
| OB-GYN Registry Success Rate |
0 |
Number of Students Dual Registered in
Abdomen and OB-GYN (ARDMS) |
0 |
Accreditation
The Oconee Fall Line Technical College Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program is accrediated by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (https://www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the JRC-DMS.
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (https://www.caahep.org)
9355 113th St N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
Curriculum
Area I - Language Arts/Communication
Area II - Social/Behavioral Sciences
Area III - Natural Sciences/Mathematics
Area IV - Humanities/Fine Arts
Non-General Education Degree Courses
Occupational Courses
| ALHS 1090 | Medical Terminology for Allied Health Sciences | 2 | 30 |
| DMSO 1010 | Foundations of Sonography | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1020 | Sectional Anatomy and Normal Sonographic Appearance | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1040 | Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1050 | Abdominal Sonography | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1060 | Clinical Sonography I | 4 | 180 |
| DMSO 1070 | Pelvic Sonography and first Trimester Obstetrics | 2 | 45 |
| DMSO 1080 | Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation Registry Review | 1 | 30 |
| DMSO 1090 | Introduction to Vascular Sonography | 1 | 30 |
| DMSO 1100 | Clinical Sonography II | 6 | 270 |
| DMSO 2010 | OB Second and Third Trimesters | 3 | 60 |
| DMSO 2020 | Specialized Sonographic Procedures | 2 | 45 |
| DMSO 2031 | Clinical Sonography III (Part A) | 1 | 45 |
| DMSO 2032 | Clinical Sonography III (Part B) | 7 | 315 |
| DMSO 2040 | Comprehensive ABD and OB/GYN Registry Review | 2 | 60 |
| DMSO 2050 | Clinical Sonography IV | 10 | 450 |
Program Pathway
Year 1
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
| DMSO 1010 | Foundations of Sonography | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1020 | Sectional Anatomy and Normal Sonographic Appearance | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1040 | Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1060 | Clinical Sonography I | 4 | 180 |
Year 2
Semester 4
| DMSO 1050 | Abdominal Sonography | 3 | 75 |
| DMSO 1070 | Pelvic Sonography and first Trimester Obstetrics | 2 | 45 |
| DMSO 1080 | Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation Registry Review | 1 | 30 |
| DMSO 1090 | Introduction to Vascular Sonography | 1 | 30 |
| DMSO 1100 | Clinical Sonography II | 6 | 270 |
Semester 5
| DMSO 2010 | OB Second and Third Trimesters | 3 | 60 |
| DMSO 2020 | Specialized Sonographic Procedures | 2 | 45 |
| DMSO 2032 | Clinical Sonography III (Part B) | 7 | 315 |
Semester 6
| DMSO 2031 | Clinical Sonography III (Part A) | 1 | 45 |
| DMSO 2040 | Comprehensive ABD and OB/GYN Registry Review | 2 | 60 |
| DMSO 2050 | Clinical Sonography IV | 10 | 450 |