Is Sonography A Good Career Choice?

Is medical sonography a good career choice for a mom?

• I have a 1 yr old and want to go to school for Diagnostic Medical Sonography and become a pediactric echocardiographer. I want to choose a career that I can be home for my child most ...show more

• Answer:

  Once you are out working in the field, I think it could work really well for a mom. You can work at a children's hospital and hopefully find a shift that fits with your and your kid's lives. There are day shifts, evening shifts, weekend shifts, and some places have night shifts. However, the schooling for Sonography is very demanding. It is typically full-time; some days in class and the other days at clinical. You would need a support system for the duration of the program, so you can focus on school and study. Most people find it difficult to even hold down a part time job while in the Sono. program, so the financial aspect is also something to consider. PS - make sure you find an accredited program (select "Diagnostic Medical Sonography" and then under the programs that come up for your state, look for one with a Cardiac concentration.) http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/ **EDIT: No, you don't need to do a Radiologic Tech'y program first, unless you just want to. It will only give you a headstart by knowing the anatomy, but that's it, and then you'll have to keep up extra CME's (continuing medical ed credits) every year so you don't lose your RT registration. If it will save you time, then that's a benefit, so it comes down to your own personal preferences. Neither choice is better/worse than the other.