I am an Ultrasound Technician.

What is the differnce between an ultrasound technician and a diagnostic medical sonographer?

• ive been wanting to do something in the medical field for a while now, and i really want to do something with the ultrasound machines. i read online that a diagnostic medical sonographer only does the ultrasounds and a physician does the actual talking with the patient and tells them what's going on with their bodies. i want to be the one who does the ultrasound AND tells the patient the good and/or bad news. is that what a ultrasound technician does or would i have to get a degree in ultrasound technology and one to become a physician. or am i totally wrong?

• Answer:

  You cannot diagnose a patient, unless you are a doctor. A radiologist is a medical doctor who will interpert the ultrasound (and x-rays and MRI and CT scans etc) images, that are taken by a sonographer (aka ultrasonographer aka ultrasound technologist). The radiologist then issues an imaging report to the patient's referring physician. So you are correct, in a way. But, any physician can buy themselves an ultrasound machine and scan their patients theirselves....although I think it is a bad idea, actually. Sonographers and radiologist spend years learning ultrasounds, and it takes that amount of time to become sufficient.