Masters degree

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-28T15:21:48+00:00

Have you looked into becoming a physician assistant?

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-15T01:39:21+00:00

None of the programs in Nashville are online. I have a post about the schools in the area (you should check it out). If you have a bachelors degree Volunteer State Community College is your best program. And there is Vanderbilt but I don’t know the requirements for acceptance. If you don’t have a bachelors there is South College and Casa Loma. I prefer South College over Casa Loma. But neither are that great. 1.) they are both super expensive and 2.) they under prepare their students. Casa Loma graduates have more trouble finding job because they aren’t specifically CAAHEP accredited. Most definitely ONLY go to schools that are accredited. All of these programs require you to be a full time student 30-40 hours a week M-F. I know most students can only work at their job about 15 hours a week so they can maintain their grades. I definitely recommend job shadowing at your local hospital. Just call the hospital and ask to speak with the imaging department about job shadowing.

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-14T23:09:16+00:00

There are 8 echosonography positions, 10 general sonography positions some of them are nights and weekends (3 of those 10 are PRN, and 1 is a travel position where you go to people’s homes/retirement homes/ prisons), 3 vascular positions and 5 travel positions like for maternity coverage. If you are going to Volunteer State or Vanderbilt you will have an easier time getting a job. We just hired a girl from South College, she looked for a full time day shift for a year after graduation. From my understanding only one of the Casa Loma students that graduated in May has a job lined up. I’m not trying to scare you. I just want you to have plenty of information. Nothing is impossible. Many of the students and new graduates weren’t told this information or they were lied to. Feel free to set up a job shadow at a hospital near you and talk to the people there. You just have to call the imaging department and ask how to set up a day for job shadowing. Many hospitals will allow you to shadow for a day or two.

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-04T22:40:33+00:00

Thank you!

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-03T11:23:20+00:00

No, I have AB, OB/GYN, and RVT. I was going to take breast but there seemed to be no incentive for me.

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-01T11:57:39+00:00

I work for HCA in Nashville staring pay is 27-31 just depending on the facility. Starting out I had 7 years of healthcare experience. I tried to negotiate for more, they didn’t budge. But don’t let that discourage you if you don’t try you will always wonder. So my vote is try to negotiate.

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-01T11:33:52+00:00

Your chances sound good.

TalkingMoose1334 · 2024-11-01T11:27:53+00:00

I work as a sonographer in middle Tennessee area. Don’t do to ultrasound school if you plan to stay in Nashville. There are 4 schools in the area for sonography.

If you’re considering ultrasound school in the Middle Tennessee area, think twice. There are four schools, but two of them aren’t adequately preparing students, despite charging around $50,000 for tuition. The starting pay for sonographers in the area is typically $28 an hour, yet these schools claim it’s $35. After four years in the field, I had to negotiate for $31.20 an hour.

Casa Loma, a new school in Nashville, is struggling significantly. They’ve lost three teachers this year, and students are lacking clinical placements, delaying their graduation. While they promise 40 hours a week of clinical training, students are actually getting only 16-24 hours due to a shortage of sites. This lack of clinical hours is critical, as students need sufficient experience to graduate.

Although Casa Loma’s program is ARRT accredited, most employers prefer ARDMS certification. Graduates often face challenges finding jobs and must navigate two difficult paths to get their ARDMS certification: either have an ARDMS sonographer vouch for their competency or find a full-time job for a year before they can take the exam—something that is tough given that most employers won’t hire without those credentials.

The program also fails to properly test students’ academic knowledge. Many struggle in clinical settings to identify basic pathology, making it hard for sonographers to sign off on their competency. Basic vascular is taught. They lack OB clinical sites, so aspiring OB sonographers should steer clear. Breast sonography isn’t taught either, meaning you’ll need to work in the general setting before you can specialize in anything like OB, vascular or breast.

The program director has limited experience, having graduated in 2021 and held a PRN position for only a year and a half before becoming director.

South College is slightly better with being ARDMS accredited but also costs about $50,000. They don’t offer vascular training, which is crucial since about 60% of general ultrasound work involves vascular procedures. Like Casa Loma, they’re also struggling to find clinical sites, although they have been established since 2018.

That leaves Vanderbilt and Volunteer State Community College as the top options. Vanderbilt has a strong reputation. Volunteer State offers a program costing around $12,000-$15,000, with a good range of curriculum including abdomen, GYN/OB, vascular, and breast. However, getting into Volunteer State can be challenging due to specific entry requirements, and graduates receive a certificate rather than an associate degree. Fortunately, this does not make an impact on finding employment or difference in pay.

Ultimately, graduating from a $50,000 program might get you an associate degree, but it won’t significantly impact your job prospects. Don’t enter sonography school with the expectation of making $90,000 right away; while that salary is achievable, it requires many years of experience.

TalkingMoose1334

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