The following clinical competency flow chart has been developed to measure the student's ability to perform at satisfactory levels of competency.
- Students with an Associate Degree in Allied Health must have professional certification before beginning clinical rotations.
- Students must complete DMS 330 Sonography Lab I before any clinical rotations.
- Students must be enrolled in or have previously completed DMS 340 Sonography Physics & Instrumentation, DMS 355 Sonography of the Abdomen & Additional Procedures, DMS 360 Obstetrical and Gynecological Sonography II, and DMS 370 Sonography Lab II to complete clinical rotations.
- Students will observe, assist, and perform ultrasound studies under direct supervision in the clinical area, documenting observation and practice.
- Students request a clinical competency evaluation in the clinical area.
- Students pass the clinical competency evaluation and engage in the performance of examinations under indirect supervision. Students who fail to achieve competency will return to step 4 above, gain remedial instruction, obtain additional experience in the clinical area, and then retake the competency evaluation. Students must remain under direct supervision until successful completion of competency (Refer to the Clinical Supervision section listed below).
- If clinical instructors or staff identify student inconsistencies, they will communicate the concerns to the Clinical Coordinator. A performance improvement plan is developed with the student, and a challenge competency examination may be recommended. The student must pass the challenge competency evaluation with a grade of 80 or better. Failure to pass the challenge competency evaluation would result in further action, which may include dismissal from the Program deemed necessary by the Dean in consultation with the Program Director.
Supervising sonographers and clinical instructors at the clinical site evaluate students for clinical competency. Sonographers conducting student clinical competency evaluations must possess the relevant certification for the specific competency being assessed. They must be registered in at least one of the certifications listed for each competency below. If multiple certifications are specified for a particular examination, the sonographer need only hold one of the listed certifications; certification in all listed is not required.
The following table depicts the clinical competency examination requirements. All 19 mandatory examinations, three elective examinations, and all ergonomic assessments are required.
| Examination | Mandatory or Elective | Evaluator Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Aorta | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RVT or RT (VS) |
| RUQ, Basic | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| RUQ, Advanced | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Abdomen Complete | Elective | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Retroperitoneal Complete | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Bladder | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Chest (Pleural Space or Thoracentesis) | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Guided Procedure | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or (OB/GYN) or (BR) or RVT or RT (S) or RT (VS) or RT (BS) – evaluator certification is dependent on the guided procedure |
| Scrotum | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Thyroid | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| LUQ | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Prostate | Elective | RDMS (AB) or RT (S) |
| Breast | Elective | RDMS (AB) or (BR) or RT (BS) |
| Superficial Lump | Elective | RDMS(AB) or RT (S) |
| Pediatric Renal | Elective | RDMS (AB) or (PS) or RT (S) |
| Pediatric Appendix | Elective | RDMS (AB) or (PS) or RT (S) |
| Transabdominal Pelvis | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Transvaginal Pelvis | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Cervical Length | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| First Trimester, Transabdominal | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| First Trimester, Transvaginal | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Fetal Anatomical Survey (Second Trimester) | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Fetal Growth, Second Trimester | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Fetal Growth, Third Trimester | Mandatory | RDMS (OB/GYN) or RT (S) |
| Venous Lower Extremity | Elective | RVT or RT (VS) |
| Venous Upper Extremity | Elective | RVT or RT (VS) |
| Carotid | Elective | RVT or RT (VS) |
| Ergonomic Assessment I | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or (OB/GYN) or (BR) or RVT or RT (S) or RT (BS) or RT (VS) |
| Ergonomic Assessment II | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or (OB/GYN) or (BR) or RVT or RT (S) or RT (BS) or RT (VS) |
| Ergonomic Assessment III | Mandatory | RDMS (AB) or (OB/GYN) or (BR) or RVT or RT (S) or RT (BS) or RT (VS) |
Clinical Competency Breakdown by Semester/Course
Semester II - DMS 380 Sonography Clinical Practicum I (4 credit hours, ~240 clock hours)
- Completion of Ergonomics Assessment and a minimum of 4 and no more than 6 competencies are required.
Semester III - DMS 395 Sonography Clinical Practicum II (6 credit hours, ~ 360 clock hours)
- Completion of Ergonomics Assessment and a minimum of 6 and no more than 8 additional competencies are required.
Semester IV - DMS 415 Sonography Clinical Practicum III (8 credit hours, ~480 clock hours)
- Completion of Ergonomics Assessment and the remaining competencies are required.
Any student not completing the requirements during the designated clinical course above will be given an incomplete (Refer to the Incomplete Grade Policy).