Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program has a carefully-designed curriculum that provides students with the knowledge and training needed to thrive in the sonography industry. The program covers abdomen, small parts, obstetrics-gynecology and vascular sonography.
Foundational classes are offered by highly-skilled, credentialed instructors both in the classroom and clinical lab. Hands-on training is offered on the latest in imaging technology to prepare students for clinical rotations and patient care. Experience in the field is a crucial part of the learning process and allows students to learn in a true healthcare environment as they prepare for transition into the workforce.
Upon successful completion of the 76-hour DMS Program, students will be academically prepared to sit for registry exams with the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Cardiovascular Credentialing International or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. The student will have obtained the necessary knowledge to attempt credentialing in the modalities of Abdomen, OB, or Vascular, when eligible with each perspective agency.
Information meetings for prospective students are held each semester. Students selected for the program are notified no later than June 15 each year. A mandatory orientation meeting is held in late-June for all accepted students.
The DMS program has received accreditation for the general program as well as the vascular concentration from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Background checks will be required upon admission into the program.
Informational Meetings
Please watch the DMS Information Session video if you have not attended one of the prior meetings. This is a mandatory requirement for a student to apply for the program.
A new class will be admitted to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program each Fall Semester. Student selection is based on completion of all requirements: ACT scores, transcripts, admission score and availability of space at the clinical facilities.
- Unconditional admission to the college. Apply for admissions here.
- Submit online program application prior to May 10 for Fall start.
- Submit supporting documents to the Admissions Office by the deadline:
- Official transcripts from other colleges
- Official ACT score (with a minimum composite score of 18 on the national or residual test)
- Must have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale on general education courses
- Must maintain a C or better on all general and pre-DMS courses. If courses were repeated, the highest grade for the course will be used.
- Must complete all general required courses for the DMS Program by the application deadline or be enrolled in the course to be completed no later than the Spring Semester of the year of your application deadline at Gadsden State. (See FAQs for a list of pre-requisites.)
- Must be in good standing with the College
- Must meet the Essential Functions required for DMS students
- Pass a criminal background check and drug screen
- Must attend DMS information session and receive signed documentation of attendance
- Must be able to show Proof of Health Insurance once offered admittance into the program
- Students who make it into Phase 2 of the Admissions Process, must show proof of CPR-BLS. (It is recommended to obtain certification as soon as possible so you aren't in a time crunch trying to find a course to take.)
Following application and registration completion, students are scored using a blind scoring system based on their GPA and ACT score. The Top 40 applicants will move to Phase 2 of the admission process. Students who do not score in the Top 40 will receive written advisement of their status and will be encouraged to apply again for the next class or apply for one of GSCC' s other great Health Science Programs.
Phase 2 of Admissions Process
- Panel interview. Students will be notified via email of interview date and time
- Written essay detailing “What is Sonography?” and “Why I want to become a Sonographer?” Must be a minimum of two pages and must be brought to the panel interview
- Two typed and signed professional letters of recommendation
- Copy of CPR-BLS certification (bring to panel interview)
Essential Functions are the fundamental job duties and skills associated with a particular position. All students are required to read the Essential Functions identified for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program and determine if they are capable of performing these functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Students must be able to: *
- Accurately perform the individual steps of a task in proper sequence
- Assist patients on and off examining tables and ensure safety of patients
- Communicate effectively with patients and healthcare professionals
- Adequately view sonograms, including color distinctions
- Work standing on feet 80 percent of the time
- Distinguish audible sounds
- Have full use of both hands, wrists and shoulders
- Bend and stoop routinely
- Push and pull routinely
- Lift more than 50 pounds routinely
- Interact compassionately with the sick or injured
* The Americans with Disabilities Act requires colleges and universities to inform students of all performance expectations related to their job and school performance. In accordance with College policy, when requested, reasonable accommodations may be provided for individuals with disabilities. Requests for reasonable accommodations should be directed to the program director.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Goals
“To prepare competent entry-level general and vascular sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains”.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Estimated Program Costs
| Items | Cost |
|---|---|
| Books | $1,450 |
| Uniforms | $150 |
| Shoes | $40 |
| Pictures (graduation) | $40 |
| Pin | $80 |
| Graduation Fee (including cap and gown) | $60 |
| Drug Screen and Background Checks | $121 |
| Health Insurance (if purchased through school) | $524 |
| Annual Physical and immunizations (depending on needs) | $296 |
| CPR | $45 |
| Tuition: 76 semester hours at $166* each | $12,616 |
| Trajecsys Registration | $150 |
| Sonoism | $450 |
| Exam fees | $475 |
| Total | $16,497 |
*In-state tuition fees are $164 per credit hour and consist of $123 per credit hour for tuition, $10 per credit hour ACCS enhancement fee, $9 per credit hour facility renewal fee, $9 per credit hour technology fee, $12 per credit hour special building fee, and a $1 per credit hour ACCS reserve fee.
Want to be a VOLUNTEER and receive an Ultrasound Scan?
We offer instructor led, student performed ultrasound scans for OB patients in 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. 4D scans also available. Other ultrasound screenings available include vascular, abdomen or thyroid. Charges apply for OB scans and image downloads.
Please note: All Ultrasound scans performed at GSCC are for Student Education ONLY and non-diagnostic. GSCC, its staff and/or students, are not responsible for volunteer patient's medical diagnosing or medical outcomes.
ORI 101, ENG 101, HUM/Fine Art Elective, SPH 106, MTH 100, BIO 201, PHY 115, PSY 200. Please NOTE: MTH 100 is a pre-requisite for PHY 115, so plan your semesters accordingly. Additionally, BIO 202 is recommended, but not required.
The DMS Program at GSCC is CAAHEP accredited in General and Vascular. This makes students eligible to sit for Registry exams with ARDMS, CCI and ARRT. Please refer to each organization for their specific exam qualifications and requirements.
Most courses from Area II of the Alabama General Studies Curriculum (AGSC) can be used to satisfy the humanities elective requirement. Some of the courses taught at Gadsden State that can be used for the elective are as follows:
- ART 100: Art Appreciation
- MUS 101: Music Appreciation
- THR 120: Theater Appreciation
- PHL 206: Ethics in Society
- HUM 101: Introduction to Humanities
- REL 151: Survey of Old Testament
- REL 152: Survey of New Testament.
Please note there are additional courses that may satisfy this requirement, depending on individual interest and schedule; however, the course(s) must be at least 3 credit hours.
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography A.A.S. Program is accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) to offer the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The program received original accreditation in 2020, in the modalities of:
- Abdomen
- OBGYN
- Vascular
Application opening date: February 10, 2023 (Closing date: May 10, 2023)
Please see the “Start Here” section below for details. If you have any questions, please contact Gigi Stump, Health Sciences clerk, at gstump@gadsdenstate.edu.
Start Here
Step 1 – Review the Application Information below before continuing with the application process. You must have a Gadsden State student A-number and access to your student portal to fill out the online DMS program application. If you have issues, please contact the Help Desk.
ONLY COMPLETE DMS PROGRAM APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE MAY 10, 2022 11:59 P.M. DEADLINE WILL BE CONSIDERED. A complete
package includes:
- DMS Program Application with electronic submission by the May 10, 2022 11:59 p.m. deadline. No paper applications will be accepted. All application information must be verifiable for application to be considered complete. Any missing documentation may result in your application not being considered.
- Your unofficial transcripts from any other colleges or universities attended. Official Transcripts from other Colleges or Universities must be delivered to the GSCC Admissions office on or before the application deadline of May 10, 2022. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the transcripts have been received.
- ACT Verification. Official ACT scores must be delivered to the GSCC Admissions office on or before the application deadline of May 10, 2022. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the ACT score has been received and added to your student account.
ALL DMS PROGRAM APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS ARE FINAL! NO UPDATES ARE ALLOWED. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure a complete application is submitted by the deadline. No late submissions will be accepted. Please save the confirmation email you receive upon successful submission of the DMS program application. FAILURE TO SUBMIT ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WILL RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION, WHICH WILL NOT BE EVALUATED.
If for any reason you have to save your application and return to it later, you will need to use the NextGen Dynamic Forms homepage link to return to the saved application. You will log into your NextGen account and select Pending/Draft Forms to access your incomplete application.
MINIMUM ADMISSION STANDARDS INCLUDE:
- Unconditional admission to Gadsden State Community College.
- Submit supporting documents to the Admissions Office by the DMS program application deadline:
- Official transcripts from other colleges
- Official ACT score
- Good standing with Gadsden State Community College.
- Must view the full DMS information session video located on the DMS webpage prior to applying to the program.
- Submission of completed online application by 11:59pm on May 10, 2022.
- A minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale for DMS prerequisite courses (This will be calculated from the highest grade of each in the DMS prerequisite academic courses.)
- Must complete all required prerequisite courses for the DMS Program by May 10, 2022 or be enrolled in the course to be completed no later than the spring semester 2022 at Gadsden State.
- Must have successfully completed all DMS prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.
- BIO 201
- ENG 101
- MTH 100 or higher level math (Note: MTH 116 does not meet the requirement for the math course prerequisite.)
- ORI 101
- PHY 115
- PSY 200
- SPH 106 or SPH 107
- Humanities/Fine Art elective (anything under Art, Music, Theater, Religion, Humanities, Philosophy, or Literature)
- Ability to meet essential functions required for DMS students.
- A minimum composite score of 18 on the national or residual ACT test.
- The ACT Superscore is not accepted for DMS program application.
- Bonus points will be given to applicants who have also completed BIO 202.
Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Qualified applicants will be rank-ordered and only a predetermined number will be selected.
For additional information or questions, please contact Gigi Stump, Health Sciences clerk, at gstump@gadsdenstate.edu.
Step 2 – Click here to access the DMS program application for Gadsden State. After logging into your student account, you will be taken to the program application.
Step 3 – Read Page 1 of the application thoroughly. Complete Pages 2, 3, and 4. Sign the application on Page 5 and submit. No changes or additions can be made to your application after you submit. No paper applications will be accepted.
Step 4 – Verify that you received a submission confirmation email to your GSCC student email account. Save the email in the event it should be needed.
IMPORTANT: If you need to save your application and complete it at a later date, click “Save Progress” at the bottom of the application screen. When you are ready to complete the application, log in to your myGadsdenState account and click the NextGen link in your Launch Pad. View your Pending/Draft forms to resume the saved application.
Echocardiography Certificate Program
Gadsden State’s Echocardiography Certificate Program offers online courses and evening lab times that give working sonographers the opportunity to build on their current skills and add a modality to their resume.
You must meet ONE of the following criteria to apply:
- Graduate of a CAAHEP accredited DMS program
- Vascular Registered Sonographer
- Sonographer with over 5 years clinical scanning experience
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A small number of seats are reserved for Senior level DMS students who have passed SPI and obtain Program Director and Dean approval.
Application opening date: May 1, 2023 (Closing date: June 30, 2023)
