How to Become an Ultrasound Tech (Ultrasound Technologist) With Joanna Hall
What is Ultrasound? How to become an Ultrasound Technologist which is sometimes referred to as an Ultrasound Technician? Find out about the details of Sonography and day in the life of being an Ultrasound Tech!
We’re very excited to interview Joanna Hall who has been an Ultrasound Technician (also known as a Ultrasonographer) for 10 years now. She is passionate about sharing what it’s like to be a Sonographer and hosts a podcast ‘Sonographer Spill The Tea’ where nothing is off limits — from employment issues to the health needs of Sonographers and the industry as a whole. Let’s get into it!
How did you get into becoming a Sonographer?
I got into it the way a lot of others get into it — through my own pregnancy. I was a Photographer pre healthcare provider, and I was always intrigued by the art of taking images. When I found out that there was a way to take pictures of the inside of the body in real time, it was hook line and sinker from the very beginning.
When you started it probably looked a little different then now, but for people looking into the career now what does a typical day look like for you?
When I started as a student was really understanding what it meant to be a Sonographer and just getting through that educational process. As far as being a credentialed Sonograher, that really depends on where you’re practicing. The similarity and common factor from all backgrounds is taking a look at your workload, see what type of scanning you’ll be doing, and then just triaging your patients to best serve them.
What is the most amount of people that you’ve seen in one day?
That hits a little sensitive spot for me because of all the injuries we as Sonographers get, but I believe the most that I’ve seen in one day was 32 patients and it was only a 10 hour shift. It was a very rough weekend — you usually can’t do much after working that. Being a Sonographer is very similar to a Baseball player. After a while the same repetitive movement in the shoulder can cause injury, so being aware that this position can have some downsides is really important.
Typically how long does it take to get into the field? What can someone expect to make as a Sonographer?
The median income just depends on where you are. Someone in Texas is not going to have the same starting salary as someone in California or New York would. In terms of formal education, it takes about 2 years before you get placed into a specific program. It really depends on what type of scanning you’re looking into completing, but it can range anywhere in the 2-4 year mark for total certification.
When I got out of school 10 years ago, the starting salary was around $60,000/year. My first position was $38/hour which was amazing. Now that number should be obviously higher. I did get a higher dollar amount because I was part-time, so for those who need that full package there are options. I would never accept less than $30-32/hr as a good conservative number.
Growth in the industry comes with experience and your specialty. The more expertise you have in different parts of the body, the more opportunities arise. You now become a multi-specialty Sonographer which is much more valuable in the market. And when you look at statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics through 2030, Ultrasound Techs are slated to grow faster than the average for all other occupations. Not just in healthcare, but all which is a huge deal.
What advice would you give to someone that is thinking about becoming a Sonographer?
The advice that I would give would be that it’s an extraordinarily rewarding career that will bring you joy again and again, but please understand that even as a rewarding career it does come with some risks. Especially mental and emotional risks specifically when you see things like cancer and potentially life threatening things — there’s a lot that comes with the job. To be able to keep yourself strong both mentally and physically and to keep that in mind. Knowing and understanding your body and it’s limits is key too.
Find Joanna on other platforms:
Website: https://www.ultrasafeultrasounds.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ultrasafeultrasounds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultrasafe_ultrasounds/
Anchor/Podcast: https://www.anchor.fm/sonographersspillthetea