A sonographer can specialize in multiple areas including abdomen, OB/GYN, neuro, and others. The three listed are the specialties offered to students by UNMC.  Throughout the day, all three are practiced regularly to image organs in each of these areas.  An outpatient schedule is full every day with exams, and portables are also done for inpatients within the hospital.  Ultrasound is also used in invasive procedures such as liver resections in the OR, kidney and liver biopsies, paracentesis, and thoracentesis.  Transplant evaluation is also another common exam performed because UNMC is such a large transplant center.  Both pre- and post-evaluations are done when there are liver, kidney, small bowel, or pancreas transplants.  Neuro studies performed in the NICU on infant brains check for hemorrhage or pathology.  OB scans are performed to date a pregnancy and rule out pathology.  Also, GYN scans are performed to look at the female pelvis to rule out pathology.  There is a diverse spectrum of anatomy a sonographer looks at every day which makes it essential that they know what they are looking at, what to look for, and what pathology looks like in order to convey what they see to the Radiologist to make an accurate diagnosis.

Submitted by Elizabeth Jackson, Diagnostic Medical Sonography class of 2009

Posted by Fran Higgins

Okay, folks, we’re changing it up a little this week. Hearken back to my very first post, “Dancin’ with the Stars, Allied Health Style.” This time, instead of me and Elephanto, you get to identify this allied health dancer and her whereabouts. If you know, please put it in a comment on this post. First one to get it right gets a prize!

Identify this allied health dancer and her whereabouts!