Cardiovascular Technology, Echocardiography

Cardivascular technologists and technicians are health professionals who specialize in vascular technology or echocardiography to perform noninvasive cardivascular tests. Tests are called "noninvasive" if they do not require the insertion of probes or other instruments into the patient's body.

Employment of cardiovascular technologists and technicians is expected to increase by 26 percent through the year 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of vascular technologists and echocardiographers will grow as advances in vascular technology and sonography reduce the need for more costly and invasive procedures. The average annual salary is $40,500 with a range of $26,700 - $50,800.

Cardiovascular Technology (non-invasive)

The Cardiovascular Technology program is designed to prepare the students to perform [non-invasive] echocardiographic examinations under the direction of a physician / cardiologist. Students gain both didactic knowledge and practical experience in cardiovascular science, EKG, holter monitoring, telemetry, and echocardiography. The students will have the opportunity to study the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the organ systems, recognize the EKG patterns of infarction, arrhythmia recognition, appreciate emergency protocols, and perform echocardiography. The core curriculum is structured to include an on-campus lecture component, an on-campus imaging laboratory component, and an off-campus integrated clinical component. The final externship portion of the curriculum is structured to include supervised experiences in the clinical environment that require competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student. At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and their externship, studied, and practiced their skills should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as [non-invasive] cardiovascular technologists.

Graduates of the Cardiovascular Technology program are encouraged to take the credentialing examinations offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) and the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). These exams are voluntary but obtaining this credential does enhance employment opportunities. Graduates are eligible to apply for the Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) and Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) examinations offered by CCI upon graduation, and to apply for the Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDMS) exam offered by ARDMS after acquiring the necessary experience after graduation as defined by the ARDMS. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by SBI but by outside agencies and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, SBI cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

The Sanford Brown approach:

• FAST: Focus students' studies into a short-term program completing in as little as 9 to 18 months.
• FOCUSED: Programs focus primarily on the essential concepts and skills employers are seeking.
• HANDS-ON: We use industry-current tools to teach skills and help students gain confidence and experience.

• Atlanta, GA
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Landover, MD
• Tampa, FL

*Each location's program availability is subject to change.