Program Overview

Selective Admission Process - April 1st Application Deadline

The Ultrasound: Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program is a selective admission program with a limited number of openings each year. To be accepted, you must first meet course admission requirements outlined in the program's Advising Guide. Applicants are then ranked using a point system (see Advising Guide). The candidates with the highest amount of points are admitted. DMS typically receives about 70 applications for the 24 seats available.

All admission procedures are coordinated by Selective Admissions (selective_admissions@star.lcc.edu / 517-483-1182). Any student interested in this program should follow the application process listed in the program Advising Guide. To ensure you meet the admission requirements, schedule an appointment with a Health Careers Academic Advisor by calling (517) 483-1957 option 4. Angela Kuhlman, Eric Bennett, and Matt Boeve are the lead health careers advisors.

Completion of the admission requirements takes approximately 1 year for a student taking a full-time class load (12+ credits per semester). Applications to the program are due April 1st each year. Those admitted start the program Summer semester and are eligible for a DMS Associate Degree at the end of the following Summer semester.

***Check out the DMS Advising Guide for information on criminal record restrictions, necessary motor and cognitive skills, required immunizations and drug screenings, insurance acknowledgements, and environmental conditions of this profession.***

 

• What makes Lansing Community College's DMS program different from other colleges? Lansing Community College's Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs) accredited.
• What does CAAHEP mean to a DMS graduate? A student (other than an RT(R) or Bachelor Degree graduate) who graduates from a non-accredited DMS program must work for an additional 12 months before they are eligible to take the national registry boards (ARDMS.) For more qualification information for national board eligibility, log onto the ARDMS website. The board results, since its inception in 1975, range between 50-79% for physics, abdomen and obstetrics/gynecology. Waiting an additional 12 months may not help with increasing the registry results, especially in physics. Some hospitals will only hire a sonography graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program.
• When does the DMS program start? How often are candidates selected? The DMS program admits students once a year. It is a 15-month program that starts each summer.
• Is the program a full-time commitment? Yes, students enter into the program in the summer and do not finish the program until the end of summer the following year.
• Where are the clinical sites located? Clinical sites vary each year due to hospital/clinic availability. The majority of clinical sites are within one (1) hour from LCC's main campus. Although some clinical sites are further and may require students to relocate. All sites are within a 200 mile radius of LCC.
• How often do students attend their clinical site? The students are at their clinical site three (3) days per week from September to December, four (4) days per week January to May, and five (5) days per week from the end of May to early September.
• What are the prerequisite requirements to get into the sonography program? For a list of admission requirements, check out the Ultrasound Advising Guide available on the HHS Advising Guide site.
• What if I completed BIOL 201 and BIOL 202 instead of BIOL 145? Either BIOL 201/202 or BIOL 145 with a grade of 2.50 or higher is accepted for the DMS program. The DMS program grants additional points toward the selective admission program for a grade 3.5 or higher in BIOL 201/202 or BIOL 145. Completion of BIOL 201 and 202 is recommended for maximum transferability to other health programs and Colleges.
• How many students per year does the ultrasound program accept? We have clinical seats for approximately 20-24 students per year.
• What if I have two (2) classes that meet an area of CORE? The class with the highest grade will be used to calculate your GPA.
• What if I already have a degree; does it waive LCC CORE requirements? Yes, having an Associates degree or higher will waive college CORE classes. Grades associated with those classes will be used to figure GPA in Phase II Ranking. Students must still take MATH 120 or higher or STAT 170 or STAT 215 with a minimum grade of 2.5, BIOL 145 or BIOL 201 and 202 and college physics.
• How do I know if courses will transfer to LCC as prerequisites? To have your transcripts evaluated for transfer credit, previous Colleges must send official transcripts directly to LCC's Registrars Office. The DMS transcript deadline is March 1st, but applicants are encouraged to send official transcripts as soon as possible. Transfer equivalency lists are also available online.
• When should I apply for the sonography program? Our deadline for application is: April 1^st annually. Spring grades are not included when calculating admission points for this program. All courses must be completed by the end of Fall Semester.
• I am a current LCC student. How do I apply? To apply to the program, students must submit an electronic Selective Admissions application and pay the non-refundable $50 application fee. Instructions are on page 2 of the Ultrasound Advising Guide.
• I am not yet an LCC student. How should I apply? If you are not currently and have never been an LCC student, apply to the college online. Applying is FREE!
• How much does the program cost? For a detailed cost sheet visit the DMS section on HHS's Advising Guides site.
• Can I apply to more than one program within Lansing Community College? Yes, students may apply and have their prerequisites monitored for multiple Selective Admission Programs.
• What can I do to gain additional points toward the selective admissions process? Check out the point system in the Ultrasound Advising Guide for ways to gain more points.
• Why do you give additional points in the selective admissions process for previous medical experience or hospital volunteer experience? It makes sense that those students who have had previous medical experience (including volunteering) may have an advantage in the program over those who have no experience. This also gives the candidate an opportunity to see if the medical field is a good fit for them, and if this is something they really want to devote their time and education toward. Sometimes, when a student volunteers, for example, they realize that they are not interested in this field, or they find out that they don't enjoy being around patients who are ill.
• Can I work while completing the sonography program? We do have students who work on a part-time basis. The DMS program is an intense program, so we do not recommend a student to work even part time, especially during the fall semester. We have had students who do work, but they have excellent study habits and a great support system at home that enables them to do so successfully.
• Where can I find specific information regarding policies and procedures for students enrolled in the DMS program? DMS students are given a current DMS Student Handbook (including the Clinical Handbook) during mandatory orientation.  As part of clinical orientation, DMS students are required to participate in group reading and discussion of the entire DMS Student & Clinical Handbooks.
• How does my GPA figure into the selective admission DMS process? We look at the student's GPA for all LCC courses (Core and optional), and we give additional points to a grade 3.5 or higher in anatomy and physiology and physics. Those students who do well—especially in anatomy and physiology typically do well in the field of diagnostic medical sonography and on the national registry boards—www.ardms.org.
• Is there a waiting list to get into the sonography program at LCC? We do not keep a waiting list from year to year. If a student applies to the program and is not accepted, they must contact the Selective Admissions Office to carry over their application for consideration, or to re-apply for the next year by April 1.
• Should I job shadow in the field of general sonography before applying to the program? This is an excellent idea and we do recommend it. By doing this, the student is exposed to what the real life situation in the ultrasound department is, and what sonography really entails. This is a great way to help a student decide if this is really the field and the fit for them career-wise.
• What are the qualities that a student should have to be a good sonographer? The sonographer performs clinical assessment and diagnostic sonography exams. The sonographer uses cognitive sonographic skills to identify, record, and adapt procedures as appropriate to anatomical, pathological, diagnostic information and images. He/she uses independent judgment during the sonographic exam to accurately differentiate between normal and pathologic findings, and analyses sonograms, synthesizes sonographic information and medical history, and communicates findings to the appropriate physician. The sonographer also assumes responsibility for the safety, mental and physical comfort of patients while they are in the sonographer's care.
• What is a sonographer? A Diagnostic Medical Sonographer is a Diagnostic Ultrasound Professional that is qualified by professional credentialing and academic and clinical experience to provide diagnostic patient care services using ultrasound and related diagnostic procedures.
• What are some of the skills necessary to be a sonographer? The following is a list from the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (www.sdms.org):
  • Ability to integrate diagnostic sonograms, laboratory results, patient history and medical records, and adapt sonographic examination as necessary.
  • Ability to use independent judgment to acquire the optimum diagnostic sonographic information in each examination performed.
  • Ability to evaluate, synthesize, and communicate diagnostic information to the attending physician.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with the patient and the health care team, recognizing the special nature of sonographic examinations and patient's needs.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public and health care team.
  • Ability to follow established departmental procedures.
  • Ability to work efficiently and cope with emergency situations.
  • Ability to evaluate sonograms in order to acquire appropriate diagnostic information.
• If I have other questions, whom should I contact? You may contact the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at: 517-483-1410. For more information on this, you may visit the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography website.
• What are the job prospects for the field of sonography? There is currently a national shortage for sonographers as there are in most health care professions and this shortage is expected for the next several years. Locally, there is not a shortage of sonographers currently. There are several accredited DMS programs within a 100 mile radius of Lansing so these area employers have greatly benefited from this pool of DMS graduates.

Institution Name: Lansing Community College
Concentrations CAAHEP Accredited: Abdomen-Extended, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Program Effectiveness Data

Program Effectiveness data is provided by the Program Director and is updated annually.

• American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
  United States Department of Labor
  Bureau of Labor Statistics