Certificate Information

Successful completion of this certificate will prepare the student for the national certification exam in Vascular Sonography administered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.

Contact Information for Department of Sonography

Admissions Criteria

Qualified applicants must be one of the following:

• A graduate of a CAAHEP accredited sonography program
• A sonographer registered through ARDMS, ARRT, or CCI seeking additional ARDMS credentials

Acceptance is also based on clinical site availability.

Progression/Completion Requirements

All students enrolled in the Vascular Sonography Certificate must achieve a “C” or better in all courses within the plan of study to progress through the program. A student who fails to achieve a grade of “C” or better in any course within the plan of study must see the Program Director. The Vascular Sonography Certificate must be completed within two years from the date of enrollment in the first course.

The grading scale for the program is:

The certificate will take three semesters to complete. The certificate is set up to allow for additional Directed Practice courses to meet competency requirements, if needed.

Upon successful completion of the certificate courses, the CV form required by the ARDMS will be signed by the Sonography Program Director.

Health Requirements

Documentation of the following must be provided by the student by the given deadline date. This deadline is strictly enforced. Getting the necessary testing completed is not enough, students must also submit the documentation to the Clinical Educator Coordinator to be in compliance.

The following are clinical health requirements for students enrolled in the Vascular Sonography Certificate:

Annual Physical Examination - $50

Proof of Immunity or Exposure to the following Communicable Diseases:

• ​Rubella, Rubeola (not required if born prior to 1957), and Varicella - $25
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigen or Antibody - $40 each

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, no more than three months prior to the beginning of the series, or during the series if the series has been started but not completed.

Hepatitis B Antibody if the series is complete upon entrance to the medical imaging department.

Immunizations:

• ​Tetanus/Diphtheria with a booster required every ten years, date required. - $24
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella titre (MMR) - $25 each

Dates of two immunizations after the age of 1 year. However, if rubella and rubeola titers are positive for immunity, 2 dates are not required.

• Hepatitis B, series of 3 immunizations, dates required. - $150 total

Students are responsible to submit the date of each of the 3 immunizations as soon as each dose is administered and to ensure that the series is completed in the proper time frame. There should be no more or no less than 1 month between the first and second injection and no more or no less than 5 months between the second and third injection. Failure to adhere to the required time frame for each immunization may result in additional lab testing, and in some cases, restarting the entire immunization series.

Students who do not receive the series must sign a waiver form, have a Hepatitis Surface Antigen test yearly and submit the results.

Tuberculosis Skin Testing:

• ​A Two-Step PPD (Mantoux Test) is required every three years. - $25
• One-Step PPD is required each year, in the intervening years. - $15

Date test administered, date read, and result of each step must be submitted. Students are responsible for getting a One-Step PPD annually and submitting the results. A Chest X-Ray is required only if the Mantoux is positive. X-Rays must be done for three consecutive years after the positive test.

10-Panel Drug Screen yearly. - $40

CPR - $80

All students must be certified in CPR either through the American Heart Association (AHA) - Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers or the American Red Cross - certification for Health Science Professionals.

All costs are the responsibility of the student. Failure to comply will result in denied access to the clinical area.​

Background Checks Requirements

All students entering the Vascular Sonography certificate are required to have a completed a background check through the Department of Public Safety at Owens Community College. Students will be notified when it is time to complete this requirement.

Clinical Experience

This certificate is offered in cooperation with many area Sonography departments. The use of multiple clinical sites provides equity in clinical education as students have the opportunity to utilize many types of sonographic equipment and to participate in a wide variety of sonographic procedures. Students are required to complete 500 hours of clinical education. Students may be required to complete additional clinical time to meet competency requirements. Students should note that there may be travel requirements of up to 60 miles, possibly more, from the Owens State Community College Toledo-area campus for the clinical site rotations.

- view Clinical Affiliations      

Acceptance is based on clinical site availability. If requested, the Program Director (or their designee) will work with the perspective student to acquire additional clinical sites. A signed affiliation agreement is required for clinical placement. Perspective students should be aware that the process to complete signed affiliation agreements can take several months.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Owens Community College maintains an Office of Student Financial Services on each campus. The Office of Student Financial Services is the place for you to ask questions related to financial aid. Contact: 1-800-GO OWENS ext. 2387 or (567) 661-2387 Email: studentfinancial@owens.edu.

Scholarships may be available through professional organizations. Please check the following link for further information:

• The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), www.ardms.org
• The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), www.sdms.org