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Starting in January 2020, Trinity Health will offer a Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program, a comprehensive, high-quality education program that will graduate competent entry-level sonographers for the healthcare community.

Sonography, or ultrasound, is a diagnostic medical procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to produce images of organs, tissues, or blood flow inside the body. This procedure can be used to examine the abdomen, breasts, female reproductive system, prostate, heart, and blood vessels.

With rapidly developing technologies and increased use of diagnostic sonographic procedures, growth in this profession is projected to continue in the future with employment opportunities for qualified sonographers in a variety of settings nationwide. Sonographers can choose to work in clinics, hospitals, private practice physician offices, public health facilities, laboratories, and other medical settings performing examinations in their ares of specialization.

The mission of the program is to educate and cultivate talented sonographers from the local area, said Amy Hofmann, MBA, RDMS, RT (R) (CT), Program Director of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program.

Trinity Health’s Radiology department has been a clinical training site for many years for two out-of-state ultrasound programs. “With that experience, we’ve developed the confidence that we are a very strong clinical site for those training programs. However, when we have hired these well-trained candidates, they often move back to their home state area after gaining clinical experience here with us, explained Jim Coffin RT (R), CT, ARRT, Director of Radiology. “Our vision is to attract great local students and create excellent sonographers that will likely stay in and around our location. This will be good for Trinity Health, Minot, and our surrounding communities.”

Didactic education will take place in the designated classroom space on the Trinity Health campus, led by Hofmann, and clinical education takes place in the Radiology, Vascular Medicine, and Ob-Gyn departments. State-of-the-art ultrasound scanners are available at various department scanning stations throughout the campus.

Graduates from the 18-month program receive a Certificate in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS). Through a consortium agreement with the Dakota College at Bottineau, students will also receive an Associate of Applied Science from DCB.

Students in this program need to complete college level prerequisite classes prior to acceptance in the sonography program.

Applications for this program are being accepted through early October. “We will be doing interviews with qualified applicants and making acceptance decisions later this fall,” Hofmann said, adding that starting next year, the school will begin to accept applications July through September.

To apply, visit https://www.trinityhealth.org/trinity-health-careers/dmsprogram/.