| Daily Tasks |
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Echocardiography (echo) is the use of ultrasound to assess the anatomy of the heart and blood vessels. A cardiac sonographer performs approximately six echoes per day on patients. Findings are reported to the physician in charge and patient data is entered in the computer system. A typical day involves reviewing the patient's history, performing the echo examination along with blood pressure and presenting the echo findings to the physician and other allied health staff. Sonographers also help teach student sonographers and medical residents-in-training and are expected to continually learn new technology and disease processes.
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| Skills/Talents |
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Must be organized and able to function independently. Must possess strong human relation and communication skills. Ability to accurately document patient information.
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| Work Setting |
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Clinic and hospital settings. A cardiac sonographer also may travel to smaller clinics and hospitals in the surrounding region.
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| Work Hours |
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Day shifts: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., with some overtime, Monday through Friday. On-call rotation several times per year for one week at a time.
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| Education |
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Successful completion of an accredited cardiac ultrasound program or a minimum of two years' recent experience in cardiac sonography. Mayo has an accredited program in the Mayo School of Health Sciences.
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| Qualifications |
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Basic life support (BLS) training is mandatory, as is registration in the field of cardiac sonography.
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| Recommended High School Classes |
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college prep, computer applications, anatomy/physiology, advanced math, and advanced sciences (biology and chemistry)
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| Minnesota Median Salary |
| $32.85/hour ($68,591/yr) |
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