Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for a PDF version of the FAQ

How do I apply for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program?

• Complete a general Tri-C admissions application, either online or at any campus Enrollment Center, if you are not a current Tri-C student.
• Submit transcripts from all previously attended colleges to the Enrollment Processing Center (P.O. Box 5966, Cleveland, OH 44101). Your school may also send your official transcripts electronically to the Registrar's Office. Transcript evaluation takes a few weeks. To view transferred classes, run a Degree Works report in my Tri-C space.
  • The program director and counselors cannot officially evaluate transcripts from other schools.
  • Check online  or at transferology.com to see if a certain course transfers equally for the one you intend it to replace.
• Take the biology, English and math placement tests if you do not have any college-level English, chemistry or math courses or an acceptable ACT or SAT score in math or English.
• Make an appointment to meet with a counselor. Arrive on time so that they can help you decide which courses to register for in the upcoming semester. Get information about financial assistance, as there will be very little time for you to be employed while in the program.
• Review the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program packet.
• Complete the required admission courses and shadowing requirements. The following courses must be completed before being accepted to the DMS program:           

Required Admission Courses

When scheduling or while in the admission courses, keep the following in mind:

• Take into consideration that some courses have prerequisite or corequisite requirements.
• DMS-1320 is only offered in spring semester due to lab space availability.
• Biology and math requirements should be scheduled early in your course plan; delaying them delays your application from being complete.
• You may decide to take MATH-1240 due to personal preference or financial and time considerations. If so, you must take another placement test after MATH-1240 and earn an appropriate score to enroll in MATH-1410 or MATH-1530 in order to be allowed to register for DMS-1071.
• Health Career programs do not accept Pass/No Pass grades for admission courses taken at Tri-C. A letter grade of C or better must be achieved.
• Only two of the admission courses (listed in table above) may be repeated once to improve from a previous attempt. A "W" is counted as an attempt.
  
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA for DMS-1303, DMS-1320 and DMS-1071 (5 credits total).
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA for BIO-2331 and BIO-2341 (8 credits total).
• Admission GPAs are calculated using only the Tri-C specific admission course credit hours listed.
• If you transferred in college courses, such as English, math, physics, psychology or anatomy and physiology, you will need an override to register for the some of the admission courses. Contact a counselor or program director to request the override and provide them your Tri-C student ID number and the course section number (CRN).
  • Only the credit hours attached to the required Tri-C equivalents are used to calculate admission GPAs, regardless of the number of credits accepted for the transfer course.
• There are no time limits for required courses; due to their importance, course content is built upon (not reviewed) in the remaining program courses.
• Minimum Tri-C cumulative GPA of 2.4 must be maintained during the entire length of the program.
• Schedule an 8-16 hour “shadowing” experience with a hospital. Information is in the DMS program packet. If you want to do your shadowing at a Cleveland Clinic Health System hospital in a General Sonography department, contact Amy Graska at amgras@ccf.org or 440-695-4297 for assistance.

Due to the pandemic, area hospitals will not be scheduling students for a shadowing experience through the rest of the 2020 calendar year.

• Complete the online DMS application.
  ALL applicants must apply for the DMS program through this new system, even if they have already submitted an application to the Health Careers Enrollment Center. 
  
  Effective July 31, 2020, the DMS program application is available online only. Please wait to apply until after successfully completing both BIO-2331 and DMS 1320. The new process will send you an email indicating your progress, missing requirements and an acceptance letter as you continue to progress through the coursework. Click here to access the new online application. You will need to log in to my Tri-C space to access the form.
  
  

When are the admission courses offered?

Most admission courses are offered every semester at Tri-C. Many offer both day and evening class times; a few offer virtual classes. DMS-specific admission courses are only offered at the Western Campus. DMS-1320, Introduction to Scanning, is only offered spring semester due to lab availability.

Can I take the admission courses closer to my home/work?

Many of the admission courses can be taken at other campuses. If the location is not a Tri-C campus, check online at transferology.com to see if the course transfers equally for the one you intend it to replace. Keep in mind that very few colleges offer courses that are equivalent to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography-specific admission courses.

Where is the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program located?

The DMS program is housed at the Western Campus in Parma. Because of the expense of the scanning lab equipment and space requirements, all DMS courses are offered only at this campus.

What specialty areas does the program offer?

There are several areas of specialization in the field of sonography, and individuals must choose one when applying to the program. Tri-C is CAAHEP-accredited for the following specialty options:

• General sonography
  • Abdominal: Sonographic evaluation of the organs of the abdominal cavity (i.e., liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, aorta), blood vessels and superficial structures.
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology: Sonographic evaluation of the female reproductive system and pelvic cavity (i.e., uterus, ovaries, pregnancy).  
• Adult cardiac sonography: Sonographic evaluation of the adult anatomy and blood flow of the heart, its valves and related blood vessels
• Vascular technology: Sonographic evaluation of the blood flow of peripheral, cerebral and abdominal blood vessels (i.e., carotid arteries, deep leg veins, renal arteries)

Which specialty should I choose?

This is really a matter of personal choice and interest. Some students pursue a specialty because of their interest in that organ/body system, while others select a field because a friend or family member has had health issues with that body system. Applicants unsure of which specialty option to pursue are encouraged to contact the ultrasound lab, the echo lab and the vascular lab at a hospital and arrange to shadow a sonographer in each of the specialties to gain insight as to how each specialty differs. Remember to bring your shadowing form with you. Directions, tips and form are available in the DMS program packet.  

Applicants should research employment opportunities and trends. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics is an excellent resource, as are human resources departments at area hospitals.

What is the typical salary for a diagnostic medical sonographer?

The typical starting range for a new sonography graduate in the Greater Akron/Cleveland area ranges from $28 to $30 per hour. Often, sonographers take call and work overtime hours; annual earnings reflect this as an increase to their income.

How soon can I begin the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program?

The DMS program starts each fall semester. The number of students accepted for each class year is determined by the number of students each of the program’s hospital/clinical affiliates take for a clinical experience. Each clinical site typically takes only one student per semester. Annual class size varies from 32-48 students.

This limited enrollment capacity means that not all who apply can be accepted each year. Qualified candidates not immediately accommodated will be placed on a delayed entry list (commonly referred to as the "waitlist") for the next program start. This list is dynamic; candidates are notified and moved up as vacancies occur. Only applicants who complete all admission requirements and meet the admission GPAs are placed on the waitlist.

A criminal background check with fingerprinting is required prior to final acceptance into the program. The program director informs students as to when to get this completed. Only background check reports performed during the specific timeframe and from the College-selected vendor are accepted. Students can also expect clinical sites to request drug testing.

After acceptance into the program, and before clinical assignment in the second semester, applicants must submit evidence of good health by fulfilling DMS program health requirements and verifying current CPR certification for Health Care Providers. Students will be dropped from the program if significant limiting health conditions are present that prevent the student from performing the normal functions of a sonographer and/or constitute a hazard to the health or safety of patients.

When do I find out if I'm accepted?

Only applicants with complete application files (proof of all graded coursework, shadowing form and required GPAs) will receive a letter of tentative acceptance. This email letter is sent out approximately two weeks after final course grades are entered. The email will contain information regarding further actions and any necessary program correspondence.

What other courses should I take while waiting for my Fall program start date? 

First, check with financial aid to make sure that courses you take now do not interfere with your financial aid eligibility now or while in the program. It's often best to complete all other non-DMS coursework required in the curriculum sequence (such as ENG, HTEC, MA and PSY). Once those are completed, be sure to check if it is required for your chosen specialty: DMS-1381 or DMS-2330.

In addition, consider continuing your studies in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Tri-C offers several transfer options for Health Career students. Some of these involve considerable cost savings by taking courses at Tri-C that are accepted by the four-year institution. Your counselor can provide information as to available institutions and their contact information.

What clinical sites are available?

The DMS program has affiliation agreements with nearly every hospital in Cuyahoga and the surrounding nine counties. The program extends as far east as Lake Health and south to Canton’s Mercy and Aultman Hospitals. Throughout the program, you will most likely have three different clinical site rotations. Your site is selected for you based on educational needs and accreditation-required experiences.

How much does the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program cost?

The table below provides the estimated total expenses you should budget for to attain a two-year associate degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography from Tri-C. The College requires payment arrangements at the time of course registration. Every student’s situation is different, and cost can vary depending on the following:

• Number of pertinent transferred courses (this would lower the total estimate)             
• Placement test scores (placement in a lower-level course will increase the total estimate)              
• Number of credit hours that semester                  
• New, used or rented texts                
• County of residence

Estimate of Program Expenses (assumes all courses taken at Tri-C after Aug. 27, 2019)

Is financial aid/assistance available?

Students may qualify for federal or state programs and some Health Career-specific grants or scholarships once admitted to the program. Contact Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at 216-987-5100 or go online for information on these resources.

Additional sources can be obtained from the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (sdms.org), the American Society of Echocardiography (ASEcho.org) and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (svunet.org).

Where can I find any additional requirements or rules specific to the DMS program?

Review the DMS Program Handbook for further information. Students are encouraged to read this document so they will be aware of the high expectations and demands of the DMS program as they prepare to become professional sonographers.

What kind of course schedule can I expect and prepare for?

The DMS associate degree programs are cohort-style and start each fall semester. Courses are offered mostly during the day, are taken in a specific order, and must be completed in five consecutive semesters. There is no opportunity to accelerate through the curriculum in fewer than five semesters, even with previous coursework and experience; nor can a student register for courses to fit their personal schedule as they would for other college degrees. Students must follow the prescribed course offering schedule.

Due to the level of difficulty, intensity and required amount of studies, the DMS program requires a full-time commitment. Clinical hours and on-campus class hours consist of 36-40 hours per week. Clinical hours (field experience courses) take place during the day at the hospitals. On-campus lectures are usually in the daytime; however, some courses are only in the evening. Students usually have weekends free for study or practice. Students may choose to work on a part-time basis; however, work hours are not to interfere with course hours. Nearly all students find that concurrent employment involves the ultimate sacrifice of their personal time.

To view the DMS program semester day/time schedule, download the Print Version of Frequently Asked Questions. Changes to this schedule may be made to meet program needs or adjust to new scheduling time blocks.