Diagnostic Medical Sonography Clinical Technical Standards
Listed below are the technical standards identified for students in the Diagnostic Radiology Program, CT Program, MRI Program, and Diagnostic Sonography program. Review each standard and think about your ability to meet the standard 100% or if you are unable to meet the standard, what accommodation may be required.
Physical Requirements
- Bending: Bending body downward, to each side and forward by bending spine at the waist to aid in patient transfer and image production.
- Carrying: Sufficient strength for moderate carrying:
- Physically transporting items from one location to another in the range of 15 – 45 pounds.
- Sufficient strength to wear lead aprons during special imaging examinations.
- Lifting: Sufficient strength for light lifting:
- Raising objects from a higher to a lower position or moving objects horizontally from one position to another (50 pounds)
- Reaching: Sufficient ability to reach above the shoulders and head:
- Extending hands and arms in any direction to manipulate equipment.
- Standing/Walking: Ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time; up to 8 hours.
Sensory Requirements
- Hearing: Sufficient hearing to detect specific noises, proper equipment operation, alarms on patient monitoring equipment, evaluate hemodynamic changes using Doppler and communicate effectively.
- Smell: Be able to detect electrical hazards inherent in medical equipment
- Speech: Verbal communications in English with patient, patient’s family, medical staff, and co-workers face-to-face and electronically.
- Vision: Sufficient vision to read news print, observe patients, manipulate equipment and accessories, evaluate medical images for correlation and quality, and work with computers.
Application Requirements
Motor Coordination: Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to manipulate equipment and accessories and respond promptly to patient needs.
Comprehension:
- The ability to understand and follow instructions and guidelines.
- The ability to understand, remember, and communicate routine factual information.
- The ability to understand complex problems and to collaborate and explore alternative solutions
- The ability to understand technical factors using logarithmic scale and cosine.
Disclaimer
The above statement of criteria is not intended as a complete listing of behaviors required for a diagnostic medical sonography student, but is a sampling of types of abilities needed to meet program objectives and requirements. The DMS Program or its affiliated clinical agencies may identify additional critical behaviors or abilities needed by students to meet program or clinical agency requirements. The Radiologic Sciences Department reserves the right to amend this listing based on the identification of additional standards or criteria for all students.