The field of sonography is dynamic and growing, which means staying on top of the best resources will be a crucial career move. Like all medical careers, a career in sonography means ever changing technologies and practices, and the sonographer striving for excellence in their field must stay abreast of all of these. The resources listed below will help students of sonography and experienced sonographers do just that.

Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography: This academic journal produces an issue every other month on current topics in sonography. Topics center on the latest diagnostic techniques and methods of interpretation and the issues include relevant, thought-provoking case studies, up to date research, and information on cutting edge sonographic technologies. It covers a variety of sonography specialties including the following: obstetrics, gynecology, abdomen, breast sonography, ophthalmology, and echocardiography. Recent issues have covered differing uses of contrast agents, imaging techniques and comparisons of different imaging techniques and job outlook. While content is not free, the site does allow users to browse through issues and pay per article after reading a summary to see which articles are most helpful for them.

The Association for Medical Ultrasound: This membership website includes a career center where sonographic job seekers can begin their career. The site also has communities for different specializations and interests and case studies that allow sonographers can practice image analysis and compare their results with other sonographers on the site. More benefits are available for site members.

American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography: A non-profit site that administers tests and certifications for various aspects of sonography careers, including medical sonographer, cardiac sonographer and vascular technologist. The site provides preparation for the certification tests and other resources for students and sonographers alike. As a nationally recognized certification program, its resources are reputable and its certifications are meaningful.

History of Ultrasound Forums: These forums are a collaborative work that includes historical articles, images and interviews and a polybiography. This is a mine of useful information for anyone interested in the development of ultrasound and how its practices grew into today’s ultrasound practice. Students and current practitioners alike will find this information helpful and interesting.

Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography: This is another membership site for all ultrasound professionals, but, like the others, includes a wealth of information that is available for non-members as well. The site has a job outlook section and a resource section. The job outlook section includes salary information and how the career field is expected to grow. This society produces the Journal for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, noted above.

The Fetal Medicine Foundation: This professional foundation offers training in first trimester fetal ultrasound screening, which it says are based on the following six markers: nuchal translucency, nasal bone, tricuspid flow, ductus venosus, facial angle and uterine artery PI. The site actually offers a free online course that covers the basics of first trimester screening, which includes diagnosis of fetal defects and screening of preeclampsia and chromosomal problems. This free course includes online video lectures and a downloadable pdf text for study. It is offered in 20 different languages and has a version for patients and a separate version for medical professionals. The site offers a complete overview of their accreditation process and their newsletter includes information on their courses as well as technical articles about screening practices. A section for patients offers information on how to obtain a screening and statistics on screening for Down syndrome.

The Society for Vascular Ultrasound: Like the Association for Medical Ultrasound, this site includes a job section, where sonographers looking for work can find listings of employment opportunities across the country. Members can access the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound, which non-members can also access article-by-article for a fee. The journal includes scholarly articles, book reviews, practice reviews and information on certification tests. This site also includes an informative news section where sonographers can see up-to-date information on the field and relevant legislation and political movements that can impact sonography. Their advocacy section has information on healthcare reform and state licensure.

Remember that most of the resources listed above include their own resource pages as well. Medical sonography is a technology-dependent career field, which means that practitioners have to deal with rapid practice changes as technology advances occur. Every sonographer should familiarize themselves with professional resources that will enable them to stay abreast of these changes and how these changes impact sonography practice. Even apart from rapidly changing technology, all medical professionals have an ethical responsibility to ensure that they are always learning from new research and giving patients the most effective, scientifically sound care. The resources above offer a way for beginning and experienced sonographers alike to ensure that their practice stays with the times and continues to move forward.