A medical sonographer and students monitoring the progress of the health and well-being of a mother and her unborn baby.
If you're looking for a career in healthcare where you'll continue to learn and expand your skills, and your work could improve the lives of others, look no further than medical sonography.
A sonographer is a highly skilled medical imaging professional who operates an ultrasound machine to perform diagnostic ultrasound examinations.
You may have met one already – they cover a whole lot of medical scenarios.
For example, ultrasound is the first line of investigation in monitoring the progress of pregnancy, assessing the health and wellbeing of the mother and her unborn baby.
Where do sonographers work?
There is an ever-growing demand for qualified sonographers due to their increasing importance and advances in medical ultrasound technology.
In fact, there's a shortage of sonographers in both Western Australia and Australia*.
As a sonographer, you can work in the private and public sector, alongside Radiologists, Emergency Physicians and other Medical Specialists and health professionals.
You'll be playing a vital role in the diagnosis and management of many health conditions.
There are extensive and diverse career paths in this profession.
Qualified sonographers can specialise in many areas, including:
- Obstetrics/Gynaecology – assessing pregnancy and the female reproductive system
- Musculoskeletal – assessing joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones
- Vascular – assessing quality of blood flow
- Paediatrics – assessing diseases of childhood and adolescence
And you have other possible career choices in sports, sales, marketing, and education as well as the possibility of self-employment and consultancy work.
How can you get started?
One university in Western Australia has introduced two medical sonography courses.
At Edith Cowan University you can study a Bachelor of Preclinical Foundations of Imaging Science to get your career underway.
And yes, that's a really long title but hopefully – maybe for you – it'll lead to an equally long and satisfying career.
The bachelor's degree is a pre-requisite for studying the postgraduate Diploma of Medical Sonography, a course starting in 2027.
Completing both courses will allow you to register as a medical sonographer with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.
An introduction to studying medical sonography at ECU (3 mins)
*Source: Skills Priority List - see jobsandskills.gov.au (January 2024)
