diagnostic medical sonographer

National Occupational Classification Number: 3216

OCCUPATION INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW:

What are the requirements for internationally educated Diagnostic Medical Sonographers?

There is no licensing authority to regulate the profession of Diagnostic Medical Sonography in Alberta. Registration is not a requirement to work in Alberta unless it is required by an employer. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to be aware of employer expectations regarding registration.

To be registered, internationally educated Diagnostic Medical Sonographers must:

  1. Apply to the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Applicants must meet the educational and experience requirements as well as successfully complete a series of certification exams.
  2. Apply to the Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP).  Applicants must have successfully completed the ARDMS examination process prior to applying to CARDUP.
  3. Submit all the required documents (found on the CARDUP website) and pay the assessment fee. Documents that are not in English must be translated by an official translator. The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta provides translation services.

Note: applicants must have graduated from a full time formal training program. Full-time is defined as 1680 hours/year.

What are the educational requirements for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in Alberta?

(Note: Licensing bodies compare international education and experience to Canadian standards)

In Alberta, accredited training programs for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers are offered by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary. Both institutions offer a 28 month diploma program. 


Additional Occupational Information

For more information on occupational duties and wages, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service at www.alis.gov.ab.ca and search for Diagnostic Medical Sonographer under occupational information.

What information resources are available for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in Alberta?

Alberta Diagnostic Sonographers Association (ADSA)
website: www.ultrasound.ca

American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS)
website: www.ardms.org

Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP)
website: www.cardup.org

Canadian Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
website: http://www.csdms.com/

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA)
website: www.hsaa.ca

                                                                                                                       Last Updated: November 2009