Programs

Overview

In the accelerated Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, students can earn a bachelor's degree in just 36 months. Students can follow a general or echocardiography track.

Program Highlights

• Full-time, 36-month accelerated program
• Direct-entry admission for first-year students and transfer students
• Fall semester start
• Two tracks: General and Echocardiography
• Clinical opportunities in some of the most prestigious medical facilities in the Boston area
• Graduates eligible to sit for registration by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Program Details

DMS uses sound waves (ultrasound) to produce two-dimensional, three-dimensional and four-dimensional dynamic images of tissue, organs, abdominal and pelvic structures and blood flow inside the human body for the diagnosis of various medical conditions. The sonographer, a highly skilled advanced imaging specialist, uses sophisticated equipment in order to master the art of scanning. Sonographers work closely with physicians to provide accurate detection of disease and the highest-quality patient care.

MCPHS is the only college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to offer both the bachelor and postbaccalaureate degrees with multiple diagnostic medical specializations in a single program.

The DMS program offers two options: a full-time, accelerated three year course of study, and a full-time, 24-month post baccalaureate option for those holding a prior bach­elor's degree.

Echocardiography 
The comprehensive curriculum for the echocardiography track includes:

• Fetal
• Pediatric
• Adult echocardiography
• Vascular

The MCPHS graduate is well-suited to work in several DMS specialties and, with the BS degree, has the comprehensive education required to become a leader in the profession.

Professional Registration
The educational standards of this program are based on the SDMS National Educational Curriculum. Graduates will be eligible for the national registry examination offered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) under category 3.

Curriculum

Year I-Fall

Year I-Spring

Year I-Summer

NOTE: The above courses are prerequisite to entry into the professional phase of the DMS program. The student must earn a minimum grade of "C" in BIO 110/210, CHE 110/210, MAT 141, and PHY 181. Medical Terminology is integrated into the professional phase and thus is not a course requirement.

Professional Phase: Echocardiography Track For 3-Year First BS Degree

Year II-Fall

Year II-Spring

Year II-Summer

Year III-Fall

Year III-Spring

Year III-Summer

Total credits to complete degree requirements: 129 s.h.

Facilities

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) provides facilities that contribute to the overall learning experience, including state-of-the-art laboratories specially designed for skill-building and patient assessment in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Sciences.

A new sonography lab has been designed with 12 bays surrounding a central teaching/demonstration area, multiple workstations, PACS system and 17 sonography equipments: five cardiovascular units, five general sonography units and seven portable emergency sonography units. All of the major units are state-of-the-art and equipped with 3D/4D technology.

The location of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, as well as its affiliations with premier medical institutions located in the greater Boston area, enable students to learn in health care institutions that are among the best in the world.

Clinical Rotations

A number of clinical rotations in the required curriculum may be scheduled at some distance from the campus. This is necessary to provide a range of diverse learning experiences and ensure availability and quality of clinical rotation sites. The College makes every effort to accommodate requests regarding assignments to experiential education sites, but students generally can expect to be assigned to clinical sites at some distance from the campus for at least a portion of their required clinical rotations. In such instances, students are responsible for transportation and other related travel expenses.

NOTICE ON CLINICAL ROTATIONS AND BACKGROUND SCREENINGS
For some of MCPHS's programs placements in clinical rotations at health care providers are a required part of the MCPHS curriculum. Some of those health care providers require background screenings and a conviction for a criminal offense might present an issue. It is possible that certain types of criminal convictions, whether prior to being a student at MCPHS or while attending MCPHS, could preclude a student from being able to complete a required clinical rotation. If you have any questions, please contact the MCPHS Chief Compliance Officer.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program at MCPHS is to prepare graduates to perform duties of entry-level sonographers in delivering high quality healthcare, preserving the dignity of every patient by providing compassion and care of the highest standard. DMS graduates will possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and values of their profession and the capacity to collaborate in a teamwork environment.

Goals

Provide a new degree program for students who are interested in diagnosticimaging as an alternative to the radiologic sciences.

• Provide a new degree program for students who are interested in diagnostic imaging as an alternative to the radiologic sciences.
• Provide a comprehensive sonography education in two accelerated programs General Sonography and Echocardiography.
• Provide a comprehensive bachelor degree experience to encourage graduates to be future leaders in the sonography profession.
• Provide BS programs in general or cardiovascular DMS.
• Provide a BS in DMS pathway for graduates considering the advanced sonography curriculum of the Clinical Sonography Specialist (CSS). 

Accreditation 

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is authorized to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health sciences and related fields. MCPHS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. 

For Transfers

MCPHS welcomes students from other institutions. Any applicant to MCPHS who has completed at least one semester of college coursework (12 credits or more) is considered to be a transfer applicant. Students who have been out of high school for more than two years are strongly encouraged to take math and science courses at another accredited college or university and then to apply for transfer to MCPHS.

The transfer requirements may be different for different MCPHS programs. To find the requirements for transferring into this program, please click the link below.

Transfer Requirements for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) (BS) (Boston)