This program is currently under review and changes to program design and delivery are expected for August 2021. Please continue to check the program webpage for updated information.
Description
Diagnostic Medical Sonography, also known as Ultrasound, is a technology involving the application of high-frequency sound waves on patients to aid in medical diagnoses. As part of the patient care team, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers assess patients and provide information to physicians for diagnoses and monitoring patients' health statuses.
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program prepares students, through theoretical and clinical training, to conduct Ultrasound examinations, focusing on areas such as obstetrics and gynecology, abdomen and superficial structures, and vascular sonographic studies. This content is cross-referenced to the national competency profile set up by Sonography Canada.
This is a specialized profession requiring a high degree of technical skills and hand eye coordination, and exceptional interpersonal skills.
As part of training, students will perform scans on each other therefore all students must be agreeable to participate in scanning procedures.
Sonography Canada administers the Canadian credentials. To be eligible for the Canadian credential, graduates must successfully complete both the Sonography Canada's Canadian Clinical Skills Assessment (CCSA) and the Sonography Canada written exam. All the costs for the Canadian credential are the responsibility of the graduate (approximately $700 CDN).
Your application will be cancelled without a refund of the non-refundable/non-transferable application fee if you apply:
This is a special selection program. Offers of admittance will be made based on Multiple Mini Interviews results in descending order until all available seats are filled. Therefore, not all applicants who meet admission requirements will be offered a seat. Applicants who meet admission requirements but do not receive an offer of admittance may reapply for a future academic year by submitting a new application and application fee.
Annual application deadline: January 15
We require verification of your complete academic history including any public or private high school, college, university, or technical institutions you have attended.
Post-secondary transcripts must have been issued within 6 months prior to your application date, and submitted in a sealed envelope directly from the post-secondary institution.
If you are required to complete an English language assessment, do not submit your transcripts until requested to do so. See Regular Admission Requirement 4 for more information.
Admission Requirements
Program Progression Requirements
Program progression requirements are not due within 30 days of applying. These requirements have expiration dates and should be completed close to your program start date. Further information will be provided by the College at a later date.
All Allied Health programs have Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) as part of their admission process.
In an MMI, applicants will complete a 1.5 hour circuit of approximately eight, 10-minute mini-interview stations, rotating from station to station. At each station, candidates will be presented with a ‘scenario’ or question. They will then have the opportunity to discuss with an interviewer before proceeding to the next station.
MMI utilizes multiple stations where each station is comprised of a scenario designed to evaluate a candidate’s core traits/competencies critical to success in health care professions. This includes competencies such as problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, responsibility, ethical and moral judgement, self-awareness, conflict resolution and management skills. Applicants have essentially 7 to 8 minutes to respond. Once completed, the interviewer rates the applicant in predetermined areas using a rubric and rating scale. In the end, the scores from all stations are totaled for an overall score for each applicant. Applicants are then ranked accordingly and offered a seat in the program.
Applicants who have applied to more than one AHS program will only participate in one Multiple Mini Interview session.
Recently, the Prime Minister of Canada raised the issue of deterrent fees (a small charge, say $10, which everyone who initiates a visit to a health professional would have to pay at the first contact) as a way to control health care costs. The assumption is that this will deter people from visiting their doctor for unnecessary reasons.
Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will save health care costs? At what expense?
Discuss this issue with the interviewer.
Being a healthcare practitioner is a moral undertaking, and our admission process aims to admit students:
The Academic Success Centre offers optional Workshop/Information Sessions for the MMI during the month of March. Information about the workshop is emailed to applicants.
Please note:
Any applicant requiring accommodation for a documented disability for the MMI must notify the Allied Health Sciences Department in writing 5 business days prior to the first interview date at ahsadmissions@rrc.ca. Complete documentation must be provided to support the request.
| English Language Assessment | Minimum Required Levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L - Listening, S - Speaking, R - Reading, W - Writing | L | S | R | W |
| CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| CanTEST
(Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees)
RRC Institutional or Official CanTEST accepted EXCEPT for the Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) program. The MLS program requires the Official CanTEST (the RRC Institutional CanTEST will not be accepted). | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Communication for Health Professionals
(RRC Pathway)
Canadian Citizens: LINC programs are not available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Communication for Internationally Educ Health Prof
(RRC Pathway)
Canadian Citizens: LINC programs are not available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| IELTS - Academic (International English Language Testing System) | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL-iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet Based Test) | 24 | 23 | 24 | 27 |
You may be interested in a career in Ultrasound - Diagnostic Medical Sonography if you:
When working in the health care profession, there are many physical and emotional demands. As a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, you must:
Additionally, you may:
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame Campus | Aug 31, 2020 | Apply now |
Red River College is a participating institution in the HigherEdPoints program. Through this program, students are able to convert Aeroplan® Miles and TD Points into funds to help cover their tuition. Family members and friends can also contribute to a student’s education by converting their loyalty points - anyone can donate their points to an individual student.
Visit the HigherEdPoints website for more information about the program and/or to set up an account to convert your points.
A clear understanding of interprofessional relationships is necessary for effective patient care in the clinical setting. Interprofessional education will develop the learners’ understanding of their role and the role of other professions in the health care team. The course covers topics such as health sciences professions, collaboration, consultation, team-building, and developing partnerships through active presentations, discussion, and interaction between all students registered in programs of the department of Allied Health Sciences.
A clear understanding of interprofessional relationships is necessary for effective patient care in the clinical setting. Interprofessional education will develop the learners’ understanding of their role and the role of other professions in the health care team. The course covers topics such as health sciences professions, collaboration, consultation, team-building, and developing partnerships through active presentations, discussion, and interaction between all students registered in programs of the department of Allied Health Sciences.
This course is a self-study course. The course focuses on study of prefixes, suffixes, combining forms from which medical terms are derived. Medical abbreviations are also included.
This course introduces abdominal sonography and abdominal scan technique. It is designed to enable to the student to recognize and understand the normal anatomy, physiology, and sonographic appearance of the great vessels, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and adrenals. Pancreatic pathology will also be introduced.
This course introduces the physics and instrumentation relevant to the safe and effective practice of diagnostic medical sonography. The following topics will be covered: sonographic terminology, the physics of sound, pulsed ultrasound, sound amplitude, power and intensity, sound attenuation, the interaction of sound in tissue, diagnostic ultrasound transducers, ultrasound sound beams and focusing, spatial and temporal resolution, real-time scanning and real-time timing, and ultrasound instrumentation.
This course will begin with an introduction to the basic principles of gynecological and obstetrical ultrasound. The normal female pelvis and menstrual cycle will be introduced, followed by an overview of abnormalities to the female reproductive tract including pathology and congenital anomalies. Various miscellaneous topics of sonographic interest including IUCDs and infertility will also be discussed. Obstetrical topics covered will include normal early pregnancy as well as fetal posture.
These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-1003 DMS
Techniques Laboratory 1, ULTR-2003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 2, and ULTR-3003
DMS Techniques Laboratory 3.
This lab course will introduce basic principles of ultrasound scanning. The course will cover abdominal vessels, pancreas, biliary system, liver, kidneys, bladder, spleen, female and male pelvis, history taking, as well as ergonomics.
These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-2003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 2 and ULTR-3003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 3, as well as the clinical practicum.
This is an introductory course to vascular ultrasound. It will introduce the student to ultrasound investigation of the carotid arteries and the peripheral veins. This course is NOT designed to prepare the student to pass the certification exams in Vascular Ultrasound (either Sonography Canada or ARDMS). These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-2003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 2 and ULTR-3003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 3, as well as clinical practicum.
This clinical course will apply all the skills learned in DMS techniques Laboratory 1, 2, and 3, as well as all didactic knowledge obtained in terms 1, 2 and 3 to a clinical setting.
The focus in Term 4 is to build on the theoretical knowledge and practical skills learned in the didactic phase of the program and to apply them in a clinical setting. The main focus of this course will be introduction to scanning patients and visualizing pathology previously learned didactically. It will also reinforce and strengthen patient care skills, history taking, writing technical impressions, presenting cases to a radiologist, and overall patient management.
This course is designed to develop the student’s awareness and demonstration of safety practices when performing ultrasound exams and transporting equipment. It will identify the principles and application of Routine Practices, Medical Techniques, patient care, patient transfers, cultural awareness, and ethics and professionalism as per Sonography Canada.
This course builds upon the material in
ULTR-1000. It is designed to enable to the student to recognize and
understand the sonographic appearance of pathologies of the liver, portal
system, spleen, kidneys, bladder, scrotum, prostate, retroperitoneum, adrenals,
GI tract, thyroid, parathyroid, and salivary glands.
This course builds upon the content in ULTR-1001 covering the physics and instrumentation relevant to the safe and effective practice of diagnostic medical sonography. Specific topics covered included Instrumentation, Doppler, Artifacts, Quality Assurance, and Bioeffects.
This course will expand on the topics introduced in ULTR-1002 Obstetrical & Gynecological Sonography 1. Topics covered will normal fetus, normal extra-fetal anatomy, biometry and fetal growth, pregnancy failure, ectopic pregnancy, and abnormal fetus. These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-2003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 2, and ULTR-3003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 3.
This lab course will introduce basic principles of ultrasound scanning. The course will cover thyroid, scrotum, early obstetrics, late obstetrics, as well as an introduction to vascular examinations such as lower extremity venous scanning and carotid ultrasound. These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-3003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 3, as well as clinical practicum.
This course builds upon ULTR-1004. It will focus on the pathologies of the extracranial arteries and the peripheral veins. This course is NOT designed to prepare the student to pass the certification exams in Vascular Ultrasound (either Sonography Canada or ARDMS).
This clinical course will apply all the skills learned in DMS Clinical Practicum 1, lab techniques, and all Didactic knowledge obtained in the college and continue to apply them in a clinical setting.
The course will cover all the topics covered in DMS Clinical Practicum 1. The main component of this course will be building on the skills in DMS Clinical Practicum 1 such as: scanning, pathology, taking a patient history, writing technologist impressions, presenting case to a radiologist, and dealing with patients and their family.
This course is designed to complement the material taught in Term 1 and provide the students with tools/techniques they can utilize in their hospital training and future roles as sonographers. The content in this course will cover Department communication procedures and how to handle an emergency situation; Differing hospital codes; Aseptic techniques; Geriatrics and Pediatrics; Communication skills; Sensitive practices; Recognizing signs of sexual abuse, Ethics and Professionalism as per Sonography Canada.
This course builds upon the material in ULTR-1000 and
ULTR-2000. It is designed to enable to the student to recognize and
understand the sonographic appearance of the normal anatomy and pathologies of
the breast, abdominal wall, chest, diaphragm and abdominal vessels.
This course will expand on the topics introduced in ULTR-2002 Obstetrical & Gynecological Sonography 2. Topics covered will be extra-fetal abnormalities, multiple pregnancy, maternal disorders affecting pregnancy, antepartum fetal assessment, and prenatal diagnosis. These topics will be reinforced in ULTR-3003 DMS Techniques Laboratory 3.
This lab course will cover an introduction to breast
ultrasound, arm veins, appendix and advanced abdominal skills. The course will
also focus on final preparation for the clinical rotations with an emphasis on
professionalism and guidance on writing technologist impressions and presenting
cases to a radiologist. These topics will be reinforced in clinical practicum
1.
This clinical course will apply all the skills learned in DMS Clinical Practicum 1 & 2, lab techniques, and all Didactic knowledge obtained in the college and continue to apply them in a clinical setting.
The main component of this course will be focused on scanning as a sonographer, integrating all of the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to scan as an entry level sonographer. Emphasis will be on completing cases effectively and in a timely manner to prepare you for the Sonography Canada competencies (CCSAs) which are a requirement for completing the program.
This is an on-line shell to provide diagnostic medical sonography students with additional resources that may be useful during their two years in the program.
This is an on-line shell to provide diagnostic medical sonography students with additional resources that may be useful during their two years in the program.
This is an on-line shell to provide diagnostic medical sonography students with additional resources that may be useful during their two years in the program.
Addition of Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
The MMI process is designed to assess attributes essential for success in health professions. This process is being adopted by colleges and universities across Canada and globally as a fair and effective method of interviewing candidates for health care profession programs.
The MMI utilizes multiple interview stations. Each station is comprised of a scenario designed to evaluate core traits/competencies essential for success in health care professions. This includes competencies such as problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, responsibility, ethical and moral judgement, self-awareness, conflict resolution, and management skills.
At each station, applicants will read a scenario and then respond. The interviewer(s) will assign ratings using a rubric, which is a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring, as well as a rating scale. In the end, the scores from all stations are totaled for an overall score for each applicant.
The MMI process is not meant to be perceived as a barrier. It is a way of identifying applicants who exhibit critical competencies for success and those who may need additional supports prior to program entry.
Prior to participating in an MMI, applicants will be invited to attend an MMI workshop.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which documents and compares an individual's prior learning gained from prior education, work and life experiences and personal study to the learning outcomes in College courses/programs. For more information, please visit www.rrc.ca/rpl.
Red River College surveys its graduates on an annual basis to collect data related to the graduates’ employment status, salary, occupation and skill use. In addition, graduates are asked to indicate their level of satisfaction regarding the education they received at Red River College.
Visit www.rrc.ca/numbers/reports/graduate-satisfaction for graduate satisfaction and employment reports.
Ultrasound is practiced in major urban and rural hospitals. In Manitoba there is also mobile ultrasound, where the sonographer travels with a portable ultrasound machine to service smaller rural communities. In other provinces there are also private clinics.
Some graduates are working in related teaching, management, and research positions. Others are employed as application specialists, technical advisors, or representatives for diagnostic imaging equipment and supply manufacturers.
In 2013, an entry level technologist in Manitoba could expect to make approximately $31.56 per hour as a starting wage.
For information on how to apply to this program, follow the link below.
Every year Red River College surveys students, in all full-time programs, to learn more about their college experience. The questionnaire includes questions about students’ experiences with College programs, facilities, and services offered.
Visit www.rrc.ca/numbers/reports/student-evaluation-of-program for student evaluation of program reports.
Red River College is committed to student success and provides valuable support services to assist in helping students make the most of their time at RRC.
Visit www.rrc.ca/supports for more information.