Sonographers are medical professionals who use machines that produce sound waves to obtain images of organs and tissues of the body. They are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care. The majority of these professionals work in hospitals, while others work in physicians' offices, clinics or outpatient imaging centers. They can specialize in neurosonography (the brain), vascular sonography, echocardiography (the heart), abdominal (the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas),obstetrics/gynecology or ophthalmology (the eye).

Ultrasound imaging can be utilized for a variety of different applications. Echocardiology examines the heart wall, chamber and valve motion, as well as blood flow within the heart and blood vessels. Sonography is often used to detect breast cysts or gallstones and to examine the prostate, liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, colon and bladder for tumors, inflammation, stones or cysts. It has expanded into the field of sports medicine as a way to identify ligament, tendon and nerve injuries and may be used as part of a patient's physical therapy treatment. To avoid radiation exposure, physicians turn to ultrasound as a means of visualization. The ability to see depth and know precisely where the organs are makes this technology ideal for needle placement when doing biopsies, as well as a means to guide the drainage of cysts or fluid collections in the abdomen or chest that occur with some illnesses.

For expectant parents, ultrasound not only gives an image of their baby, it helps monitor a fetus' well being, its position and can make a diagnosis of multiple gestations and delivery presentation. Technological advancements give parents the option of learning the sex of their baby during the gestation period instead of having to wait nine months. Sonography also plays an important role in the assessment and treatment of infertility.

New applications for ultrasound seem to develop quite frequently. "It is almost once a week that a new research study is conducted," says Ceela McElveny, manager of public relations for Albuquerque, N.M.-based American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT).

McElveny notes that because a great portion of the population is growing older, the demand for qualified sonographers is enormous. "There is a large number of baby boomers that require more medical care," she says. "Seniors have more illnesses and diseases that need to be tested."

Education in this field varies. Many people, who are already in the medical profession, such as radiology technologists and registered nurses, go into this field. There are both four-year and two-year programs available through universities, community colleges and technical schools.

Dawn McNeil, a certified sonographer with S.E. Lackey Memorial Hospital in Forest, Miss., enjoys the challenges this line of work gives her. McNeil doesn't specialize in a particular area and because it is a small hospital she has set hours and doesn't have to worry about being on call 24 hours a day. "The first time I looked at an ultrasound I couldn't tell the difference from one organ to the next," she laughs. "Once you start studying everything and start doing the work it all comes to you."

Due to the increased demand for sonographers, the salary range is quite competitive. According to the Dallas-based Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers' (SDMS) salary survey, Sonography Benchmark Survey (SBS) 2000, the medium annual income is between $40,000 and $50,000. The survey was given to approximately 36,000 practicing sonographers, of which more than 10,000 responded. Don Haydon, executive director with SDMS, notes that approximately 75 percent of sonographers earn between $30,000 and $65,000. Entry-level sonographers can earn from approximately the mid-$20s to the high $30s. Demand for these professionals is nationwide; however, urban areas pay more than rural settings.

The biggest employment demand in ultrasound technology is for engineers. Art Schenck, vice president of systems engineering with ATL Ultrasound, notes that electrical engineers are needed to work on digital signal processing (DSP), which involves the extraction of low-level signals from the ultrasound to improve imaging. Software engineers are highly sought because "now so many functions are performed in software," he says. Applications and material engineers are also needed.- SHERRI PFEIL, Staff Writer