Admission Criteria
The following criteria (both 1 and 2) are required to be considered for the Sonography program:
1) Associates degree or higher in a healthcare program
- The program MUST have hands-on patient care clinical rotations.
- Examples:
- Radiologic Technology
- Respiratory Therapy
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Occupational Therapist Assistant
- Registered Nurse
- *LPN (Associate Degree Programs OR if it is a Certificate Program, then an Associate Degree in another field is still required, plus one year of full-time work in a hospital setting.)
- Other hands-on healthcare certifications/licenses may be considered on an individual basis. Anything considered likely entails years of work experience in a hospital with direct patient care work where that hospital/facility would be willing to host the student for clinical training. One example would be an ekg tech that a cardiac department wants to train in cardiac sonography. A CNA or CMA certificate is not eligible to apply unless they work in a hospital and the sonography department is willing to host them via our Employer & Clinical Site Exception Policy (link is at the bottom of this page).
2) Completion of Required Sonography Pre-reqs
Basic medical science and interpersonal communication education is required as a foundation for the clinical role of the diagnostic medical sonographer. All prerequisite courses must be at the post-secondary/college-level education courses completed with a letter grade of C or higher.
- Only one course is required in each category:
- Communication (Examples: English, Comp, or Speech)
- Human Anatomy (if combined with human physiology, Human A&P I and II must be taken)
- Human Physiology (if combined with human anatomy, Human A&P I and II must be taken)
- Mathematics (examples: Intermediate Algebra, Algebra, Statistics, or Trigonometry)
- Physics (examples: General physics course, no lab required or Radiographic Physics (if in or a graduate of a Radiologic Technology program)
- Medical Terminology
Click here for Washburn courses that meet the sonography pre-req requirements
NC-SARA
- Unfortunately, if you live in California, it is the only remaining state that is not part of NC-SARA. We cannot accept any applicant for online courses that is not part of NC-SARA. This includes clinical rotations and/or residency. For more information on NC-SARA please visit their website.
Apply to the Sonography Program
Applications will be accepted beginning November 1. No applications are held over year to year and will not be returned to the applicant.
Please watch the instruction video, read all instructions included in the Sonography application form, and review the required application materials below. Once you begin filling out the online application, you will not be able to save your progress and return later.
The application deadline is February 1.
NOTE: This is not an application to Washburn University. If you are not a current Washburn Student, you will need to separately apply to Washburn.
Contact Information
You will be asked to provide contact information such as your name, email, street address, and phone.
Current Washburn students will be asked for their WIN. Applicants who are not Washburn students will need to provide the last 4 digits of their SSN.
Clinical Placement
If applicable, you will need to provide contact and location of any clinical placements.
Letter of Recommendation
- Two separate letters of recommendation are required. If you are a recent graduate (within the last two years) of a 2 year allied health program, one of the reference letters MUST be from the program director or clinical coordinator.
- The reference letters MUST be from medical professionals (supervisor, lead tech, director, or physician that you directly work with). ABSOLUTELY no personal friends, family members, or people who you do not directly work with in a medical setting.
- Direct your two referrers to fill out online letter of recommendation. A link is included in the online application. Both letters of recommendation should be submitted online by the application deadline.
Transcripts
Complete the transcript form by entering the required information and uploading your transcripts. Unofficial copies are accepted. A link to the transcript form will be provided in the online application.
NOTE: Separate transcripts must be submitted upon application to Washburn University.
The following pre-requisite courses must be completed from an accredited higher education institution for college credit and with a letter grade of C or better.- Statistics, Intermediate Algebra, or higher mathematics course
- General college-level physics and/or radiographic physics
- Communication skills (English, speech, or composition)
- Anatomy (if combined with physiology A&P I and II must be taken)
- Physiology (if combined with anatomy A&P I and II must be taken)
- Medical Terminology
- Human Disease or Pathophysiology
Observation Evaluation
A requirement of the admissions process is one observation with a sonographer for a minimum of four (4) hours. Observations should be completed BEFORE submitting the DMS application.
You will want to do this observation at a facility that you would like to do your clinical rotations. We will contact the facility regarding placement after you send us your application.
If the sonographer states while you are there that they do not take students, you should continue to observe to maintain professionalism. If they are impressed with your eagerness, professionalism, personality, and conduct they may change their mind and want to host you.
Towards the end of the observation, you will need to direct the sonographer to fill out the online evaluation form. A link to this form will be provided in the online application.
Upon completion of the observation, complete the summary questions provided in the online application. The review committee will assess both content and form. Responses should be well written with complete sentences and exhibit knowledge about the field and role of a sonographer.
- Discuss the types of procedures you observed.
- List five duties sonographers do on a daily basis.
- After observing the duties and work environment of a sonographer, do you feel you have the physical and mental capabilities to perform these task on a routine basis? Explain.
- Explain your personal reaction to the observation experience.
Cover Letter and Resume
Prepare a copy of your cover letter and resume. You will be able to attach your documents to the online application.
Narrative Questions
- Why do you want to pursue diagnostic medical sonography as a profession?
- What work experiences and direct patient care skills do you possess that gives you the healthcare experience needed to exceed in a clinical setting?
- Tell us how you see yourself in regards to empathy, work ethic, and professionalism. Do you have any professional goals?
- Tell us how you handled a difficult clinical/work experience dealing with a patient or co-worker. What skills did you use to promote a healthy workplace environment?
- After reading the Time Commitment Guideline (provided on the application), how do you plan to alter your schedule in order to be successful in this fast paced program? It is the expectation that you will adjust your work schedule around the program, are you able/willing to do this in order to be successful?
Selection Process
- A prospective applicant must meet the criteria laid out in the admissions criteria above
- A prospective applicant must be deemed eligible by the program director
- A prospective applicant’s references, background check, and other application components must be deemed satisfactory by the program director and clinical coordinator
- There must be a signed affiliation agreement in place for the prospective applicant to ensure clinical placement
Employer & Clinical Site Exception Policy
The Employer & Clinical Site Exception Policy exists for a hospital to have the ability to request an individual, who does not meet the normal admissions criteria, to complete the sonography program at their hospital.
Application Deadline
February 1st is the deadline to be considered for the following fall class.
GET IN TOUCH WITH Allied Health
Allied Health
Benton Hall, Room 107
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Phone & Email
Ph: 785.670.2170
allied-health@washburn.edu
