3.13 Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program

3.13.1 System Guidelines:

Enrollment in the diagnostic medical sonography program may be restricted due to limited laboratory facilities or faculty and financial resources.

• Technical Standards
  1. Diagnostic Medical Sonography involves the provision of direct care for individuals and is characterized by the application of verified knowledge in the skillful performance of Diagnostic Medical Sonography technical functions. Therefore, all applicants should possess: sufficient visual acuity for the observation necessary for patient assessment and care;
  2. sufficient auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health team and to assess health needs of people through the use of monitoring devices (e.g., cardiac monitors, biomedical equipment, fire alarms, etc.)
  3. sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to respond promptly and to implement the skills, including the manipulation of equipment, positioning and lifting patients, required in meeting health needs related to Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
  4. sufficient verbal and non-verbal communication skills (speech, reading, and writing) to interact with patients and professional personnel; and
  5. sufficient intellectual and emotional functions to plan and implement care for individuals.
• Admission to the Program
  • The president of the college or the president’s designee will select students for the program after considering the recommendation of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Admissions Committee. Membership of this committee may be as follows:
    • Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Coordinator;
    • Admissions Officer and/or Counselor; and
    • General Education Faculty (teaching required prerequisites) and/or other Faculty Member.
  • Each applicant must submit the following credentials by March 15 in order to be considered by the committee for fall semester or October 1 to be considered for the spring semester. A college, due to unusual circumstances, may extend these dates.
    1. Application for admission to the college;
    2. official transcripts of all postsecondary education or training;
    3. ACT and/or assessment and placement score reports; and
    4. an interview and/or pre-admission conference.
• Additional requirements for Students Conditionally Admitted:
  • Applicants admitted into the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program much have completed the following prior to beginning the first Diagnostic Medical Sonography course:
    1. A program approved CPR requirement that must be kept current throughout the program;
    2. a mandatory new student orientation;
    3. all general education and supportive courses with a grade of “C: or better. Admittance is contingent upon successful completion of all general education and supportive courses with a grate of “C” or better prior to enrolling in the first DMS course.
• Preference may be given to applicants:
  1. with an ACT composite score of 21 or above OR ACT Reading score of 20 or above, or higher than minimum Assessment and Placement scores per the respective KCTCS college’s requirements;
  2. who have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better (4.0 scale) in a minimum of 10 hours of general education courses and supportive courses;
  3. who have graduated or are in their final semester of a two-year accredited, clinically based, Allied Health program or have the minimum of an Associate of Applied Science Degree in a clinically related field; and/or
  4. who are veterans, active-duty personnel, and also displaced workers who qualify under the Trade Adjustment Act.
• Readmission
  • A student who does not maintain continuous enrollment and/or withdraws from or earns less than a grade of “C” in any course with the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program prefix will be dropped from the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.
    1. In order to be considered for readmission a student must:
       1. apply for readmission to the program three (3) months prior to the expected date of enrollment;
       2. update information in the admissions office three (3) months prior to expected date of enrollment;
       3. submit a written request to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Coordinator including information to justify readmission; and
       4. obtain letter(s) of recommendation from all full-time program faculty having instructional experience with the student.
          
          If more than one semester has elapsed since a student has been in a clinical rotation, the student must demonstrate proficiency prior to readmission.
    2. Application is not a guarantee of readmission to the program. Readmission to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program will be dependent upon available resources.
  • If three (3) years or more have elapsed since the initial enrollment in the program, the student must repeat the technical courses of the curriculum.
    
    A student may be readmitted to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program no more than two (2) times.
• Transfer
  • Acceptance of any transfer student will be dependent upon available resources. Applicants who wish to transfer to a KCTCS Diagnostic Medical Sonography program must:
    1. meet all admission requirements of the receiving program; and
    2. apply at least three (3) months prior to the expected date of enrollment; and
    3. notify the Coordinator of the receiving Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program in writing, stating anticipated entry date and reason for transfer; and
    4. have a faculty member from the program previously attended submit a letter of recommendation to the receiving program; and
    5. submit an official transcript of all previous postsecondary education work.
  • If more than three years have elapsed since initial enrollment in a Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, the entire sequence of Diagnostic Medical Sonography courses must be repeat.
    
    If more than one semester has elapsed since a student has been in a clinical rotation, he/she must demonstrate proficiency prior to readmission, or enroll in the appropriate clinical component(s).

3.13.2 College Guidelines

• 3.13.2.1 West Kentucky Community and Technical College
  • The system guidelines will be followed except that preference may be given to:
    1. applicants with an ACT Reading score of 21;
    2. applicants who have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better (4.0 scale) in a minimum of 10 hours of program required general education courses and supportive courses.