American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

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Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “We’re at the 44^th Annual AIUM Conference in San Francisco, April 3^rd of 2000.  We have Cathy Babiak with us who is Chair of the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Board of Directors, and we’re going to ask her to tell us about the ARDMS. Cathy is from Canada.” 

Cathy Babiak:  “That’s right.” 

Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “Tell us about the ARDMS.” 

Cathy Babiak:  “Terry, thank you.  As Terry said, ARDMS is for registered sonographers and we have three credentials.  We have the RDMS, which stands for the Registered Medical Diagnostic Sonographer; we have the cardiac sonographer with the credentials of RDCS, and the Registered Vascular Technologist, which is RVT.  To subdivide the RDMS credential, you need to write a specialty exam which consists of obstetrics, abdomen, neurosonography, or it could be the ophthalmology exam and once you write the specialty exam, you need to write a physics component with that as well.  With the cardiac exams there are two exams - the adult echo and the pediatric echo, and that’s why we need to write an echo physics with that as well as for vascular technology as for physics and specialty component.  Currently with ARDMS, we have about 39,000 registrants and we’re hoping to continually expand.  We’re looking at expanding into the international market.   What’s very important in being registered is that it helps to protect the patient’s safety in that when you go for an ultrasound it’s very important to ask the sonographers whether they have the credential, and know that they have met a level of competency before having a ultrasound examination.” 

Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “Now who takes this exam?  Sonographers, we know, are non-physician types, what about nurses or MD’s?” 

Cathy Babiak:  “Anyone who has a health care background can qualify for the ultrasound examination but they also need to have some clinical experience, and we recommend a time for that is at least a year’s experience.  We do have a credential we’re actually trying to get rid of that has some on the job training and some allied health but we really feel it’s extremely important to have educational components; so we’re trying by the year 2004 to eliminate that credential on the job training.” 

Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “That’s great, and how do they get in touch with you if somebody’s interested in asking about the ARDMS?” 

Cathy Babiak:  “That’s a good question, there’s a 1-800 number that you can call.  The number is 1-800-541-5754 and anyone at the office would more than happy to talk to or to send you an application form to write the exams.” 

Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “Good!  The site on the web - www.ardms.org is also available.” 

Cathy Babiak:  “Absolutely, it is.” 

Terry DuBose, M.S.:  “Great.  Thank you very much, Cathy.” 

Cathy Babiak:  “Thanks, Terry.”