By Arielle Follett
Diagnostic medial utrasonography, or sonography for short, is Algonquin’s newest program this year.
The program, with 22 students in its first year, has been developed by co-ordinator Jane St. Germain, who started at Algonquin teaching in the medical radiation technology program, for the last two years.
St. Germain is an expert in sonography. She has been working in the field since 1990, most recently at the Ottawa Hospital.
The graduate certificate program is 18 months long and offers students practical experience to narrow their focus on what type of sonography they are most interested in.
“When people think of sonography, they tend to only think of pregnancy ultrasounds, but there is much more that sonography can do,” said St. Germain.
The program also offers many lab classes and is looking towards more availability for practice labs in the years to come to.
The certificate was built off of the medical radiation technology program, introduced just a few years ago at the college.
There is much more that sonography can do.
“The program was developed with the community,” said School of Health and Community Studies dean Barbara Foulds. “We addressed the needs that they were putting forward, as we always try to do.”
Sonographers in the local community are happy to see the program and are offering to teach in the program as well.
“We’re seeing so many people (in the industry) put their hands up for work,” said St. Germain. “We’re very fortunate to have people eager to help.”
At the end of the program, students must complete two 16-week clinical practicum sessions to gain experience in the industry and build connections.
This program is “just the tip of the iceberg” says Foulds, with plans in the future for more diagnostic imaging programs once the sonography program has built a solid foundation.
“The technology is changing so fast and it evolves as the research does,” said Foulds. “We’ve talked about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but we will work closely with the community to decide what’s next.”