The Student Room Group

Sonography

Is anyone else training in ultrasound? There doesn't seem to be many of us on TSR. I began my course earlier this year and thought it might be nice to have a place to support eachother + discuss progress / frustrations / the light and joy that is ultrasound physics (NOT) :biggrin:

I'm doing obstetrics and gynaecology this year then general abdominal and vascular next year. It's already a lot of work but knowing it'll all be worth it in the end keeps me going!
Hi can I ask how you are studying sonography as I have looked at all universities within a 20 mile radius and none of them offer this programme?
Many thanks and good luck!
Reply 2
Original post by Ashley290586
Hi can I ask how you are studying sonography as I have looked at all universities within a 20 mile radius and none of them offer this programme?
Many thanks and good luck!



Hey Ashley,

It's a post grad course so I did a radiography degree first then worked as a radiographer for a while until a trainee post came up in my department. I knew it was what I wanted to do pretty soon after starting my job so I showed interest and applied for the post when it came up about a year and a half into my job. Someone way more qualified than me got it instead so I applied again a year later and got it second time. It's fairly competitive but I think it'll be completely worth it once qualified.

There was talk of doing it as an undergraduate course of it's own a few years ago, not sure what happened with that. We also have some nurse and midwife sonographers training with us but I believe the radiography background route is the most common.

Good luck!!
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 3
Hi :smile: I'm hoping to become a sonographer! I have an interview for a trainee ultrasound position in a few weeks, but there's not alot of information online about what to expect at the interview, can I ask what your interview for the position was like and what sort of questions they asked?
Reply 4
Original post by SIM06
Hi :smile: I'm hoping to become a sonographer! I have an interview for a trainee ultrasound position in a few weeks, but there's not alot of information online about what to expect at the interview, can I ask what your interview for the position was like and what sort of questions they asked?


Congratulations! What modules will you be taking? Make sure you know things that are relevant to the modules. So if you're going for a general ultrasound job you'll probably get a lot of questions about abdominal pain, know general things such as what might cause right upper quadrant pain, what a normal kidney might measure etc. Just basic stuff in case they decide to test you a little.

Consent is a major issue with obs and gynae, hopefully you've got some shadowing time in at work so you know a bit about the job, look into the course at the university they send you to, know about RSI (mentioning alexander technique seems to impress interviewers as it shows you've really considered the not so nice aspects of the job). Breaking bad news is also a biggie so look into courses you can go on to help with this, it'll show that you understand the level of responsibility you'll be faced with. Know the different types of routine scans they do e,g anomaly scans and what they're for.

And mostly they probably just want to see that your personality will be suited to the job so just be friendly and enthusiastic then after you get the job you can start hiding in your dark room and drinking coffee all day like the rest of them haha.

Good luck!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by BeesKnees
Congratulations! What modules will you be taking? Make sure you know things that are relevant to the modules. So if you're going for a general ultrasound job you'll probably get a lot of questions about abdominal pain, know general things such as what might cause right upper quadrant pain, what a normal kidney might measure etc. Just basic stuff in case they decide to test you a little.

Consent is a major issue with obs and gynae, hopefully you've got some shadowing time in at work so you know a bit about the job, look into the course at the university they send you to, know about RSI (mentioning alexander technique seems to impress interviewers as it shows you've really considered the not so nice aspects of the job). Breaking bad news is also a biggie so look into courses you can go on to help with this, it'll show that you understand the level of responsibility you'll be faced with. Know the different types of routine scans they do e,g anomaly scans and what they're for.

And mostly they probably just want to see that your personality will be suited to the job so just be friendly and enthusiastic then after you get the job you can start hiding in your dark room and drinking coffee all day like the rest of them haha.

Good luck!


How do you find the workload alongside working full time?
Reply 6
Thank you so so much for your advice, I got the job!
For anyone else interested they also asked questions about what physics I knew regarding ultrasound and explain how an ultrasound image is created. Some scenario questions like what would you do if someone wanted to film an obstetrics scan, and what would you do if someone demanded you tell them the results after an abdominal scan. They asked about safety implications in ultrasound and what legislation I was aware of. Then some more question about what qualities I think a good sonographer should have, and what I thought the most challenging part of being a sonographer would be.
Reply 7
Original post by SIM06
Thank you so so much for your advice, I got the job!
For anyone else interested they also asked questions about what physics I knew regarding ultrasound and explain how an ultrasound image is created. Some scenario questions like what would you do if someone wanted to film an obstetrics scan, and what would you do if someone demanded you tell them the results after an abdominal scan. They asked about safety implications in ultrasound and what legislation I was aware of. Then some more question about what qualities I think a good sonographer should have, and what I thought the most challenging part of being a sonographer would be.


CONGRATULATIONS!!! Welcome to the funnest year of your life...NOT haha (only joking). Where are you going to go to uni? Exciting!
Reply 8
Original post by dreaminchicken
How do you find the workload alongside working full time?


Definitely challenging especially as I've always been a last minute type of person when it comes to doing my essays and revision. I have found myself a lot more organised this year though as I have just had to be. Plus if I failed then I'd probably have to move somewhere else because the shame would be too much to bear so that's motivation in itself haha. And I work with really nice people which helps :smile:
Hi I'm currently a 3rd year midwifery student and I am interested in sonography. I have sat with some sonographers at the hospital that I do my placement in and have found it to be really interesting. I have seen a couple postgraduate programmes at different universities for medical ultrasound, did you apply through there or did you get the trainee position through the hospital that you were working in and do you reccommend straight away applying for one of those courses once i graduate or to maybe work for a while before applying.
Reply 10
Hi I have an interview next month for post graduate medical ultrasound. Do you have any suggestions or tips for the interview. The sort of questions they might as? Much appreciated :smile:
What did you do for Sixth form / collage because I want to get into vascular sonography and want to know more about it
Original post by sumaya231
Hi I'm currently a 3rd year midwifery student and I am interested in sonography. I have sat with some sonographers at the hospital that I do my placement in and have found it to be really interesting. I have seen a couple postgraduate programmes at different universities for medical ultrasound, did you apply through there or did you get the trainee position through the hospital that you were working in and do you reccommend straight away applying for one of those courses once i graduate or to maybe work for a while before applying

So are you doing it straight away after you finish studying midwifery
Reply 13
Hi i would like to know how you got a placement? I am also a midwife and interested in ultrasound. I have tried my trust and most hospitals around me and they cannot accommodate me. I am absolutely gutted at this stage and the COVID-19 is not making it any better. Please share your advice and experience thanks.

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