South Suburban College
South Suburban College

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Echocardiography Program

This program is pending Board approval by the Illinois Community College Board.

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image twodimensional slices of the heart. The latest ultrasound systems now employ 3D real-time imaging.

Overview

South Suburban College’s Echocardiography Program will provide students with an opportunity to become entry level skilled technicians in Echocardiography. Technicians assist physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac and peripheral vascular ailments. Graduates will be prepared for licensure and work as an entry level cardiac technician.

Career Opportunities

The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a need from 2000 to 2010 for an additional 16,000 cardiac technicians. Employment growth for sonographers is growing faster-than-average. Salaries for those with less than one year of experience are $20 to $22 an hour in Southern Illinois. Median annual salaries range from $40,000-$53,000.

General Information

Residents of South Suburban College’s District will be given first priority for admission into the program. Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to the program.

Before receiving an application to the Echocardiography Program the student must:

  1. Submit an application for credit courses to South Suburban College.
  2. Forward high school/GED transcripts to the Office of Admissions & Records.
  3. Take the SSC College Placement test and complete any required college preparatory class in math, English or reading with a grade of “C” or better.
    • Math must be completed through MTH 100 - Intermediate Algebra level
    • English must be completed through ENG 101 - Compostion & Rhetoric

Program Admission Requirements

The applicant must:

  1. Complete the Prerequisites:
    • ENG 101 - Composition and Rhetoric
    • BIO 185 - Anatomy and Physiology
    • FAD 205 - Emergency Care and Safety or CPR
    • PHY 115 - Topics in Applied Physics
  2. Submit an SSC application/registration form and forward all high school as well as other college transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions and Registration.
  3. Admissions to the Echocardiography Program will be determined by a ranking of the grade point averages (GPA) of the program prerequisite courses. Students will be considered for admissions who have received at least a grade of “C” or better in all program prerequisites and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better (A = 4.0). All final course grades will be validated prior to the start of the program.
  4. Submit an application for the Echocardiography Program AAS Degree or the Echocardiography Program Certificate to the Allied Health Department office, Room 4453. Please visit SSC's website to obtain an application to the program.
  5. You will be notified in writing of your admissions status no later than May 15th.

Students must finish all prerequisite courses by December prior to the fall semester of the year you are seeking admission. Students must complete all Echocardiography program courses and general education courses with a “C” or better.

Once admitted into the Echocardiography Program, students will be asked to complete a criminal background check and a possible drug screening. Eligibility of internship sites might be dependent on results of the criminal background and drug screening results.

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