Christmas came early for the faculty and students in 永利博彩’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program. That’s because the Commission on 认证 of Allied Health Education 项目 (CAAHEP) along with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography have reconfirmed the DMS’s five-year programmatic accreditation.

这对学生、教师和雇主来说都是个大新闻。

“This means that our students can sit for their board exams before they even graduate,” said Program Director Lorraine Knoll. “Without this accreditation our students would have had to wait an entire year after they graduate plus have a sponsor before being able to take the exams.”

Faculty and staff with 永利博彩’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program give a big thumbs-up after learning they have successfully completed their accreditation process for the next five years. 图中为：Regina Ridgley/讲师，Tasha Webb, Kiely Williams, Misty Faircloth, Tangie Summerall, Stacy Clawson， Lorraine Knoll/项目总监，Hannah Bowden, Mollie Russell， Hallie瑟曼，Rachel Tice， Leslie Mansell/临床协调员。

雇主会受益，因为他们知道DMS毕业生准备充分，有证书，准备好去工作。 从这个项目到找到一份薪水丰厚的理想工作，没有任何延迟。

五年的认证审查是一个耗时、细节驱动和艰苦的过程。 尽管材料已收集多年，但审查本身于2016年8月开始，并于2017年9月获得认证。

“It includes a self-study with a master plan; we include information like course sequence and curriculum, clinical affiliate agreements, the number of clinical hours, lab time, exam competency check offs, didactics, and the likes,” Knoll said. “Then a team comes on campus and gathers information. They review information from the master plan and also our job placement and retention rates, they’ll talk to our employers in the community, and even interview our students.”

拥有CAAHEP认证也可以为DMS计划中的未来学科铺平道路。 Knoll说，正在进行研究，以增加超声心动图-通常被称为回声-和血管专科。 设备已经到位，但要确认附加组件，还需要额外的认证。

诊断医学超声副学士学位课程目前一次最多接受12名学生，每年1月开始新课程。 如果加上回声和血管专科，报名人数可能会增加一倍以上。

诊断医学超声是一个高需求、高收入的行业。 May 2016 reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the annual mean salary in Georgia is approximately $62,560 and the job outlook through 2024 is at 24% — much faster than average.

For more information on the Diagnostic Medical Sonography -or any 永利博彩 health sciences program- call 706-225-0502 or visit /academics/division-of-health-sciences-and-nursing-overview/ .