Our Best Advice for Graduating Sonographers
It’s graduation month! The stress of test-taking is giving way to the joy of that “I finally did it!” feeling. At BB Imaging, we know how hard you’ve worked to get here, and all we can say is:
WELL DONE!
Seriously. Reflect on all those hours you’ve invested, all the experience you’ve gained, all the knowledge you’ve crammed into your brain, and take a minute to appreciate YOU. We’re so proud of you, and you should be too.
The beauty of graduation is that it’s a sweet, pivotal moment. Your years as a student are over, but your days as a life-long learner in the sonography field have just begun. As you embark on your new career, we want to share some of our best advice, just in case you find it helpful:
“Be patient with yourself as you begin your career. It takes time to train your eyes and develop hand-eye coordination. Each time you struggle to obtain an image, you are teaching your brain how to get it next time. In a year, you will be able to look at someone else scanning and know exactly how they need to move their transducer to get the perfect image. You were meant for this!”
- Amber Blair RDMS (OBGYN), RDCS (FE), Sonographer for 8+ years
“Take your registries as soon as you can! That information is fresh in your head after graduation. Take advantage of that and get all the registries you can. Even if you do not think you will work in a certain field or specialty, you never know where life will take you, and it’s better to be over-prepared. Also, take every learning opportunity you can, whether it’s on the IT side or the ultrasound side. All this will make you more versatile and able to problem-solve more efficiently. Finally, remember there is always room for improvement, whether you’ve been scanning for 5 days or 15 years.”
- Brooke Collins RVT, RDMS (OBGYN, AB, BR), RDCS (FE), Sonographer for 8+ years
“You are never to too old to learn new things. The technology and machines keep changing and getting better. Be a sponge, ask questions, be curious, look things up. And never give up. It’s an amazing career!”
- Lily Vecino, ARDMS (AB, OB/GYN, BR, FE), Sonographer for 25+ years
“My biggest piece of advice is to maximize your time in clinicals. Use the entire time wisely and ask questions. Scan anytime you’re given the opportunity and always help the sonographers with little tasks, so they have more time to teach and guide you while they work. Each site is like a job interview, so even if you don’t end up working at your site, they may have connections to set you up for success.”
- Eunice Lonfo, BS, RDMS (AB, OB/GYN), RVT, Sonographer for 3+ years
“Learn to listen to feedback and criticism. Never let it churn. Rather consider it, take what works, and carry on.”
- Sara Scroggs, BA, RDMS, RDCS, Sonographer for 7+ years
“Be positive and motivated as you enter your first sonography role! Your first impression is so important and your attitude in training will go far with your trainers, coworkers, and doctors. Always be ready and eager to learn. Be open to constructive criticism because this will set you up for success and is appreciated by the people you work with!”
- Chelsey Willey, RDMS, RDCS, Sonographer for 1+ years
“Always take good care of your patients. Remember this could be the best day of someone’s life or their worst. Take care of yourself and practice great ergonomics so you can have a long and healthy scanning career. Take a deep breath, and don’t forget to take a good look! In your hurry to get the required pictures, you might miss something!”
- Beth Bennett, RDMS (AB, OB/GYN, FE), Sonographer for 9+ years
“Learn and develop healthy physical, mental, and emotional habits. Prioritize communication and connections to develop healthy working relationships. Give people grace. I find that my world is a better place when I believe everyone is doing their best at that moment. Do not get caught up in trying to figure out if someone is working harder than you, cherry-picking charts, etc. Just take the next chart. Do not get sucked into negatively judging other people's images unless you are in charge of their training or quality assurance. Be open to the fact that there is always more to learn, and you can increase your skills at any time.”
- Carmen Schmidt RDMS, BS, Sonographer for 14+ years
We also asked our Instagram community for their thoughts, and got a few more pieces of wisdom to add to your arsenal:
“Admit your weak areas and be willing to accept positive criticism. Study and work through it.”
“Be open about weak areas and accept feedback. Keep learning new material.”
“Read all the finalized reports of your scans. You learn so much through them!”
“Never give up!”
“Don't lose momentum pursuing your dream!”
“Consider jobs outside of your hometown.”
We hope this advice propels you forward on your sonography journey. We believe in you, we are proud of you, and we can’t wait to see all the great things you’ll accomplish in your career. Cheers!
P.S. If you’ve ever thought you might like to work for a sonographer-owned company that sees your value, listens to your input, and offers unique benefits just for you... we’d love to be teammates!