Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography

The Medical Sonography course will enable you to apply sonographic knowledge and practical scanning skills in the diagnostic imaging setting.

You will develop a high level of skill and proficiency in performing sonographic studies and evaluate findings so you can tailor your scans to the individual patient in a safe, caring and effective manner.

You will also develop effective communication skills enabling you to interact positively with patients and other health professionals in the clinical work environment.

Your clinical decision-making and problem solving skills will be promoted through the use of simulation based learning techniques and exposure to 'real world' conditions while on clinical practice.

As a graduate, you can apply to register as 'General Sonographers' with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.

Core Structure

Course Structure

--> In order to complete this course, you must:

1. Complete the core structure

Core Structure

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There are a number of units within this course that exceed the notional hours recommended by the Australian Qualifications Framework.

To be eligible to graduate with the Bachelor of Medical Sonography and Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography, students must complete the 25 core units (192 units of credit), including attendance at all compulsory laboratory activities / residential schools on their campus of admission, and completion of 2000 hours of clinical placement.To be eligible to attend clinical placement the student must successfully complete all preclinical health, safety and security requirements, including a clear criminal record check.

Year 1 is studied online, with the exception of attendance at two compulsory two-day residential schools, which must be attended at your campus of admission.

Students must apply for admission to the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Register as Student Sonographers during the 2nd year of the course prior to clinical placement. Please note that the external accreditation body sets a maximum course completion time of five years from student registration.

Extensive learning activity takes place in the clinical simulation laboratories during profession-specific units. Year 2, term 1 and 2, profession-specific units are run as internal units at the campus of admission. During term 1 and 2 students should expect to be on campus most days each week due to the number of labs and tutorials.

To ensure safe clinical practice technical skills, sonographic knowledge and professional behaviour must be maintained. To this end scanning skill development units and clinical units must be successfully and sequentially completed within twelve months of each other. In year two of the course MEDS12004 Sonographic Skills Development 1 must be successfully completed within twelve months of clinical placement for MEDS12007 Medical Sonography Clinical Course 1. Should this time limit have elapsed the student must successfully complete one (or more) technical skill. professional behaviour and diagnostic knowledge-based assessment (s), after a period of technical skill / knowledge revision, as determined by the discipline lead or designate.

Extensive learning activity takes place in the clinical simulation laboratories during term 1 year 3 profession-specific units. These profession-specific are run as internal units on the campus of admission. You should expect to be on campus most days each week in term 1 due to the number of labs and tutorials.

To ensure safe clinical practice, technical skills, sonographic knowledge and professional behaviour must be maintained. To this end scanning skill development units and clinical units must be successfully and sequentially completed within twelve months of each other. In year three of the course MEDS13002 Sonographic Skills Development 2 must be successfully completed within twelve months of clinical placement for MEDS13006 Medical Sonography Clinical Course 2. Should this time limit have elapsed the student must successfully complete one (or more) technical skill, professional behaviour and diagnostic knowledge-based assessment (s), after a period of technical skill / knowledge revision, as determined by the discipline lead or designate.

Please note: The units studied in Year 4 are at a Postgraduate level.

To ensure safe clinical practice, technical skills, sonographic knowledge and professional behaviour must be maintained. To this end scanning skill development units and clinical units must be successfully and sequentially completed within twelve months of each other. In year four of the course the year three prerequisite of MEDS13006 Medical Sonography Clinical Course 2 must be successfully completed within twelve months of clinical placement for Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 3; and Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 3 must be successfully completed within twelve months of clinical placement for Medical Sonography Clinical Unit 4. Should this time limit have elapsed the student must successfully complete one (or more) technical skill, professional behaviour and diagnostic knowledge-based assessment (s), after a period of technical skill / knowledge revision, as determined by the discipline lead or designate.

Clinical Placement:

Course years 2-4 include clinical placement. Students must satisfy specific pre-clinical health, safety, security and licensing requirements prior to each placement, and must disclose any condition that may put themselves or the public at significant risk whilst on placement. Due to limited availability of clinical placements, some block placements have start and/or end dates that fall outside standard term start and end dates. As placements are located throughout Australia and New Zealand and availability is limited in each community, students may be placed at locations that are not of their choosing. 100% attendance is required when undertaking clinical placement. Students must prepare financially and personally to relocate for placements, and are responsible for the associated costs. In accordance with the course accreditation standards of the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry students must achieve competency in a range of ultrasound scans which may require attending different clinical facilities.

Whilst on placement, students will perform sonographic scans on and provide hands-on care to people who may be ill or injured. Students will need to be physically fit, able to stand and walk for extended periods, lift, stretch, carry heavy loads and have sufficient visual acuity and contrast sensitivity to assess fine detail of images and perform safely in a range of lighting conditions. Students will undergo clinical assessments on performance of sonographic studies, professional behavioural and technical skills.

Clinical Simulation Laboratory Learning

Students must attend all laboratory activities, including residential schools, at their campus of admission. Students must demonstrate professional behaviours including regular attendance and meeting the course dress code during clinical simulation laboratory sessions. During simulations of ultrasound scans, all students will participate in role play as sonographer and patient. These essential learning activities will require partial removal of clothing to the level that is required for the simulation and will involve touching and being touched by peers. These simulation learning activities take place in a mixed gender environment, including the presence of male academic tutors. If a student is unable to participate, it may impact the student's ability to attain required skills and complete unit assessments.

What do I need to start?

Entry Scores

Entry Requirements

English Language Proficiency Requirements

If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University.

Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion within the last 5 years of:

• A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
• Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA 4.0

completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.

If you do not satisfy any of the above you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores as below:

• An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in each subset; or
• An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components.

English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.

International Students should visit http://www.cqu.edu.au/international for further information.

Each student will be assessed individually.

Security Requirements

No information available at this time

Health Requirements

No information available at this time

Assumed Knowledge

English, Biology, Science, Physics, Maths

Fees and Charges

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Core Learning Outcomes

• 1.
• Practice competently as a graduate sonographer, as required by the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry
• 2.
• Recall a broad and coherent core body of sonographic knowledge as outlined by the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry
• 3.
• Apply sonographic knowledge to your practice
• 4.
• Demonstrate all competencies through a broad range of activities in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry
• 5.
• Use appropriate professional and inter-personal skills as a sonographer in accordance with CQUniversity's postgraduate attributes and the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry guidelines
• 6.
• Conduct a research study in sonography and present the outcomes.