Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound and Congenital Heart Disease Diploma

Through classroom lectures and hands-on experience, including an externship, students in the Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound and Congenital Heart Disease program will learn:

• Cardiac fetal embryology
• Congenital Heart Pathology
• Pediatric cardiac anatomy/ physiology and hemodynamics
• Principles of pediatric echocardiographic imaging
• Scanning protocols using the segmental approach in the diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
• Pathophysiology & echocardiographic evaluation of congenital heart lesions and acquired cardiac disease in the pediatric population
• Systematic ultrasound assessment of the pediatric heart
• How to demonstrate critical thinking and technological skills to meet the needs of a changing, culturally diverse society
• Entry-level clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the care of pediatric and adult patients with congenital and acquired cardiac defects.
• Gain hands-on experience alongside your peers in on-campus ultrasound labs utilizing a variety of industry-standard ultrasound machines

At Smith Chason College, our commitment to comprehensive education extends beyond the classroom. Through our externship programs, we integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience, empowering our students to thrive in their respective fields. Collaborating with hospitals and clinics nationwide, we offer hands-on learning opportunities under a mentor’s guidance. Whether aspiring to become proficient sonographers, MRI technologists, or healthcare professionals, our students gain invaluable real-life experience, supporting their goals to become exceptional practitioners prepared to meet the demands of their chosen profession. 

These experiences are typically conducted toward the end of the program, allowing students to apply their accumulated knowledge in real-world settings. Moreover, these opportunities often serve as a gateway to potential job opportunities, enabling students to forge connections and establish themselves within their chosen field even before graduation. At Smith Chason College, we believe in equipping our students with not only the requisite skills but also the practical experience and industry connections necessary to support them on their journey toward a successful career in healthcare. 

Program Objectives

Graduates of the Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound and Congenital Heart Disease diploma program will:

1. Perform a comprehensive echocardiographic examination utilizing appropriate pediatric and adult protocols, clinical standards and guidelines, and quantification techniques.
2. Apply knowledge of normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy/physiology, including congenital and acquired cardiac disease, while performing an echocardiogram.
3. Communicate critical echocardiographic findings via verbal and written preliminary reports, utilizing appropriate medical terminology.
4. Exercise discretion, professional judgement, and ethical behavior when performing clinical assessments and communicating with patients and healthcare professionals.
5. Apply the knowledge, skills, and abilities to register and complete the ARDMS and/or CCI certification examinations in pediatric and adult echocardiography.

Class schedules are subject to change. Students will be notified of any change prior to the start of the quarter. Not all schedules are available at all campuses. Speak to an admissions representative to learn more about which schedules are available for your requested start date.

Weekday/Weeknight 

• Mornings: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
• Evenings: Monday through Friday, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Weekend:

• Saturday – Sunday, 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
• Friday – May be required

All applicants must meet the Smith Chason College General Admissions Requirements and pass the entrance exam to be eligible for enrollment.

In addition to meeting the College’s general entrance requirements, Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound program applicants must also:

• Provide proof of graduation from an accredited Adult Cardiac Ultrasound program, or be a cardiac sonographer registered through ARDMS or CCI.
• Interview with the Program Director, or the Assistant Program Director.

Entrance Exam  

All applicants for the Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound Diploma program must pass the Wonderlic entrance exam with a minimum passing score of 25 at all College campuses.

About Tuition and Fees

Knowing what to expect is important when planning for your college education. We understand that this can be a big commitment for you in your life and for your finances. Combining quality with value is important and we aspire to give you both.

The current schedule of tuition and fees is included in the latest School Catalog under “Tuition and Fee Schedules”. The cost is dependent on the term and location; for exact financial information please contact your local representative.

See details about Tuition here

Financial Aid is available.

Smith Chason College is eligible to participate in federal financial assistance programs, California state aid programs, approved for the training of veterans and eligible persons, private student loans, and scholarships. Learn more about financial options available to those who qualify at Smith Chason College on our Financial Aid page

Pediatric cardiac sonography falls within the same realm as general diagnostic cardiovascular sonography. Both use ultrasound machines and imaging equipment, which produce high-frequency sound waves to take pictures of the person’s organs, tissues, and more. Cardiovascular sonographers — also called echocardiographers — specialize in the imaging to the heart muscles, heart valves, blood flow, and other aspects of the cardiac system, and those who have trained in pediatrics are qualified to take ultrasounds of children’s hearts and vessels as well. This allows their doctor or physician to get a clearer picture of what’s going on in their body and what kinds of treatments they may need in a way that’s gentle and non-invasive.

Pediatric echocardiographers take on the same tasks and responsibilities that other medical sonographers do, just with the additional angle of working with children, some of them only babies. You’ll often be asked to:

• Talk them and the patient’s families through the ultrasound and prepare them for the procedure
• Ask and answer their questions and work with their guardian on any medical information
• Clean and maintain your imaging equipment to ensure it’s working properly
• Review the ultrasounds after you take them to ensure that the images show the entire area requested
• Confer with the supervising physician on what you saw and what those results might mean

Pediatric echocardiographers will help diagnose and monitor all different kinds of heart defects and diseases, including:

• Atrial septal defect
• Ventricular septal defect
• Pulmonary atresia
• Transposition of the great arteries
• Aortic stenosis
• Arrhythmias
• Kawasaki disease
• Heart murmurs
• Myocarditis and pericarditis
• Rheumatic heart disease

Becoming a pediatric echocardiographer generally requires formal education through a certificate or diploma program. Smith Chason’s Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound and Congenital Heart Disease diploma program prepares you for an entry-level career in the specialized pediatric echocardiography field, as well as helping you prepare for the necessary registry or certification exams you need in order to qualify for employment.

Pediatric cardiac sonographers should also:

• Have a calm and gentle demeanor — While it benefits all sonographers to have a good bedside manner, it’s especially important that you can be calm, kind, and gentle when dealing with children.
• Be detail-oriented — Because ultrasounds have to be so precise, having an eye for details is a big advantage.
• Have good hand-eye coordination — Taking ultrasounds while also keeping an eye on your computer screen is even more challenging when dealing with pediatric patients, who are often smaller and sometimes wigglier.

With the rate of heart defects and heart disease in children remaining fairly steady, there is a continuing need for skilled, specialized personnel to help be a part of their care.

Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for sonographers to grow much faster than average — 19% through 2030.

Those who specialize in the pediatric side of cardiac sonography can work in almost any healthcare facility that dedicates resources to pediatric or cardiac patients. This can include general and research hospitals, as well as children’s hospitals. It can also mean working in:

• Specialty clinics
• Urgent care centers
• Outpatient clinics
• Pediatric physicians’ offices
• Medical and diagnostic labs

Smith Chason College graduates are eligible to sit for their registry exams to become registered sonographers. Smith Chason strongly recommends obtaining certifications to provide you with the best knowledge and opportunities when entering the medical imaging field. Registry reviews and assistance with the registry exam process are available for students as they navigate through their program.

Review our Pathways to Registry for Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound Diploma students to learn more about our suggested pathway and which exams are included in the program cost.

Other Registries to consider After Graduation and In Your Career  

• ARDMS Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer® (RDCS®) 
• ARDMS (AE) Adult Echo 
• ARDMS (PE) Pediatric Echo 
• ARDMS (RVT): Registered Vascular Technologist  

The eligibility prerequisites of all registries can be changed at any time without Smith Chason College’s knowledge or consent. This document is meant to be a guide only, there are additional steps and requirements not listed here, and all students should refer to the Smith Chason registry disclosure and review the registry’s website for the most up-to-date information. Your previous education may allow you to have registry eligibility not addressed here, please see the registry’s website for details. 

Yes, Smith Chason College is accredited by the ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges).

Our programs work in cooperation with community partners nationally in the medical field, including but not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, and assisted living.

Externships and clinical rotations may be attended during daytime hours, evenings, or weekends as approved by externship/clinical sites and Smith Chason. Students are responsible for transportation to and from their externship site and may be required to travel more than 75 miles from the campus each way including out of the area or out of state.

In addition, our partners require that we ensure that our students participating in externships or clinical practice at their facilities have required vaccinations, health screenings, and clear background checks.

All programs at our college require clinical applications on real patients as required by the Boards that license our graduates. Therefore, any person enrolling at Smith Chason will be required to perform all clinical requirements to meet graduation and state board requirements.

6 months for our Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound Diploma students.

Yes. Smith Chason College is eligible to participate in federal financial assistance programs, California state aid programs, approved for the training of veterans and eligible persons, private student loans, and scholarships. Learn more about financial options available to those who qualify at Smith Chason College on our Financial Aid page

Smith Chason also offers and accepts a variety of scholarships. Our Smith Chason Scholarship booklet contains a sampling of various scholarships granted by Smith Chason and other sources for you to consider as you embark on your educational journey. Scholarships can be a great source of additional assistance to help you fund your education and your future!

For other scholarships not listed in our booklet, please visit FastWeb, an online resource to search over 1.5 million scholarships.

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*Smith Chason College does not control the availability, validity or selection criteria of outside scholarships. Scholarships and financial aid is available to those who qualify

Yes, graduates who have successfully completed all parts of their program are eligible to sit for their registry and NCLEX exams. This includes the SPI and CCT which can be taken after completing PHY202 and CAR220 respectively, ARRT(S), ARRT(MR), ARMRIT, ARDMS, NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN after graduation.  Smith Chason strongly recommends obtaining certifications to provide you with the best knowledge and opportunities when entering the medical imaging and nursing field. Smith Chason provides registry reviews, NCLEX prep with  robust ATI program and assistance with the exam process.

See our Pathways to Registry for Medical Imaging Students for more information.