FACT NUMBER THREE

Sonographers are fucking wizards

What is this??? WHAT IS THIS??????

Retro Sonography Shirt!

Sonographer Shirt | Sonography Shirt | Sonography Grad | Sonography Student Shirt | College Graduation Gift

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I go to med school and on a daily basis we are given the choice to wear scrubs or business cas and it still amazes me that people would willingly choose to wear business cas over literal pajamas

I passed my practical exam 😇 now who's going to give me a congratulatory iced coffee? 😴

studying for an exam :)

I got accepted to my degree program! 😁

I'm Back

I only posted on this blog for like a month, and then I disappeared for over a year, so I don't really know if anyone is going to read this, but I'm back. I've updated my pinned introduction post if anyone's interested.

Short Life Update:

It has been a while, to say the least. A lot happened, a lot changed. I graduated from NC State this May, so that's probably the biggest thing. I think when I first started this blog, it was the spring semester of my third year, so I was planning on studying abroad in Prague, which didn't happen, lol, unfortunately. A BUNCH of family drama occurred over the summer. Last winter, I was planning on teaching English in Japan through the JET Program once I graduated, which also didn't happen. I couldn't even finish the application and submit it before something happened lmao. So that all sucks. However, I am planning to travel to Japan this fall and be there for a couple weeks, which is exciting. I took a couple-months-long break from studying Japanese after I graduated. So, I really need to review and study for my trip. I know many people in Japan, especially in major tourist cities speak English well, but I've studied Japanese for two years and I really want to take in and absorb as much as possible when I go.

I went to Epcot in Disney World with my family to celebrate graduation. I moved back from my college apartment to stay with my family. I started taking pre-req classes for a medical sonography program at my local community college on a whim. They begin taking applications for the program this-coming spring semester, so fingers crossed I make it. I think I have a good chance. The job search has not been going well and I'm beginning to get a little discouraged, both in the current options and some previous responses. Although, imo, if a job has "social media-obsessed" in its description, it's not really a job worth having, which is another reason behind my sudden and early career change.

Blog Plans:

I do want to continue as a studyblr since I am still studying Japanese, and will hopefully study other languages in the future, as well. And, since I started another degree almost immediately after graduation. I would like to restart and try my hand at the 100 Days of Productivity challenge again since I didn't get very far last time and I've been lacking motivation since graduation, but I'm not sure I'd be successful given some current circumstances. I know that productivity can be relative during the challenge, such as doing stuff like housework or exercise, but I still just don't want to set myself up for failure, especially given my current state of mind. So, I might put that off for a little longer.

I'm hoping to post daily updates and such, maybe some study tips or motivation, and also just use it as a place to rant, vent, scream into the void, etc.

That should be all for now. Sorry for the long post if you made it this far, lol.

Hi, how are you? I seen you in an ultrasound tag. And I seen you went to school for it. I was wondering if you could tell me your experience and if you enjoy it as a career?

Hi Anon, I'm good, thank you for asking! And absolutely, I’d be happy to. ^^

I live in the U.S., so requirements and program length may be different elsewhere, but in general most sonography programs are approximately 2 years (not including any prerequisite courses you'll need beforehand in order to apply). It is definitely a tough program! It takes a lot of dedication and determination and sometimes sheer force of will; I gave up the majority of my free time for 2 years to make room for the amount of studying that's required, was often pushed out of my comfort zone, and wondered more than once if I could truly achieve my goals, but in the end I feel it was 100% worth it.

I won't lie, sonography is a difficult field; at first, it kinda feels like "what do you mean these shades of gray make an image of actual anatomy, it all looks like blobs" but I promise that it eventually begins to make sense! It's such an exciting feeling when you look back after months of practice to realize that you've made visible, tangible progress and that now those "gray blobs" actually make sense as real anatomy. You get excited about the funniest things (my classmates and I would gush over a easily seen pancreas lmao I still do) and learn all kinds of cool, wacky things bodies can/might do.

My program included lecture courses, lab courses, and clinical rotations in real health care facilities. While they're all important, the clinical rotations were the most impactful for me because I learn best by being hands-on, which is exactly what those rotations are for. Lab time was great for learning the anatomy on generally healthy people (classmates) without many time constraints, with a teacher present to guide/answer questions, but clinicals introduce you to the general population who are, by and large, sick and/or in pain. It often introduces you to pathology that, until that point, you only see in lectures and books.

There are some important board exams required to become a registered sonographer: the SPI (Sonography Principles and Instrumentation) and a specialty board (Abdomen, OB/GYN, Vascular, etc.). Regardless of which specialty you want to go into, you must pass the SPI to become credentialed. I attached a link so you can research it further, but basically it's an exam that focuses on the physics that make ultrasound possible as an imaging modality. They’re difficult exams, designed so that you have to choose the “best answer” from multiple options that might technically be correct, so you have to read carefully. I have bad test anxiety, so I learned to skip anything I didn’t know immediately and come back to it after answering the rest. Also, trust your gut and refrain from changing your answers too often.

As far as my career, I'm still new at it. I've only been working as a registered sonographer for a little over 6 months, but, even with the challenges of working in health care, I love it. I like that I can work both independently and with a team; it’s nice to get my coworkers’ input/advice on things I’m not sure about or questioning. Every day is different. My hospital is super busy most days, but it offers a lot of room for obtaining experience due to the range of scans we perform. In an average week, I'll scan a mix of general abdomen (evaluating liver, gallbladder, kidneys, etc.), small parts (thyroid, scrotum), vascular (so many legs to rule out blood clots, whew), OB/GYN (lots of first trimester from the Emergency Room, and many second/third from patients in our Labor & Delivery unit), and we even perform procedures like biopsies. My hospital also has a NICU, where we scan infant brains or newborn kidneys or spines to evaluate for abnormalities. (Granted, not every hospital does all of this! We just happen to be one of the largest hospitals in an otherwise rural area so we're kind of a catch-all.) My ultimate goal is to become a travel tech, so I wanted to work somewhere that would help me gain a range of experience quickly.

As you can see, there's so many different possibilities with ultrasound! It's not just used for those who are pregnant, like a lot of people (myself included, initially) assume. If babies aren't your preference (which, same, they're super wiggly lol but cute regardless), you still have a wide range of options to choose from. I'd definitely recommend doing some research and asking for opportunities to shadow ultrasound techs near you, to get an idea of what they do and ask questions. (Unlike me, who literally Googled the profession before applying to my program with super limited knowledge on just what I was getting into lol thankfully it worked out and became something I love!)

Awesome birthday/graduation present from a friend! Accurate nutritional information. I am about 100% caffeine at this point.

Made a lil something today for the sonography girlies ✨🐶🔊

You never know true discomfort until the sonographer forgets to tell you that they heat up the ultrasound gel

20 + 0

Yesterday we got to see our small lady via 20wk ultrasound! Everything came back positive and she’s still on track for her estimated due date. I can’t believe she’s really inside of me wiggling around and doing little flips. Every day it gets a little more real and we get a little closer to having her with us.

(via Ultrasound Awareness Month Pullover Sweatshirt by Nawaz Kakkal)

Ultrasound Tech Gifts For Sonographers. Sonography Gift Seeing With Sound Ultrasonography. Great gift for radiology month, ultra sound student, radiographer, ultrasonographer, vascular echocardiography technologist, clinical or program director! You've