CVT/Echocardiography Technician Certificate of Achievement

Students who complete their training satisfactorily are prepared to hold positions as cardiac sonographers, echocardiography technicians, cardiovascular technicians in a medical center, cardiology officer or health center. Students must maintain a grade of “C” or higher. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national registry examinations: American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).

Enrollment for the CVT/ECHO Program is consistent with over 100 applicants for each two-year cohort.  We can only admit 20 students because we are limited by the number of clinical sites for placement.  Our students come from as far north as Chico, and as far east as Stockton and Modesto. We try to limit their trips to three days a week, but those days can be long.  We would like to increase the number of students admitted to 25, but each year it gets harder to find clinical placement sites.  There are some predictions that when the current group of technicians retire, there will be a shortage of skilled CVT/ECHO technicians in a health care environment where the patient demand for testing is growing.

 

The students’ tests scores are monitored closely to provide resources when needed if a student is in danger of failing.  Attrition in the program is low to zero as problems are dealt with early in the courses.  To date, all students enrolling in the program complete the course with a 90-92% rate of employment in echocardiology departments within six months after completing the program.

The Program Goals are:

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

·        Comprehend, apply and evaluate information relative to the role of cardiac sonographer.

·        Demonstrate technical skills necessary to fulfill the role of cardiac sonographer.

·        Behave professionally, skillfully, and in a manner consistent with employer expectations for an entry-level position in cardiac ultrasound.

·        Qualify for the national registry examinations in cardiac ultrasound: American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).

 

Students complete a specific sequence of courses and complete over 800 hours of clinical lab and work experience to be eligible to take the certification exam and begin a career in cardiovascular sonography.

The CVT/Echocardiography technician certificate program enrolls one cohort every two years.  The applicants must have completed an anatomy and physiology or gross anatomy course and be eligible for College level English to apply. The program receives over 100 applicants and the eligible applicants are chosen by lottery. 

Courses Required for theCertificate of Achievement in CVT/Echocardiography Technician

Course	Units
Fall Semester:
ECHO 101 - Echocardiography	7.00
CVT 101 - Cardiovascular Technician	3.00
CVT 110 - Cardiovascular Skills	7.00
Total:	17.00
Spring Semester:
ECHO 201 - Advanced Echocardiography Technician	7.00
CVT 201 - Advanced Cardiovascular Technician	4.00
CVT 210 - Advanced Cardiovascular Skills	7.00
Total:	18.00
Fall Semester:
ECHO 301 - Advanced Cardiac Abnormalities	5.00
CVT 301 - Physics of Cardiac Ultrasound	3.00
CVT 310 - Clinical Experience in Cardiac Ultrasound	9.00
Total:	17.00
Spring Semester:
ECHO 401 - Advanced Echocardiographic Studies	6.00
CVT 410 - Clinical Experience in Advanced Cardiac Ultrasound	13.00
Total:	19.00
Total:	71.00

 

Many of the students who apply for the CVT/ECHO program already have an Associates of Science or Bachelor’s degree.  Those who do not are encouraged to complete the general requirements to obtain an Associates of Science in CVT/Echocardiography Technician

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
ECHO 101	Echocardiography	7	S1
CVT 101	Cardiovascular Technician	3	S1
CVT 110	Cardiovascular Skills	7	S1
ECHO 201	Advanced Echocardiography Technician	7	S2
CVT 201	Advanced Cardiovascular Technician	4	S2
CVT 210	Advanced Cardiovascular Skills	7	S2
ECHO 301	Advanced Cardiac Abnormalities	5	S3
CVT 301	Physics of Cardiac Ultrasound	3	S3
CVT 310	Clinical Experience in Cardiac Ultrasound	9	S3
ECHO 401	Advanced Echocardiographic Studies	6	S4
CVT 410	Clinical Experience in Advanced Cardiac Ultrasound	13	S4

The CVT/ECHO Program at CCSF has excellent enrollment and retention statistics. Graduates have an excellent passage rate and employment placement. It is the only community college program serving the bay area at this time if Foothill’s program is still on hold.

The City College of San Francisco CVT/Echocardiography program is a specialized program in diagnostic medical sonography. Foothill college is the only Bay Area Community College with a sonography program and has recently experienced difficulty in hiring a program director. City College of San Francisco and other neighboring Bay Area colleges are working together with Foothill College to investigate options to centralize program direction and offer the specialized instruction in diagnostic sonography and specialty areas. There are several private and college programs in the Los Angeles area. Kaiser Permanente has a program in their School of Allied Health. Similar programs in the state include Merced College, Loma Linda University, and San Joaquin Valley College.