ECHOCARDIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
El Centro only
(Associate in Applied Sciences Degree, Tech Prep)
- Students pursuing this award program are required to meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) standards and course prerequisites.
- Students must earn at least 25% of the credit hours required for graduation through instruction by the college awarding the degree.
Degree Plan Code: AAS.ECHO.06
The Echocardiology Technology program is a two-year program that prepares students to function as an Echocardiographer. The first year of the program consists of general education and health occupations core courses. The second year of the program provides intensive didactic and clinical training in the medical specialty of Echocardiology.
The Echocardiology technologist performs cardiovascular examinations to produce a picture of a heart and great vessels using high-frequency sound waves. These examinations are used to diagnose congenital heart disease, valvular disease, pericardial disease, cardiomyopathy, and other cardiovascular disorders. Types of examinations include 2D and 3D Echo, M-mode and color flow Doppler, as well as Transesophageal and Stress Studies. The Echocardiographer may work in hospitals, clinics and physicians offices.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1970, Chicago, Illinois 60601-2208: Telephone number 312-553-9355) in cooperation with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT, 3525 Ellicott Mills Drive, Suite N, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043-4547, telephone number: 410 418 4805).
Admission requirements include an information session, satisfactory scores on pre-entrance assessment testing, completion of program prerequisite courses with a cumulative grade point of 2.85 or higher, completion of all requirements for admissions as a full-time student to the college. Applicants are rank-ordered for admission based on grade point earned on prerequisite courses, interviews and recommendation letters. Contact the Assessment Center at El Centro College to sign up for the assessment tests and, Health Occupations Admissions to receive an information packet.
NOTE: HPRS 1204, 1271, 1202, 2300, 2231, and 2201 are all health occupations core curriculum courses. These courses are listed and described in a separate section of the El Centro College catalog: Health Occupations Core Curriculum.
SEMESTER I
SEMESTER II
SEMESTER III
| DSAE 2303 |
Cardiovascular Concepts |
3 |
| DMSO 2343 |
Advanced Ultrasound Principles and Instrumentation |
3 |
| DSAE 1203 |
Introduction to Echocardiography Techniques |
2 |
| DSAE 1260 |
Clinical-Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician |
2 |
|
|
10 |
SEMESTER IV
| DSAE 2404 |
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Pathology I |
4 |
| DSAE 2660 |
Clinical-Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician |
6 |
| DSAE 2235 |
Advanced Echocardiology |
2 |
|
|
12 |
SEMESTER V
| DSAE 2437 |
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Pathology II |
4 |
| DSAE 2661 |
Clinical-Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician |
6 |
| DMSO 2130 |
Advanced Ultrasound and Review |
1 |
|
|
11 |
| Minimum Hours Required |
69-70 |
+Humanities/Fine Arts Elective - must be selected from any 3-credit hour course from the DCCCD Core Curriculum for Humanities/Fine Arts.
NOTE: Students enrolling in this program who plan to transfer to a four year institution should consult an advisor or counselor regarding transfer requirements and the transferability of these courses to the four year institution of their choice.
