r/Sonographers

Hi everyone! Hoping for some advice here.

I'm in Ontario Canada working as a general sonographer (1.5 yrs of experience) at two different hospitals that has inpatients and outpatients.

One is a 10 hr shift in a hospital with an ED department and I typically scan anywhere from 8-13 patients a day doing every kind of exam except for cardiac and vascular.

The other hospital is 8 hr shifts without any ED department and I scan 10-12 patients a day doing the same type of scans as the other hospital except for OB. This hospital has a lot of palliative patients and older patients who are really difficult to scan due to mobility and cognitive issues. All my exams are back to back at this hospital and I don't have time to eat anything until 12 or have regular washroom breaks because it's so fast paced. I also have to get to work 30+ minutes before I start (unpaid) because there's so much admin stuff to do before I am ready for my patients.

I feel really overworked and stressed out at my 8hr shift job and am wondering for those that work an 8hr shift, how many patients do you see and are they all back to back? Trying to get an idea of the workload and different hospitals. Thanks!

**for both jobs I also have to organize appointments, triage requisitions and coordinate with different departments in the hospital

AHHHHHHHHHHH
as it turns out i WASNT cooked 🧘‍♀️ passed with a 639

What’s up with jobs not training new grads? I noticed that a lot of ultrasound jobs either want you to have the knowledge and experience already or they’ll just expect you to learn on your own and figure it out. what happened to training?

I’ve been a Sonographer for about 3.5 years now. My first job was at a hospital. I learned so much but got extremely burnt out due to chronic understaffing. I wanted to cry everyday before coming in because there were many times I came in to find out I was the ONLY ultrasound tech working in the entire hospital. I was constantly getting called on my days off, scanning things without having anyone to ask questions, constantly getting angry messages from doctors as to why I haven’t scanned their patients yes, and I even had to train students during this time…

I got a new job at an out patient facility and thought it would be the answer to all my prayers. I’m 4 months in and I fear I hate this job as much if not more than the hospital. I’m scanning patients back to back to back from clock in to clock out. And I’m incredibly micro-managed. I got an angry email from my boss recently because I forgot to restock my gel bottles after a crazy day of scanning.

Most days I find myself just trying to keep up. I just don’t think this life is for me…. My husband and son get the most drained, irritated version of me. I was so proud and excited about this career when I graduated. Now, I fantasize about sweeping floors in a bakery🥲

I graduated from a accsc ultrasound program, so I can sit for my SPI and then after a year of work experience I would be ARDMS eligible. I have two years experience as a CCMA so I am hoping I can get my foot in the door to ultrasound through medical assisting, has this worked for anyone? Or anyone had success assisting ultrasound techs?

Hi I graduated back in November 2024 and I took my ob board in April of 2025 and I failed because I didn’t study well enough. I moved to Hawaii and I have been trying to apply for job but no one will hiring me because I have no ARDMS and they say I’m not qualified. I tried to re apply for my board because I’m ready now and I can’t because no CV form. Do think my school will provide me one? If not will I forever the screwed because I can’t take my board and not get a job.

Hey everyone!!!

Are there any tips and/or tricks when it comes to taking the SPI exam like right when you sit down? Such as something that mostly all students don't know about that you found out from someone else?

I was told that you are able to lock all 108 questions just by hitting "next" and to go back you can press the review to start from one, instead of it regenerating everything? Is that true?

I had a scanning interview with Radnet. I am used to using GEs E8-10. The machine was GE but a different kind. The freeze button and capture button were exactly switched compared to what I was used to so instead of freezing the image, I saved the image. That got me so nervous and that is what I focused on during the scan instead of what I was actually looking at. Turns out I missed pathology(I was scanning a student). So I didnt get the job. Despite the negative reputation Ive heard about, I really like radnet and I think its a great place to start. Its been almost a year since graduating without having luck with getting a job(Im in SoCal and cant relocate). So I really want to reapply in 3 months. But with all the anxiety and stress I do not remember the name of the machine I used so that I can study.

Hello. First time poster to this subreddit and I just need to vent into the void with people who might understand a bit better than my friends and family out of the field.

I fully graduated (passed SPI, finished 810 hours of clinicals) on March 27th. Been applying everywhere and anywhere while I study for my CCI RVS, and finally, FINALLY got a call back last week. Aced the phone interview. Really set myself up well for the practical.

And then I completely bombed it.

I forgot EVERYTHING. Panicked. Took forever to find the CFV and the saphenofemoral junction. I’m not like that. I’m better than this. I can usually find that in my sleep on a bad day. I fucking graduated top of my class and was named best scanner. I’m horrifically embarrassed and discouraged now.

I know it was my first real interview. I know it’s not the end of the world nor the end of my career. But I just feel like an absolute fucking failure and moron right now. Any advice for future interviews or things I should do to prepare are appreciated and welcomed. I just feel so damn lost now and more downtrodden than I have in my entire thirty two years of life.

I graduate in a month and I was wondering what everyone’s expectations are for fresh grads in an inpatient setting. For example, how proficient in complex pathology, basic pediatric congenital, time spent with TEE. Let me know if there is anything extra I should be focusing on in the last couple weeks of my rotation.
Any information helps.

Thank you and happy scanning!

Hello everyone,
I have my ARRT scheduled for July 9th. I just now got the URR 1 month guide (for ABD) & I have the red penny book & I have the MUT (for both abd & ob/gyn). Even with these I just feel lost & overwhelmed like I feel like I’m still not prepared enough for it? I study the red penny book but it feels like SO MUCH INFO & it feels like there’s just I guess I could say “pointless” info in the book too? What have some of you done to get over this hump (if anyone has experienced this too)

What are the cardiac sonographers making? Bonus points if you’re in Kentucky. I am also cardiac making $36/hr and graduated a year and a half ago.

Are the URR questions just like SPI? I’ve been doing URR for a month and I’ve been getting great scores so I tried to do prepy and my scores been not the best. I just want to know which one should I really focus on.

Hello everyone! I just got registered as a cardiac sonographer and wanted to know if anyone was able to work as an echo tech with a medical marijuana card, marijuana is legal in jersey.

Hey everyone! I am fairly new to this channel. I have just completed my ultrasound physics course, and just applied to take my SPI. (How long did it normally take you guys to get a response back?) I’m trying to make a realistic study plan without burning myself out and wanted opinions from people who already passed.

Right now my plan is:

• Spend about 8 days going through all the Prepry SPI videos and taking notes
• Make a list of weak/confusing concepts while watching
• Use Ultrasound Board Reviews on YouTube to brush up on the topics I’m struggling with (especially Doppler/aliasing/etc.)
• Then spend about 5 days doing Prepry practice questions + reviewing mistakes
• Use Davies as more of a final reinforcement/touch-up resource instead of my main study source

I didn’t want to overwhelm myself by using 10 resources at once, so I’m trying to keep each resource for a specific purpose.

Does this sound realistic/effective for SPI prep? Do you guys have any tips or resources?

What am I supposed to expect from a second interview ? I had my first one in person a month or two ago. I was sure that they were not interested due to me not having my registry yet. We talked about pretty much everything. I’m nervous.

I take my exam next week and i just passed the ARRT last month which is Abd/OBGYN/Physics with about 400 questions…. I passed with flying colors but I’m still worried about the ARDMS exam..
has anyone taken it recently and/or remember what the test was heavy on? I have a pretty good understanding of pretty much everything, more detailed understanding of certain things obviously but I’m nervous!!!

I work at an outpatient facility that was just acquired by RadNet. They have started to install camera in the computers for MR and now ultrasound. My computer will be in the room and I’m not sure if patients who get undressed will feel comfortable with having cameras in the room. Does anyone work at a facility that has this? It’s super weird.

Also cardiac sonographers in other states, is your position considered “safety sensitive” disqualifying you from having a MMJ card?
BS RDMS New grad