Sonography

Applicants can apply to multiple medical imaging programs at the same time. Candidates who are deemed eligible to interview for multiple programs can only interview for one program per year and will be asked to choose which program they wish to interview for.

Things you will need BEFORE you can complete your online Sonography application: 

• RRCC Student S#.  Not an RRCC Student? Apply here
• Transfer all completed pre-reqs so they appear on your RRCC transcript (see #1 below)

Submit the online DMS General Program Application with pdf file attachments during the application window of January 5th to end of February at Midnight for both DMS AAS Degree Programs (General and Cardiac). 

To apply for the Cardiac Degree; Echocardiography AAS Degree program

APPLICATIONS FOR THE DMS AAS PROGRAMS RECEIVED OUTSIDE OF THE JAN. 5 - end of Feb. WINDOW WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 

Applicants can apply to multiple medical imaging programs at the same time.  Candidates who are deemed eligible to interview for multiple programs can only interview for one program per year and will be asked to choose which program they wish to interview for.

Online application PDF attachments:

Step 1:

Red Rocks Community College Transcript:

• Must include all completed pre-reqs, circled or underlined. Only an official or unofficial RRCC transcript is accepted. Do not attach transcripts from other schools. It may take 4-6 weeks for transfer credit processing. Please plan ahead and submit your transfer credit form and official transcripts early. We recommend that all transfer credit transcripts, credit for prior learning (CLEP), and advanced placement testing be submitted by February to RRCC Student Records, Lakewood Campus.  
• Applicants submitting pre-req documentation after February will be processed in the order they are received.
• All email communication should be done via your (cccs.edu) account. 
• To transfer in the prerequisite credits for the DMS program, please complete the Transfer Credit Evaluation Request form. On the form you will indicate AAS: DMS. You would then need to send official transcripts by one of the methods listed below.
  • Electronic transcripts can be sent directly from the school to: student.records@rrcc.edu  ***If an electronic transcript is issued to the student or any other party and then forwarded to us, it is not considered official.
  • Official Transcripts can be mailed to: Student Records, Box 8 Red Rocks Community College 13300 W 6th Ave Lakewood CO 80228-1255 

****For a paper transcript to be official, it must still be in the sealed envelope from the issuing institution. It may be mailed directly to student records from the school, or brought to student records by the student***

• Once a request is received, previous college credits will be transferred in according to the transfer of credits policies in the catalog.
• ****COVID-19: Please note that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Student Records services are currently 100% remote. We do check the mail weekly but expect delays in processing for physical transcripts. Please keep this in mind when considering your options.****
• For additional information, please visit the Student Records webpage, or email your questions to Student.Records@rrcc.edu.
• In-progress pre-reqs must be complete by May.  No transcripts are required – instead you will report these in-progress pre-reqs in your application.  Candidates may be required to submit in-progress grades via email in April, and the grade at that time may be used to score the application.    
• If any pre-reqs are missing from the RRCC transcript or not reported in-progress, the application will not be considered.

Step 2:

Resume, to include:

• Paid Patient Care Experience (optional): paid employment in patient care within the last 10 years, providing face to face medical services to people as a member of a team of professional healthcare providers, in a medical or in-home environment.  Experience in specific patient care fields listed here will result in higher points. 
• Community Service (optional): any amount of volunteer experience in the last 5 years will earn points. 

Step 3:

Two letters of reference, dated within the last 2 years, with a signature and phone contact information. Letters are scored based on quality of content. Letters from supervisors and/or healthcare professionals will receive more points. 

Step 4:

• A title page
• Your background, goals, interests, achievements
• Motivation for attending the program and career plans
• Description of a challenging situation you have experienced and description of how you used problem-solving and critical thinking skills to find a solution
• Format: 2-3 pages (not including title page), double-spaced, 12 pt font
• Essay score is based on quality of essay content. The RRCC Writing Center can provide support to students needing assistance with writing skills.

Step 5:

Job Shadowing Forms (optional)

Job Shadowing/Lab Volunteering is optional, but strongly recommended.  Job shadowing hours must be done with a registered/licensed sonographer and the completed RRCC Sonographer job shadowing form must be submitted with the application to receive credit. The school does not arrange or recommend sites. Points are awarded based on hours reported on job shadowing form(s). 1 point is awarded for every 4 hours of shadowing, up to a maximum of 40 hours.

Sonography students can also earn job shadowing hours for volunteering to be scanned by students in the RRCC ultrasound scan lab. Interested students can apply with the Lab Volunteer Sign-up Form (in the section below). After a lab volunteer session, candidates must ask for a signed Lab Volunteer Form and include it in their application to receive credit. *Please note volunteers will only be contacted if a time slot is available. Volunteers do not receive a copy of their images, diagnostic results or medical advice as part of their scan

Step 6:

Copy of your 2yr Allied Health Degree or Bachelor's Degree

Step 7:

Copy of National License/Registry card (does not apply to Bachelor Degreed candidates)

To view a timeline of what happens after you apply, please see the Admissions Timeline in the above section.

How the Applications are Scored

Nearly 75% of score is based on essay, GPA, and 1001 grade. 

Rank  Item

1 - Essay

2 - GPA in prerequisite coursework only

3 - DMS 1001 Grade

4 - Letters of Reference

5 - Paid Patient Care Experience

6 - Job Shadowing / Lab Volunteering

7 - Community Service

Non-Discrimination Statement

Red Rocks Community College is committed to diversity in its people and programs. Please visit the RRCC HR page to see the Non-Discrimination Statement listed under Polices and Procedures for more information. 

Sonographers perform ultrasound examinations of patients for diagnostic purposes.

Sonographers perform ultrasound examinations of patients for diagnostic purposes. Typical duties include:

• Create and interpret ultrasound images of organs, tissues, and blood flow
• Recognize normal vs. abnormal conditions and modify exam as appropriate
• Provide a summary of findings to interpreting physician

Employment

RRCC does not offer formal job placement services, but enrolled students can seek assistance via the Career Success Center. To see current job placement rates for graduates of the program, please see the section titled Why Choose RRCC for more information.

Average Hourly Wages for Sonographers: $23-33
Projected growth (2014-2024): Much faster than average
Projected job openings (2014-2024): 27,500

Career Paths

The following are specialties associated with diagnostic medical sonography. Training for AB, OB, and VT certification is included in the AAS degree. Other specialties listed require further certification. Visit the ARDMS website for more information about requirements.

• Abdomen (AB) (included in AAS degree at RRCC)
• Obstetrics (OB)/Gynecology (included in AAS degree at RRCC)
• Vascular Technology (VT) (included in AAS degree at RRCC)
• Adult Echocardiography (AE)
• Pediatric Echocardiography (PE)
• Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
• Musculoskeletal (MSK) 
• Pediatric Sonography (PS) 

When enrolled in the clinical internship courses, students typically spend 36-40 hours per week at a healthcare facility. Students can expect to rotate through a variety of shifts on weekdays and weekends, during the day, at night, or overnight. Students provide their own transportation to clinical facilities, which may be located within a 150-mile radius from the college. However, sites are limited and it is possible you may be placed out of state. For a list of current clinical sites, please see the Clinical Affiliates section above.