Fall 2007

Dr. Steven A. Leers, Becomes the First Physician Chair for ARDMS
Dr. Steven A. Leers as New Chair for ARDMS Board of Directors.

Revisiting Prerequisite 2 and Prerequisite 3B
ARDMS reviews recent changes to prerequisites 2 and 3b.

Become an ARDMS "Cheer" Leader
Championing the cause of credentialing.

ARDMS Launches Website Redesign
Fresh new look for the ARDMS website.

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Dr. Steven A Leers, Becomes the First Physician Chair for ARDMS

At the September 2007 Board of Directors meeting, Dr. Steven A. Leers was appointed as Chair of the ARDMS Board of Directors. 

Dr. Leers took over this esteemed position with both excitement and enthusiasm.  He plans to continue to use the ARDMS mission statement as a guiding force for old and new programs.

“For more than three decades, our first responsibility has been to our Registrants who now number over 55,000.  It is to these Registrants that we remain committed in providing not only examinations and credentials, but routes to continuing education, legislative initiatives, personal advancement and growth.  As we look towards new testing modalities, advanced item development, international testing, and physician credentialing, we will keep our sight on the ARDMS mission of quality, safety, and professional competency.”

As the first physician Chair of the ARDMS Board of Directors, Dr. Leers was welcomed to the position after serving as a volunteer for more than 10 years in various roles within ARDMS. He is a vascular surgeon who has earned the RVT credential and has been running vascular laboratories for over 20 years.

ARDMS CEO and Executive Director Dale R. Cyr said, “Dr. Leers has helped lead the effort to fulfill and continue to promote the ARDMS mission.  I enthusiastically welcome him to this prestigious position and look forward to the skills and expertise that he will bring to the sonography community.”

Dr. Leers replaces Diane Kawamura, PhD, RDMS, who served her term in this position from 2005 to 2007.

A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. Leers earned his M.D. at the University of Massachusetts and continued his fellowship there in Peripheral Vascular Surgery.  He is Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and is currently Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and a vascular laboratory administrator.  Dr. Leers earned his ARDMS RVT credential in 1991 and volunteered as an Exam Development Task Force committee member, a member of the Board of Directors, and now the Chair of ARDMS Board of Directors. 

Dr. Leers contributed to various medical journals and case studies.  He has also given many presentations at international, national, and state professional organizations meetings, universities, and hospitals.

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Revisiting Prerequisite 2 and Prerequisite 3B

The revision of prerequisites 2 and 3B took effect on January 1, 2007, allowing individuals applying under those prerequisites to submit an application without a clinical verification (CV) form as long as it is within the stated parameters.  This recent change applies only to students who graduated after January 1, 2007. 

Instead of submitting the CV form, applicants will need to submit a mandatory formatted letter from their individual program director along with the application. To make the process of submitting this mandatory letter easier for both program directors and applicants, ARDMS has developed a mandatory letter template for prerequisite 2 and for prequisite 3B. This template allows program directors to simply insert the information into the required fields. 

It is mandatory that applications received from individuals applying under prerequisites 2 or 3B include a properly filled-out program director letter using the mandatory letter template.  Applications received by ARDMS without the mandatory letter will be denied, however, the $60 processing fee (per application) will be retained and the applicant will have to reapply. Help us assure this doesn't happen to your students.

The New Prerequisite 2

Under prerequisite 2, graduates of a program accredited by an agency recognized by the following organizations that specifically conduct programmatic accreditation for diagnostic medical sonography, diagnostic cardiac sonography, and/or vascular technology, can apply to ARDMS upon successful completion of the program (graduation): 

·        Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) 

·        United States Department of Education (USDOE)

·        Canadian Medical Association (CMA) 

Once the mandatory letter template is completed correctly, it is valid for one year from the date of graduation and waives the CV form requirement for any listed specialties for that year. Applicants must also submit an official transcript or diploma.

If a student graduated prior to January 1, 2007, they must:

·        Have an official transcript or diploma,

·        Submit an acceptable successful completion letter (following application book guidelines) 

         and

·        Submit valid CV forms for all applied for specialty areas. 

The New Prerequisite 3B

Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in sonography or vascular technology can apply under prerequisite 3B, provided they have completed 12 months of fulltime clinical ultrasound or vascular experience within the program.

Starting January 1, 2007, the CV form will not be required by applicants applying under prerequisite 3B provided the application is submitted and received in the ARDMS office within one year prior to successful completion of the program.  Additionally, the applicant must have completed 12 months of fulltime clinical experience, within the program, at the time that the application is submitted.

ARDMS only accepts the mandatory template letter for processing ALL prerequisite 3B letters (prior to graduation) regardless of what exams they are applying for.  If a student is applying after graduation they need a new letter verifying successful completion of the program and CV forms for any applied for specialty areas. The 3B letter states it is only good through date of graduation, therefore may not even be used for physics after graduation.

Please note: If the bachelor’s degree sonography/VT program is also CAAHEP accredited and the student has graduated, then the prerequisite 3B students should apply under prerequisite 2 and use the prerequisite 2 mandatory letter template.

About the Decision

Based on current trends in ultrasound education, the ARDMS Certification Committee made the recommendation to make exceptions to both prerequisite 2 and 3B thereby allowing those applicants to submit an application without the CV form, if applied for within the set parameters. The ARDMS Board of Directors agreed with this recommendation and approved the changes.

About ARDMS Prerequisites

ARDMS currently offers four prerequisites with eight total options under which to apply. An applicant for ARDMS examinations must select a prerequisite under which he or she wants to apply. Each prerequisite requires (1) the appropriate educational background, (2) necessary clinical ultrasound or vascular experience and (3) required documentation that must be submitted with the application. All three components of the applied-for prerequisite must be met before an application can be approved and an applicant can be allowed to examine.

About the Current Clinical Verification Process

Currently, applicants for all specialty examinations must submit an original CV form with their application materials. The CV form serves to substantiate the clinical experience required to apply for each specialty examination. An applicant for ARDMS examinations must meet all of the requirements listed on the CV form, and the form must be completed, dated and signed by an ARDMS-registered sonographer or vascular technologist in the applied-for specialty area upon completion of the clinical experience. The changes to prerequisites 2 and 3B make exception (within the stated parameters) to the current requirement that all applicants submit a CV form.

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Become an ARDMS “Cheer” Leader

Here are some ways to educate the public, raise medical ultrasound awareness and celebrate a profession in sonography: 

§    Educate your students about ARDMS’ credentials: The mission of ARDMS is to provide “quality care and patient safety through the certification and continuing competency of ultrasound professionals.”  To assist you in sharing information with new students, ARDMS is developing a new brochure entitled, “Understanding Sonography...and the Importance of a Certified Sonographer.”  If you are interested in receiving the brochure, send an e-mail with your name and mailing address to communications@ardms.org and we will add your name to future distribution efforts.

      Celebrate your students’ accomplishments: A recent study found that 97% of Registrants feel proud to have earned an ARDMS credential.  Encourage your students by sharing this statistic as they prepare to apply or take an ARDMS exam.

      Encourage your students to become credentialed: The reasons sonographers become credentialed varies widely. According to a recent survey, many active Registrants sought certification as a personal career goal, to distinguish themselves as competent in the field, to elevate the profession of sonography, to expand career opportunities, or because it was a condition of employment. 

      Be a Mentor:  Offer to lend a supportive hand to students and those new to the profession of sonography. Impart your clinical expertise through hands-on scanning, share the full scope of the day-to-day experience of a sonographer, and encourage and celebrate efforts by others to become ARDMS certified.

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ARDMS Launches Website Redesign

Have you visited the ARDMS website (www.ARDMS.org) lately?  Did you notice anything different?

The ARDMS has spent the last several months improving and updating the look and feel of the site.  We worked hard to make it more user-friendly and manageable for all visitors.

The new and improved website is enhanced with an updated design: content that is easier to find, user friendly capabilities, larger text, and much more. The goal of the new website was to make finding information quick and easy for our visitors. 

The new “Educator Resources” section is easy to navigate, has helpful topics, and lists all the requirements that an educator may need to know about.

We have also added a new section especially for students called “Student     Resources.”  This new feature is a one-stop resource to all their needs as they    prepare to apply for an exam.

As you navigate through the website, you will see that the content has been reorganized for specific audiences, such as educators, students, Registrants and those individuals interested in applying. Some additional new features include printer-friendly pages, Quick Links that make finding information more immediate and accessible, and a brand new newsletter sign-up page.

Dale Cyr, CEO and the Executive Director for ARDMS, commented: “We hope the new website conveys all of the relevant and important information the sonography community groups will need. We are very excited about the redesign and hope that the new and improved website will serve as a great resource to our visitors.”

The design and structure of the new ARDMS website was based largely on feedback provided by Registrants. We’ve incorporated your ideas and suggestions into the design and usability of the website in order to make navigation easier and quicker. Here is what one of our registrants had to say about the new website “The website is much easier to navigate and pleasing to look at.  As an “old timer” I appreciate the color scheme and layout” – 09/07/2007.

We invite you to log on to www.ARDMS.org, and visit the newly redesigned ARDMS website that features a new look and enhanced navigation today!

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Notes for Educators. Copyright. 2007.  American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The ideas and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of ARDMS.