32122 Medical sonographers

What this occupation covers

Medical sonographers operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of various parts of the body to aid physicians in monitoring pregnancies and in diagnosing cardiac, ophthalmic, vascular and other medical disorders. They are employed in clinics and hospitals. Medical sonographers who are supervisors or instructors are included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 8 main duties for this code.

• Operate ultrasound imaging equipment that transmits high frequency sound pulses through the body to produce images of those parts of the body requiring examination
• Monitor examination by viewing images on video screen, to evaluate quality and consistency of diagnostic images, and make adjustments to equipment, as required
• Record, store and process scanned images by using camera unit connected to ultrasound equipment
• Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure patient safety and comfort
• Prepare examination reports for physicians to aid in the monitoring of pregnancies and the diagnosis of cardiac, abdominal, ophthalmic, vascular and other disorders
• Perform quality control checks on ultrasound equipment to ensure proper operation and perform minor repairs and adjustments as required
• May supervise and train students and other medical sonographers.
• Medical sonographers may specialize in abdominal, cardiac, cerebral, obstetrical and gynaecological, ophthalmic, intraluminal or peripheral vascular sonography. They may also specialize in adult or pediatric echocardiography or neurosonology.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 8 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 32121 Medical radiation technologists

Excluded from this code

• Medical radiation technologists (See 32121 Medical radiation technologists)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

adult echocardiographer · cardiac sonographer · cardiac ultrasound technician · cardiac ultrasound technologist · chief diagnostic medical sonographer · diagnostic cardiac sonographer · diagnostic echography technician · diagnostic medical sonographer · diagnostic medical sonography instructor · diagnostic ultrasonography technician · diagnostic ultrasound supervisor · diagnostic ultrasound technician · diagnostic ultrasound technologist - medical · echocardiographer · echocardiography technician · echocardiography technologist · echocardiography technologist sonographer · echography technician · echography technologist · medical imaging technologist - ultrasound · medical sonographer · medical sonographers supervisor · pediatric echocardiographer · registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer

Employment requirements

• Completion of a three- to four-year program in diagnostic medical sonography or ultrasound technology or completion of a two- to three-year program in a related allied health field and a one-year post-diploma program in diagnostic medical sonography from an accredited institution are required.
• Registration with Sonography Canada and/or the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers is usually required by employers.
• Registration with l'Ordre des technologues en imagerie médicale, en radio-oncologie et en électrophysiologie médicale du Québec is required in Quebec.
• Registration with the College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario (CMRTO) is required in Ontario.