Sonographer
What the work is
Examines patients and operates ultrasound equipment to acquire, interpret and selectively record anatomical images, physical data and real-time physiological information.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Makes adjustments to patient position, and operates and adjusts ultrasound equipment using appropriate settings to obtain optimal diagnostic images
- Analyses images and reports on findings for Medical Practitioners to interpret and provide diagnosis
- Explains procedures to patients, answers questions, and ensures safety and comfort throughout the examination
- Maintains and calibrates ultrasound equipment to ensure accuracy and quality of images
- Adheres to safety protocols and infection control measures during ultrasound procedures
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a darkened ultrasound room in a medical imaging practice and hospital. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A couple see their baby on the screen for the first time and gasp
- You find exactly the picture the doctor was looking for
- A nervous patient relaxes during the scan and starts to chat
Hard days
- Holding the same awkward position for hours and feeling it in your shoulder
- A patient who asks you a question you are not allowed to answer
- A full list where every scan needs to be thorough and no one can be rushed
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 263531, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.