Sonography - FAQs

How long is the program?
When are classes?
Will I be guaranteed a job with Kaiser when I graduate?
When are classes held?
Are night classes available?
What is the cost of the program?
When is the application deadline?
How do I pay for tuition and books?
Where will I be assigned for clinical rotations?
Are all clinical sites Kaiser Permanente facilities?
Are all Kaiser Permanente medical facilities clinical sites?
Is a particular uniform required for clinical education?
Is the program hard?
When and where is orientation?
Is the Sonography Program at KPSAHS Accredited?
When is graduation?
Will I learn to do vascular ultrasound or echocardiography?

How long is the program?

The Sonography program is an 18-month (6 quarter) full-time program providing didactic and clinical education in abdominal, obstetrical, and gynecologic specialty areas for prospective sonographers.

When are classes?

Class times and dates will vary from quarter to quarter. Student should be prepared to attend classes five days a week (Monday through Friday).

Students should expect long days. Clinical rotations are generally 8-hour days (not including lunch) and didactic class days usually begin around 8:00 AM and end around 5:00 PM. Adequate time must also be allotted for homework and study.

Will I be guaranteed a job with Kaiser when I graduate?

Job placement with Kaiser is not guaranteed.

Where are classes held?

Didactic classes for Sonography are held at the Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond, California. Clinical rotations are arranged at various medical facilities throughout Northern California by the Program Director.

Are night classes available?

Night classes are not available at this time.

What is the cost of the program?

Tuition for the Sonography program is $9000.00 for the full program or $1500 per quarter.
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When is the application deadline?

Please refer to "How to apply" page

How do I pay for tuition and books?

Tuition and fees are paid directly to KPSAHS during the week of orientation.

Where will I be assigned for clinical rotations?

Clinical assignments for all programs are made by the Program Director with input from the program staff. Clinical assignments are made to ensure all students receive an equitable high quality clinical education during their enrollment. Clinical rotations are limited by the number of clinical sites available in an area. Students may be required to rotate between clinical sites during the course of their clinical education to ensure all students receive exposure to a variety of imaging equipment or imaging procedures. Due to the nature of traffic in Northern California, students may be required to travel several hours to clinical sites. All students must be prepared and willing to commit themselves to any travel time required to achieve the educational goals of the program. Rotation requirements will be presented to the student by his/her respective Program Director. Due to the potential for conflict of interests (i.e., imposed work demands supercede learning obligations), students are discouraged from training at their work places. Some Imaging Department Directors have officially ruled against allowing their Program-enrolled employees to train at their workplaces.

Are all clinical sites Kaiser Permanente facilities?

A majority of the clinical sites used for clinical rotations by the sonography program are Kaiser Facilities. We do have affiliation agreements with several non-Kaiser facilities located throughout Northern California.

Are all Kaiser Permanente Medical Facilities clinical sites?

Not all Kaiser Permanente medical facilities are clinical sites of the Program.

Is a particular uniform required for clinical education?

Students represent the School when they are participating in clinical rotations and are required to dress conservatively in business attire during participation in clinical rotations. In addition, all students are required to wear a clean and pressed white lab-coat over their clothing.

Is the program difficult?

Learning ultrasound is much harder than most people think. There is a tremendous amount of material to cover in a minimal amount of time. Learning ultrasound requires extensive study of ultrasound physics and instrumentation as well as anatomy, physiology, typical sonographic appearances, and pathophysiology of the abdomen, pelvis, superficial structures, and fetus. A tremendous amount of time outside of class is required for reading and studying. Learning to "see" anatomy and pathology on ultrasound is challenging as well. Ultrasound is a skill that requires considerable critical thinking and practice.

When and where is the orientation?

Prior to the start of class there is a mandatory orientation at the KPSAHS Richmond Campus. Orientation is typically held during the last week of September.

Is the sonography program accredited?

The Sonography program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS) and by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences has received full institutional approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). The Bureau has determined that this institution’s operational plan satisfies the minimum standards listed in Education Code Section 94915 (b).

When is graduation?

Sonography students will finish classes and receive a certificate of completion at the end of March. Students may apply to take the ARDMS registry examinations up to 60 days before program completion and can test as soon as they receive a verification letter from the ARDMS upon satisfactory completion of the program. The graduation ceremony is held in September each year for all KPSAHS programs. Graduates from all programs are recognized at this single ceremony.

Will I learn to do vascular ultrasound or echocardiography?

The Sonography program is a "general" ultrasound program. The curriculum content centers on teaching abdominal, OB/Gyn, and superficial structure sonography. The program is designed to prepare graduates for work in a general hospital setting. While the curriculum does include a study of hemodynamics, Doppler, color Doppler, power Doppler, and an introduction to vascular sonography, graduates are not trained to do vascular sonography or echocardiography. The JRCDMS and ARDMS recommend a minimum of six months additional experience for additional specialty education.