The Program is a 12-month certificate or two-year AAS Degree program designed to prepare individuals to perform the duties of an entry-level echocardiographer.

• Is El Centro College an accredited institution?
• Is the Echocardiology Technology Program an accredited program?
• What are the courses like?
• Where may I take support courses besides El Centro College?
• May I transfer credit from a college or university outside the United States?
• What if I have coursework more than 10 years old?
• Is there a time limit on Science and Math coursework?
• Is there any provision for credit by examination or other alternatives to repeating a course?
• What if I plan to transfer to a four-year institution?
• How do I get to the clinical sites?
• Does El Centro College have on-campus housing?
• What if I become ill during the program?
• Do I need a physical examination prior to entering the program?
• Do I need to be CPR certified?
• Do I need liability insurance?
• What are the physical demands of the profession?
• What are the essential requirements?
• What about drug testing or background check?
• How large is the class size?
• Are there any Board examinations after graduation?
• Are there any courses I should take in high school to help me prepare?
• Whom do I contact for more information?

The ECHO Program is a full-time program comprised of lecture, skills lab, and clinical experience. These courses are conducted during the daytime and evening hours, usually 4 days per week.

Echocardiology Technology courses are completed in one 10-week summer semester and two 16-week academic semesters. Each course involves approximately 30 hours of class and clinical experience every week. You will need to plan a minimum of 2-3 hours of studying and preparation time for each hour of class and clinical experience.

The demands of the courses suggest that most students will not be able to work full time while enrolled in these courses. Students who plan to work or who have significant family responsibilities are encouraged to plan their schedules to accommodate the time commitment that this program demands.

Degree students sometimes prefer to take the general education "support" courses (ENGL 1301, MATH 1314, SCIT 1407/1408, PSYC 2301, etc.) prior to enrolling in the HPRS core courses, particularly if the student has significant family or work responsibilities. These courses are time-consuming, and some students find that completing the prerequisite and support courses first enables them to complete the core classes successfully while maintaing other responsibilities.

The curriculum of the Echocardiology program may be viewed online.
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Support courses completed at colleges and universities outside the DCCCD must be approved for transfer credit prior to the semester in which the course is required as stipulated in curriculum outline.
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Consideration of courses for transfer credit from colleges and universities outside the United States will be limited to science and math coursework completed less than five years prior to program admission.

Before foreign credentials will be considered for transfer credit, the student must arrange the evaluation of transcripts and related documentation by a professional evaluation agency. After the professional evaluation is complete, the student must then submit the original documentation and a certified English translation to the Health Occupations Admissions Office. The student is responsible for all costs of the evaluation and translation of foreign credentials.

Evaluations of foreign credentials completed by individuals or professional evaluation agencies are subject to review and approval by the Director of Admissions and Registrar.
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Applicants with coursework more than ten years old who wish to have that transcripted work ignored under the "Academic Fresh Start" provision should petition the Registrar in writing for that consideration. If approved, the transcript need not be submitted, however, a copy of the Registrar's letter granting the "Academic Fresh Start" consideration should be submitted with the Echocardiology program application.

NOTE: Transcripted coursework ignored under "Academic Fresh Start" cannot be used to claim exemption from TASP requirements.
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All science, math, and nursing courses submitted for program credit must be completed no more than five years prior to program admission to the program. In certain circumstances a waiver of the time limit may be considered.

Students who wish to petition for the five-year waiver must present official transcripts, course descriptions as necessary, and a letter of petition documenting how they have updated or refreshed their knowledge in the particular science or math course in question (i.e., working in a healthcare field with specific duties indicated utilizing algebra in their current employment arena, etc.).

The letter should also cite specific experiences and indicate individuals for references as needed (i.e., employers, instructors, etc.). Students petitioning for a five-year waiver for college algebra must also provide current assessment test scores with the petition. Please refer to assessment test details on the Admission Requirements webpage.

All of the above materials must be submitted to the Health Occupations Admissions Office at El Centro College for processing. Once the review has been completed, the student will be notified in writing of the outcome of the review.
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CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination may also be completed in lieu of repeating a course. CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination are available to a student enrolled at a DCCCD campus, but may not be requested for courses in which the student is currently enrolled.

Credit for a CLEP, DANTES, or Credit by Examination will be considered only if a documented letter grade or numerical score is presented for evaluation. For more information regarding the acceptance of CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination, please contact the Health Occupations Admissions Office.

The CLEP exam for English 1301 is not accepted by the Dallas County Community College District, however, credit for previous work may be considered. For more information concerning English 1301 credit, contact the Communications/Math/ Developmental Studies Division at El Centro College.
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Students enrolling in this program who plan to transfer to a four-year institution should consult an advisor or counselor regarding transfer requirements and the transferability of these courses to the four-year institution of their choice.
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Students are responsible for providing their own transportation. It is necessary to consider transportation costs to the college, as well as hospitals throughout the city. Students are responsible for any parking fees.

El Centro students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours during the Fall and Spring semesters and at least 4 credit hours during Summer semesters are eligible for a free DART bus and light rail pass during those semesters.
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No, El Centro College is located in the heart of downtown Dallas. Students are responsible for providing their own housing.
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Students who must be absent from clinical experience due to a physical or mental illness, surgery, or pregnancy will be required to obtain a written physician release before returning to the clinical setting. A maximum of three days of clinical experience can be missed in a semester. The student will be dropped from the course if absences exceed the three-day clinical day limit. Students anticipating surgery or delivery of a baby, and who will require a longer recuperation period before a physician release can be obtained, are urged to wait to enroll in the program.
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A pre-entrance physical examination and immunization record form will be sent with acceptance letters. Results of the medical examination must be reported on the designated program medical examination form which is submitted at the registration seminar for that accepted class.

The form documents a medical history, physical examination, and current record of the following immunizations:

• Tuberculin skin test within the last 6 months (if positive, chest x-ray required within last 2 years)
• Tetanus/diphtheria current within 10 years
• Measles/mumps/rubella ("MMR") including 2 doses of measles vaccine required either separately or in combination (MMR)
• Hepatitis B series
• Varicella disclaimer

Students must have completed the first injection of the Hepatitis B series prior to registration for the Echocardiology Technology program and are responsible for submitting documentation verifying subsequent completion of the second and third injection to the Health Occupations Admissions Office. Health situations (i.e., pregnancy, allergies, and nursing mothers) that may prohibit the use of the hepatitis B vaccine must be documented by a physician, and a waiver signed by the student.

You may visit a private physician, clinic, health maintenance organization, or medical center for the medical examination. The immunizations are available for students through the El Centro College Health Center for a reduced cost. Please call 214.860.2113 to make an appointment. Chest x-rays and physical exams are not provided at the El Centro College Health Center.
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All Health Occupations students pay liability insurance fees. The cost to the student is less than enrolling in an individual professional liability policy with comparable coverage.

The student blanket professional liability policy covers students while they are participating in clinical activities that are a part of, and a requirement of, the student's curriculum. The student professional liability insurance does not cover students when employed in the hospital. The student liability insurance policy expires upon date of graduation. Students are not allowed in the clinical setting if their tuition and fees have not been paid.
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The ECHO Program's clinical experience requires that students be physically able to care for patients. This may involve lifting, moving and transferring patients onto examination tables. Students may be exposed to patients with infectious diseases. Clinical duties also require a reasonable level of manual dexterity and visual acuity, and the ability to stand for long periods.

Latex Advisory: Latex products are used in health care professions. They occur with universal precautions and in environments such as, but not limited to, Health Occupations classrooms and labs, hospitals, nursing care facilities, laboratories, clinical areas, and medical/dental offices. Individuals with latex allergies should seek expert advice from their health care provider to receive information necessary for an informed decision regarding their exposure to latex in the health care professions.
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Successful completion of the Echocardiology Technology Program requires the acquisition of general knowledge and basic skills needed to perform safely and adequately as an Echocardiographer. Faculty in the ECHO Program have a responsibility for the welfare of the patients treated or otherwise affected by students enrolled in the ECHO Program, as well as for the welfare of students. In order to fulfill this responsibility, the program has set forth the following minimum essential requirements that must be met in order to participate in the ECHO program and graduate.

Admission and retention decisions for the Echocardiology Technology student are based not only on prior satisfactory academic achievement, but also on nonacademic factors which serve to ensure that the candidate can complete the essential requirements of the academic program for graduation.

Essential requirements, as distinguished from academic standards, refer to those cognitive, physical, and behavioral abilities that are necessary for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the curriculum and for the development of professional attributes required by the faculty of all students at graduation.

The El Centro College Echocardiology Technology curriculum requires essential abilities in information acquisition:

• Ability to master information presented in the course work in the form of lectures, written material, and projected images.
• Cognitive abilities necessary to master relevant content in basic science and clinical courses at a level deemed appropriate by the faculty.

The ECHO student must be able to safely and accurately perform all aspects of the role the Echocardiographer performs in the health care system.

• Sufficient upper and lower body coordination to safely handle equipment used in the echocardiology field
• Assist in transferring and transporting patients and performing CPR.
• Fine manual dexterity to manipulate transducers and other equipment.
• Visual acuity to observe the CRT screens.
• Hearing acute enough to clearly distinguish vocal commands in a noisy environment and in which the speakers' mouths may be covered with masks.
• Touch discrimination to discern veins in order to perform venipuncture.
• Able and willing to work with body fluids and with organisms that may be infectious.
• Emotional stability required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities.
• Work accurately and safely under stress, e.g., work under time constraints; read and record numbers accurately; perform repetitive tasks; concentrate in distracting situations; and make subjective evaluations and decisions where mistake may have a high impact on patient care.
• Able to adapt to changing environments and be able to prioritize tasks.
• Communicate effectively in written and spoken English in order to transmit information to members of the health care team.
• Ability to make a correct judgment in seeking supervisory help and consultation in a timely manner.
• Attributes that include integrity, responsibility, and tolerance.
• Show respect for self and others, work independently as well as with others, and project an image of professionalism.
• Ability to learn new tasks and make judgments
• Listening skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Eye/hand coordination
• Ability to work positively with a variety of people

Because echocardiographers deal with the public, a neat, well-groomed appearance and a courteous, pleasant demeanor are needed. They must be good at putting patients at ease, listening to patients, and explaining instructions. Conscientiousness and respect for the confidential nature of medical information are required.
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All clinical facilities require all students attending their facility have a current Drug and Background Screen. The prescreening requirements are the same as those required of employees. All screens must be conducted after admission to the clinical program, but within 30 days prior to the start of the agency rotation. Verification of the satisfactory results must be received by the participating hospital prior to the student's rotation start date, and will be honored by all hospitals for the duration of the student's enrollment in the clinical program if the participating student has not had a break in the enrollment at the college.

The student is solely responsible for payment of all fees at the time of the screens (approximately $80). All reports and findings from the Background and Drugs screens will be reported directly to El Centro College Health Occupations Administration. The results of the screening can prevent clinical placement.

The rationale for the screening is that of due diligence and competency assessment of all individuals whose assignments bring them in contact with patients or employees. Competency extends beyond technical skills to an individual's criminal and substance abuse history. This approach ensures uniform compliance with Joint Commission standards pertaining to human resource management.

The drug screen follows National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) guidelines and screens for ten substances as designated in the Substance Abuse Panel 10 ("SAP 10"). These substances are:

SAP 10 test results which fall outside of any of the acceptable ranges are considered positive test results and are automatically sent for a separate confirmatory test by a Gas Chromatography Mss Spectrometry (GCMS) method. If these results remain positive, the test results are sent to a Medical Review Officer ("MRO") which will entail an additional cost of $25 - $75 to the student. The MRO will then contact the student to determine if there is a valid prescription for the drug in question. If a valid prescription exists and is verified, the test result will be deemed to be negative and acceptable.

Note: A clinical agency reserves the right to remove a student from the facility for suspicion of substance use or abuse, including alcohol. The clinical agency will notify the El Centro College Health Occupations administration to facilitate immediate removal of the student and request that the student submit to a repeat drug screening procedure at the student's expense on the same day of removal from the clinical agency. Failure to comply will result in immediate expulsion from the clinical agency. Further, regardless of testing or test results, the agency reserves the right to expel any student form their facility. The agency will provide El Centro College Health Occupations administration with written documentation of the student's behavior(s) by tow or more agency representatives.

The criminal background check reviews a person's criminal history seven (7) years previous to the date of program application. The check will include all cities and counties of the person's residency during that time period. The following histories will disqualify an individual from consideration for a clinical rotation:

• Felony convictions
• Misdemeanor convictions or felony deferred adjudication involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
• Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
• Felony deferred adjudication for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances
• Registered sex offenders

Exceptions:

• If a licensing/registry body approves the individual to take the licensing/credential exam, the individual may participate in the clinical rotation
• The college may request an exception form the first clinical agency for a student with a felony deferred adjudication and no alternate recourse through a licensing/registry Updated and Maintained byity. Following approval from the first clinical agency, the student may progress as stated above.

Note: Should a student accepted to a health occupations program be prohibited from attending a clinical rotation experience due to findings of a criminal background check and/or drug screening, the student may be dismissed form the health occupations program.

For more information regarding the criminal background check and drug testing requirements, please contact Ms. LaCheeta McPherson, Associate Dean of Allied Health by phone at 214.860.2271 or e-mail (mlm5544@dcccd.edu).
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Graduates of the El Centro program may take either the RDCS (Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer) examination from the ARDMS or the RCS (Registered Cardiac Sonographer) examination from CCI. Both examinations are recognized by the AMA, but employers may have a preference.

Credentialing may be required by employers, and often leads to higher salaries.
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Some courses that you will find helpful are:

We have a list of contacts available for the El Centro program.

You may also download an information packet. The file is in PDF format and requires Acrobat Reader software, downloadable free from www.adobe.com.

Information about career opportunities, CAAHEP-accredited educational programs in echocardiography and requirements for the Board examinations are available from:

CAAHEP
American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS)
Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)

NOTE: The El Centro College Health/Legal and Continuing/Workforce Education Division reserves the right to make changes in program enrollment capacity. Program guidelines are subject to change. Students are advised to obtain the latest program information from the Health Occupations Admissions Office (Room A-140).
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