Edith Cowan University to offer sonographer course from 2024 due to shortage

ECU is answering healthcare’s call for the next generation of in-demand medical professionals: sonographers.

Ultrasound is a very effective and popular tool in medical care used across the globe. However, here in Australia, there is a shortage of sonographers which is putting pressure on our healthcare system.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) is helping to address this pressure with the introduction of a four-year offering in 2024.

At the end of the four years students will have undertaken more than 2000 hours of clinical placements in total and graduate with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry-recognised Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography and be ready to enter the profession in Australia.

Answering healthcare’s call

ECU School of Medical and Health Sciences Executive Dean Professor Moira Sim said the courses were established due to demand from industry, as ECU was approached to help meet the workforce need.

She said the new courses would help ease the burden on the healthcare system and provide better care for patients, including those in regional areas.

“There is a shortage of medical sonographers in all states of Australia, with wait times for routine ultrasound examinations,” Professor Sim said.

“People in rural and remote Australia in particular have difficulty accessing ultrasound services in a timely manner.

“We have a very enthusiastic group of medical imaging providers on our Course Consultative Committee, from metro and rural across the public and private health sector.

“We are very grateful for their commitment and help to get us to this point.”

Sonographers

Sonographers are highly skilled imaging professionals who operate ultrasound machines to use sound waves to examine patients and help in making medical diagnoses.

Advances in ultrasound technology have enhanced its use in healthcare, with sonographers able to specialise in different medical fields and areas of the body.

A specialist in obstetric/gynaecologic ultrasound can make assessments during pregnancy and of the reproductive system, while other areas of focus could include musculoskeletal assessments of joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, vascular examinations of blood flow and blood vessels, or paediatric examinations for childhood diseases.

• Once students complete this four year course, which includes a three year bachelor course plus a one year graduate diploma, they are fully accredited and ready to join the workforce.