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VOLUNTEERS

 

We need volunteers!

If you have an interest in helping IFSER with it's mission to better educate the sonography world, then send us your name and contact information, along with your areas of expertise and we'll be sure to get a hold of you right away. If you have skills or interest in marketing, fund raising, or international service, please contact us today!

SCHOLARSHIPS

The International Foundation for Sonography Education and Research (IFSER) offers support, through its Student Scholarship Program, for students in diagnostic medical sonography programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in the United States, or by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) in Canada. In order to qualify for a scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  •     accepted into a diagnostic medical sonography program accredited by CAAHEP (U.S.) or approved
        by CMA (Canada),
  •     demonstrate financial need in excess of governmental and other available resources,
  •     meet or exceed published academic conditions,
  •     ensure that scholarship application file is complete in accordance with application deadlines.

We will start accepting scholarship applications in January 2012.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Amber Schmidt


There were two different ultrasound techs at my OB/GYN doctor's office. One of them was very friendly and personal and I always looked forward to having her perform my ultrasound studies. I realized then the importance of having a good tech, not only one who did their job well, but one who made it an enjoyable and comfortable experience for the patient.

Barbara Jones was the sonographer I saw most during that time. Although she did not motivate me to become a sonographer, she actually is the reason that I did. I later went back and told her I had applied, and accepted into an ultrasound program. She encouraged me then and has ever since. For the next two years I took all the pre-requisites required to get into the Medical Sonography program and graduated with an Associates in Science degree.

While I was in the school, I was able to put in the time, energy and dedication needed to complete the program, because of the help of my family and my mentors, Sandy Slayton, Diane Reed and Gail Allred. These instructors were by far the most encouraging and helped me to push through the program.

I was hired at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital as the weekend/PRN sonographer during my last semester of school and recently was hired at Lexington Memorial Hospital as a PRN tech there as well. I have passed the Physics registry exam and will take the Abdomen exam soon.

For anyone just beginning their studies, if it is anything like mine, it will be hard work. Between physics, anatomy, pathology, and scanning, sometimes it felt overwhelming. It is hard, but not impossible. If you continue putting in the, time effort and practice, everything eventually clicks. Before you know it, what once took you an hour and half to do will only take half an hour. You will find that common bile duct!

Stephanie Henry


Working as a receptionist at Doctor's office led me to go back to school and study sonography. I already had a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology so I had all of the prerequisite courses required for the sonography program. I attended Washburn University in the DMS Cardiac program and currently training in vascular. Other professions I considered were a Fitness Specialist, or a Physician's Assistant.

The IFSER scholarship helped me to pay for the program at Washburn University. I still had to take out loans, but the scholarship helped greatly! It gave me a boost of confidence that I needed to get through the rigorous schedule of clinicals along with the coursework.

Advice I would give to someone just beginning is “It can be overwhelming at first, so take learning ultrasound one step at a time. It takes a lot of patience, but it is a great career and it is very rewarding to be able to help people every day.”

A few people who helped me along the way: Amy Marlow, Stephanie Sims, Michelle Crouch and all of people at Encompass Medical Group .Everyone I worked with at Encompass encouraged me to go to ultrasound school and they were all very supportive. As soon as I was done with school, I worked for Encompass as an Echo Tech PRN, and I now have worked full time since January.

The person who mentored me most was Amy Marlow since she was with me almost every day in clinicals and taught me everything I know for the job I have currently. I appreciate her patience and knowledge of the field. Also, Doug Jones was very helpful at Washburn University. I definitely recommend this program for anyone close to Kansas. I am now RDCS, and the program at Washburn prepared me very well for both my physics and cardiac exams.