You have to go into this program knowing that you have a whole host of responsibilities, and the most important of these responsibilities is this: You are responsible for your education.

I know many who feel that because they are paying a large sum of money to a particular institution that makes those within that institution responsible for what the student learns. It is just not true in any advanced field of study. While the institution has the responsibility to provide you with the information and tools, you are responsible for what you learn. The instructors, the Sonographers, the interpreting physicians already know the information. You do not. You need to learn it. You are paying a large amount of money to learn it. Do not waste it. You will get out of your education what you put into it. You need to show up at your clinical site well prepared to learn. Keeping up with the classwork is essential. While you are not going to have knowledge in all areas before you enter the clinical situation, it will be very beneficial to have a good solid foundation of the subjects you have already studied.

The second responsibility you have is to show up. Show up every day you are required to be there. Show up on time, ready to work. Do as much as you can while you are there. Watch and work with as many Sonographers doing as many procedures as you can. If something, anything, is going on in the department that you should be a part of, be there. Listen to conversations; between Sonographers and patients, Sonographers and interpreting physicians, Sonographers and referring physicians, interpreting physicians and referring physicians. Do not wait to be asked to watch, to scan, to participate. Be active in your learning. Ask questions. Gain access to other’s knowledge. Be open and willing to learn. You will get so much more out of the Sonographers and interpreting physicians if you are putting in the effort. No Sonographer wants to feel that they are working harder on your education than you are. No interpreting physician is going to take time out of his or her day to teach you something if you do not take the initiative to ask, or at least seem interested in learning. While it is true that you need to be careful of when and where to ask questions, the more you ask, the more you will learn. For this reason, carry a small notebook and pen in your pocket. If a question comes up at a time that is inappropriate to ask, write it down and ask later. Just remember to ask.

Even though you are not a paid member of the department, you are still responsible to adhere to the policies and procedures of the site. Familiarize yourself with these. Almost all hospitals and departments have policy and procedure manuals. Ask to see them. Make sure you are always following the dress code. Some facilities have policies about tattoos and piercings that are visible. Some have policies that forbid fake fingernails. Whatever the policies, you must follow them.