CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGIST

Cardiovascular Technologist Training

Hybrid / Distance Education Program

The Cardiovascular Technologist certificate program will prepare students to perform diagnostic sonography exams at the request or direction of a physician. Cardiovascular sonographers / technologists often specialize in non-invasive procedures like cardiac sonography or peripheral vascular sonography.

They work under a physician’s directions to diagnose problems with the heart (cardiac) and blood vessels (peripheral vascular). Cardiovascular Techs measure, analyze, and image the heart and circulatory system.

Hybrid Learning

The Cardiovascular Technologist program is taught using a hybrid learning environment. All hybrid courses will utilize online and in-person instruction. Lectures may be offered on campus or remotely via a Learning Management System (LMS). Laboratory classes and practical training will be held on campus or at a clinical site.

Online classes will be taught synchronously. Synchronous instruction is real-time instruction that requires students to attend classes at scheduled times.

Clinical Internship

The Cardiovascular Technologist program requires students to complete 800 clinical hours prior to graduation. Students will be placed at a clinical site by the AIMS Internship Department. The internship is designed to provide practical training in a real work environment; students will have a mentor who trains and guides them. 80 clinical hours will be completed during the DCS 220 course, and the remaining 720 hours will be completed during the clinical internship. Students are not permitted to begin the internship until all required classroom and lab hours are completed.

AIMS Education has clinical affiliations with numerous healthcare facilities throughout New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Students will be placed at one or more of these affiliated sites and must complete their clinical hours based on the schedule provided by the school. Internship schedules are based on the availability of clinical sites. All students (Day and Evening) must be prepared to complete their internship during normal business hours (Monday through Friday). The majority of clinical sites do not allow students to complete clinical hours in the evening or on the weekend.

Program Goals

The primary goal of this program is to prepare competent, entry-level cardiovascular sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Employment Opportunities

The majority of employment opportunities for cardiovascular sonographers exist in hospitals, imaging centers, and physicians’ clinics.

Certification/Registry Exam Eligibility

AIMS students are eligible to take the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination after successfully completing the following course - DMS 220: Ultrasound Physics & Instrumentation.

CVT graduates will be eligible to take the Registered Cardiac Sonographer examination offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Graduates, who have an associate degree or higher, will also be eligible to take the Adult Echocardiography specialty examination offered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Graduates who pass the Registered Cardiac Sonographer exam will earn the RCS credential from CCI. Graduates who pass the SPI exam and the Adult Echocardiography specialty exam will earn the RDCS credential from ARDMS.

Eligibility requirements for the RCS and RDCS credentials are solely determined by the respective credentialing agencies, and are subject to change at any time. CCI and ARDMS are independent organizations. AIMS does not guarantee registry exam eligibility.

Program Length

• 2240 clock hours
• Classroom instruction and lab - 1440 hours
• Clinical hours - 800 hours
• The day program can be completed in approximately 24 months.
• The evening program can be completed in approximately 30 months.

Comprehensive Education and Training

• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Adult Echocardiography
• Vascular Sonography
• Image internal body structures
• EKG Testing
• Holter Monitoring
• Stress Testing

Minimum Admission Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Passing score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam
• Additional Requirements

Selective Enrollment

The Cardiovascular Technologist program has a selective application process. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee you will be accepted into the program. From the pool of applicants, those who are considered most qualified for the study and practice of sonography will be admitted.

Additional Program Requirements

All cardiovascular technologist students are required to earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 upon completion of the pre-diagnostic modules at AIMS.