Echocardiography and Vascular Technology Program

About the Echocardiography and Vascular Sonography Technology program

The Claude W. Smith M.D School of Cardiovascular Technology at MUSC Health offers a 17-month CAAHEP accredited program in echocardiography and vascular sonography technology.

Our Objectives & Goals

You’ve got goals, and so do we. In collaboration with MUSC’s Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) we’ve identified the following goals to help you start your career.

Our Program Objectives:

1. Our leading team of expert educators will teach you the physical principals of sonography, adult echocardiography and non-invasive vascular sonography and testing.
2. We will provide challenging hands-on training in a demanding lab environment with qualified sonographers and preceptors to develop the skills and knowledge required for quality entry level sonographers.
3. You’ll have opportunities to train in the following modalities:
   • Adult Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography
   • Structural heart procedures
   • Emergency applications of echocardiography
   • Peripheral vascular arterial and venous sonography
   • Physiologic arterial testing
   • Extracranial duplex vascular sonography
4. We will prepare you to qualify for, and successfully pass, the national credentialing examinations offered by:
   • American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARMDS) - RDCS, RVT, SPI
   • Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) – RCS, RVS

Our Goals:

• We strive to provide you, and our team members, with a quality learning environment
• We value working closely with our community
• We aim to serve the uninsured and underinsured by providing diagnostic exams to local clinics
• We will work to identify and provide you with continuing education opportunities
• We want to create opportunities for the health care community as a whole
• We will assist in meeting their growing needs for high quality trained health professionals 
• We will instill a professional and ethical attitude in everyone who represents our program

Licensure & Certification

The Claude W. Smith, MD School of Cardiovascular Technology is accredited in adult echocardiography and vascular sonography by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs based on the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) is located at 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, phone 727-210-2350.

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT) is located at 1449 Hill Street, Whitinsville, MA 01588-1032, phone 978-456-5594.

Successful completion of the echo and vascular program will earn a graduate certificate. Examples of obtainable licensure and/or certification are as follows:

ARDMS Prerequisites

• SPI Examination
  • Applicant must successfully complete a general, medical, or sonographic physics class, seminar or course

CCI (Cardiovascular Credentialing International) Eligibility:

• Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RVS)
  • Will qualify for RCS exam under: RCS4
  • Applicant must be a graduate of a programmatically accredited program** in cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography).
• Registered Vascular Specialist (RVS)
  • Will qualify for RVS exam under: RVS4
  • Applicant must be a graduate of a programmatically accredited program** in vascular ultrasound.

Please see ARDMS.org and CCI-online.org for details about the requirements for the adult echocardiography and vascular technology exams of these credentialing organizations.

Contact the Echo & Vascular Sonography Program Faculty

If you want to learn more about our cardiovascular technology program, or you're interested in visiting our campus, please contact:

Admissions Coordinator

Mary Dougherty

Office number: 803-256-5627

Email address: doughema@musc.edu 

Program Director, Echo and Vascular Sonography

Robert Smith, MHA, RDCS, RVT

Office number: 803-256-5636

Email address: smitro@musc.edu 

Clinical Coordinator, Echo and Vascular Sonography

Hannah Dowdy, BS, RDCS, RVT

Office number: 803-255-2665

Email address: dowdyh@musc.edu