June 2005 | Vol. 23, No. 6

ARDMS Revision to
Prerequisite 2

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has reported that after much deliberation the ARDMS Board of Directors approved a revision of its Prerequisite 2 to read:

"Graduates of a program, accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), United States Department of Education (USDOE) or Canadian Medical Association (CMA) that specifically conducts programmatic accreditation for diagnostic medical sonography/diagnostic cardiac sonography/vascular technology"

According to ARDMS this revision will be effective January 1, 2006. The change will be reflected, at that time, in the ARDMS Information and Examination Application Booklet.

ARDMS Q&A on Prerequisite 2

If the institution you attended or are interested in attending indicates that it is “accredited” but is not listed, what does that mean? ARDMS cannot tell you whether or not your institution is programmatically accredited in diagnostic medical sonography, diagnostic cardiac sonography or vascular technology by one of the agencies listed in Prerequisite 2. It is your responsibility to attain that information.

When discussing accreditation with an institution, it is important to clarify the type of accreditation you are asking about: programmatic or institutional. Please note that institutional accreditation assures the soundness of the entire institution. Whereas programmatic accreditation covers specific programs within an educational institution and ensures the training provided meets the standards for the individual to perform within that profession. The program, not just the institution, must be accredited by one of the agencies noted in the revision of Prerequisite 2.

Not sure whether or not your program is accredited by one of the agencies listed under Prerequisite 2? Here is how you can find out:

• The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has an online database of institutions and programs accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations. The CHEA database lists institutions and programs that are accredited by U.S. accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) or both. Each accrediting organization’s list of institutions or programs is prefaced by a brief description of the accredited status of the institutions or programs on the list and the year for which the list is accurate.
• The U.S. Department of Education offers a searchable database of postsecondary institutions and programs accredited by accrediting agencies or state approval agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education.” For more information on accreditation and the list of recognized accrediting agencies, please visit www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
• You can also view the Canadian Medical Association’s (CMA) official list of accredited programs online.

How did this revision come about?

From time to time, ARDMS reviews various aspects of its policies and procedures, including eligibility standards. At the request of the ARDMS Certification Committee, ARDMS staff sought comment from the community – from November 2003 to July 2004 – concerning ARDMS Prerequisite 2 (accrediting agencies) as applicable to the United States and Canada. Prerequisite 2 stated that the applicant must have completed one of the following: “CAAHEP-approved [Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs] or CMA-approved [Canadian Medical Association] ultrasound/vascular technology education program.”

The question was whether this Prerequisite should be retained in its current form, or, if revised, what accrediting agency or agencies and their characteristics, and what reasonable, objective factors describing quality diagnostic medical sonography/diagnostic cardiac sonography/vascular technology education programs, should be listed in Prerequisite 2.

After considering the issues involved, the ARDMS Certification Committee invited public comment as part of a thorough review of Prerequisite 2. ARDMS received more than 600 comments on the eight questions presented for comment. Staff took into consideration each of these comments, the broad range of opinion they represent, information concerning the certification and other organizational interface with the education accreditation system, and ARDMS. In addition, a subcommittee of the ARDMS Certification Committee held a public meeting in November of 2004 in an effort to receive additional comment from the public.

After much deliberation, the ARDMS Board of Directors recently approved the revision of Prerequisite 2.

For further information on the revised Prerequisite 2, please call the ARDMS at 800-541-9754 or go to their website: www.ardms.org.