Advanced Practice Sonographer® (APS)

The Advanced Practice Sonographer® (APS) is a new membership category designed to create opportunities for advancement and recognition of the membership within the ultrasound community, to educate the medical community and healthcare consumers, and to assist in the establishment of a career ladder for advancement within the profession of sonography. The APS is intended to serve as a model for recognition of clinical excellence and appropriate standards of education, training, and certification in a specialty. While a sonographer may apply for APS status in multiple categories, the APS requirements are specialty specific and, therefore, it is unlikely that APS candidates will be qualified in more than one or two specialties.

The APS will be promoted by the SDMS within the ultrasound community and throughout the healthcare community. The ability to meet the rigorous quality standards for APS membership will place you in a prestigious and respected group of ultrasound professionals.

The decision to apply for APS status is an important step in your career. The Advanced Practice Sonographer® designation conveys your professional accomplishments to your colleagues, employers, and patients.

Criteria for APS Eligibility:

• ARDMS or CCI certification in each specialty area of APS clinical practice.
• Five (5) years of clinical experience in the specialty area(s) that you are applying for APS status after date of becoming ARDMS registered in that specialty.
• Minimum of Bachelor's degree in any major. In 2010, the minimum requirement will be a bachelor's degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
• An article published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Co-Authorship of articles is acceptable.
• Fifteen (15) hours of specialty specific Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit per triennium (for each APS specialty). This requirement is not in addition to the ARDMS or CCI continuing education requirements.

If you have questions about the APS membership category, send an email to: membership@sdms.org

For more information about the APS memberhsip category, see our "Frequently Asked Questions" page.

To see a listing of your colleagues who have joined as APS members, click here.

Dues

Application Fee

Application

Send the APS Membership Application via mail.

• View/print* application

• View/print* Sample CME Log Template
• View/print* Sample Documentation Letter Template

* Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (available for FREE at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html)