The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) is the largest association for sonographers, encompassing all nine specialties and all spectrums of practice — clinical sonographers, managers, educators, and students. Founded in 1970, SDMS advances the sonography profession by advocating for and educating sonographers while elevating standards of practice, professional growth, and patient care.

SDMS:

• Advocates for sonographers and the sonography profession in multiple arenas, including government, media, and education
• Produces a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal
• Provides professional development and leadership opportunities
• Stimulates and facilitates original research and critical thinking to advance sonography

Formed in 2009, the SDMS Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization affiliated with SDMS. The SDMS Foundation fosters professional learning and excellence by working to improve the field of diagnostic medical sonography and offers sonographers and students access to grants and scholarships.

The SDMS Foundation welcomes tax-deductible contributions to support its mission.

SDMS membership includes sonographers across all specialties, sonography educators and students, sonography researchers, radiologic technologists, physicians, nurses, administrators, and businesses involved with ultrasound technology.

SDMS is an international catalyst for the profession with members worldwide who are practicing sonography in a host of settings, including hospitals, clinics, mobile facilities, educational institutions, laboratories (diagnostic and research), and physician offices.

Both individual and organizational membership options are available.

Individual memberships are for any individual seeking to join and access SDMS member benefits. Learn more about SDMS Individual memberships.

Organizational memberships are for businesses in or related to the sonography profession who want to provide SDMS member benefits to their staff or obtain SDMS Organizational member discounts on CME provider application fees. CAAHEP-accredited educational programs and SDMS-credentialed sonographer workplaces save $100 on any tier of organizational membership. Learn more about SDMS Organizational memberships.

SDMS Individual Membership Benefits

SDMS Organizational Membership Benefits

Your SDMS membership dues enable SDMS to fulfill its mission to promote, advance, and educate its members and the medical community in the science of diagnostic medical sonography. To achieve its mission, SDMS follows the direction outlined in the SDMS Strategic Plan, which is drafted and approved by the SDMS Board of Directors.

Highlights of what your SDMS dues make possible include:

• On-demand virtual learning opportunities and in-person and virtual events dedicated to sonography continuing medical education (CME) so that sonographers can earn SDMS CME credits they need to maintain their credentials
• Publication of the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, a scientific peer-reviewed journal that provides research, clinical, and educational content for all specialties as well as the opportunity to earn SDMS CME credits
• Career resources such as the SDMS Career Center, the SDMS CME Tracker, model job descriptions, and sonographer salary resources
• Recognition of the achievements of sonographers in the field of sonography research and education
• Industry recognized resources such as the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and white papers
• Proactive monitoring and response to legislation affecting sonographers and encouraging the adoption of state licensure
• Research on work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in sonography and prevention efforts

SDMS values your membership and the SDMS Board of Directors, Committee members, volunteers, and staff are committed to fulfilling their fiduciary duty with the membership dues you entrust to SDMS.

• SDMS Annual Conference, held in the fall, provides education and skills-building opportunities in new sonographic techniques, diagnostic accuracy, instrumentation enhancements, and practice management strategies for sonographers, physicians, educators, and students. It is designed as an in-person event for the sonography community.
• CME Weekend, held in the spring, is a travel-free, online learning experience for sonographers, sonography educators and students, and physicians.
• SDMS Virtual Seminars present a stimulating program of speakers in separate events customized for sonographers, educators, and students.
• SDMS Knowledge Series presents multiple focused topics throughout the year in a virtual webinar format with interactivity to allow participants to ask questions and receive answers from experts in real time.
• SDMS CME Crunch Week is a second chance to view the most popular SDMS content. Attendees who have not received SDMS CME credit for this content can enjoy an opportunity to achieve valuable SDMS CME credits before the end of the year.
• Learn more at the SDMS Calendar of Events.

For immediate access, paying online with a credit card is the fastest route to SDMS member benefits.

If payment by check is preferred, include a hard copy of the online application and mail to the SDMS at P.O. Box 200971, Dallas, Texas 75320-0971. Please allow approximately one week for processing.

Membership renewal is due annually on the last day of your anniversary month.

Unfortunately, if your SDMS membership is not renewed by the expiration date, you will lose access to your benefits. The good news is you can renew anytime, and once you do, your benefits resume immediately.

Yes! When renewing online, watch for the checkbox marked “Enroll in auto-renew using the payment information above” or simply call the SDMS office at 1-800-229-9506 to enroll.

If you sign up for automatic membership renewal, you will be notified electronically prior to being charged each year. You may opt-out of auto renewal at any time online or by phone. (Please remember: To receive electronic notifications, you must not opt-out or block SDMS emails.)

Accepted options include VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express for online transactions and check or money order for payments sent via USPS mail.

Anyone can sign up for a free SDMS account by going to www.sdms.org/login and clicking “Don’t have an account?”.

SDMS membership is only available when purchased. Learn more about SDMS membership.

Visit the SDMS Login page, enter the email address associated with your account, and click Next. On the “Enter Password” page, click the “Forgot password?” link and follow the prompts. If you have any trouble, please reach out to us online or at 1-800-229-9506.

Login to your SDMS account and click on “My Profile” top right. Under your profile, look for the Communications tab.

The Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) is SDMS’ peer-reviewed scholarly journal, delivering cutting-edge research, case studies, specialty advances, and CME opportunities to advance clinical practice and professional excellence in sonography.

Read the articles and test your knowledge against the associated learning activities, become a JDMS author or reviewer. Additionally, there are advertising opportunities available. Learn more.

JDMS post-tests can be taken online in the SDMS Learning Center with three opportunities to pass with a passing score of 75% or better.

SDMS CME credit may be awarded only to authors who are SDMS members at the time of the SDMS CME application, and only upon publication, of any of these manuscript types. Learn more.

First, you need to register. Virtual events are posted on the SDMS Event Calendar on the website and communicated to members via email. Both formats contain a REGISTER button that navigates to a page where you can enter your information and pay for the event if there is a cost.

After you register, you will receive three emails, which are (1) an email receipt for the event purchase from SDMS, (2) an email event confirmation from SDMS Events, and (3) a Zoom confirmation from SDMS Events with your personalized login link and technology tips for event day. The login link is unique to you and should not be shared with others. Sharing the link may result in not receiving your SDMS CME credits for the event.

On the day of the event, click the Zoom login link. If you are not already a Zoom user, you will be prompted to download and run Zoom. After the download is complete, refer to your registration email from Zoom and use the personalized login link to access the virtual event.

If you switch devices during the event, there are three things you need to know:

1. You must completely log off the initial device and log in again on the second device. You can only be logged into the virtual event on one device at a time.
2. If you log out and log back in for any reason, the Q&A box will have refreshed and the content you saw earlier will be gone. Staying logged in will provide an optimal experience for virtual events.
3. If you switch to another device in a timely manner, you will not miss out on earning the applicable SDMS CME credit(s).

Yes. Attendees can enter their questions for speakers via the Zoom Q&A function.

During the presentation, attendees’ audio lines are muted, and cameras are turned off. However, attendees are able to comment to other participants by using the chat box. These comments are visible to all participants and staff hosting the event.

Your personal internet connection frequently determines the audio and visual quality of any virtual event. For other technical issues, please contact SDMS Events staff online.

That is always our intent. Post-event, an email will be sent to registrants with the links to access the materials and the recording within three weeks and access to recordings is available for 90 days.

Browser. It is recommended that Internet Explorer NOT be used to view an event.

Optimize. Get the best streaming experience by closing all other programs on your device.

Go Mobile. The Zoom app permits viewing on all iOS and Android mobile devices.

No Audio? The steps below are successful in troubleshooting this issue for most users.

• Confirm that the sound is enabled on your computer or device. Look in Settings/Sound to make sure the correct speaker is selected if there are multiple options.
• Check that your system volume is not muted.
• Check that the volume on the viewer is turned up.
• If you have external speakers, check:
  • If the speakers are firmly plugged into an outlet.
  • If the speakers are firmly plugged into your computer.
  • If the speakers are turned on and the volume knob is turned up.
  • If the speakers are not muted via a mute key on your keyboard
• If you have built-in speakers, ensure that the speakers are not muted via a mute key on your keyboard.
• Test audio with videos from a website such as YouTube.

Frozen Video? The steps below are successful in troubleshooting this issue for most users.

• Refresh your viewer.
• Close your viewer and relaunch it by following the link in the Zoom email you received.

If you have any questions about SDMS virtual events that are not answered here, please contact events staff.

SDMS CME credits are determined by how many hours are spent consuming content, so time for breaks, lunch, or transition between sessions is excluded. Actual attendance at an SDMS virtual event – not just registration – is required to receive SDMS CME credits. In addition, SDMS CME credits are not awarded for consuming the content at a later date after the scheduled virtual event.

Technology features allow SDMS staff to confirm attendance during the virtual event.

The Learning Center on the SDMS website offers hundreds of SDMS CME credit opportunities, and new activities are added throughout the year. Credit can be earned only once for each activity. The SDMS CME Tracker automatically makes a record of earned SDMS CME credits for each member and transfers this information to the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). NOTE: Transmission of SDMS CME credit activities to CCI is temporarily paused due to a system transition within CCI. In the meantime, SDMS members may manually submit their CME certificates to CCI as needed.

Non-SDMS CME credits are not reported by the tracker. For those, a sonographer must submit the completion certificate directly to the relevant credentialing body.

Yes. Non-members may purchase as many on-demand SDMS CME activities as they want and take the post-test (with three opportunities to pass with a passing score of 75% or higher, the same as SDMS members). If a non-member is interested in more than a couple of SDMS learning opportunities, purchasing an SDMS Standard membership with free access to SDMS CME activities is an attractive, money-saving option.

Make sure you are up to date on ARDMS, ARRT, and CCI requirements by monitoring their respective websites.

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) requires completion of 25 CME credits plus Maintenance of Certification (MOC) during each three-year CME period.

• SDMS recommends completing a minimum of 10 CME credits annually to comply with ARDMS requirements.

The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) requires completion of 24 CME credits every two years, and at least 16 of these CME credits must be sonography-specific.

• SDMS recommends completing a minimum of 12 CME credits annually to comply with ARRT requirements.

Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) requires completion of 36 CME credits every three years, and at least 30 of these CME credits must be related to cardiovascular technology.

• SDMS recommends completing a minimum of 12 CME credits annually to comply with CCI requirements.

Completed CME credits are transferred to the ARDMS, ARRT, and CCI daily.

NOTE: Transmission of SDMS CME credit activities to CCI is temporarily paused due to a system transition within CCI. In the meantime, SDMS members may manually submit their CME certificates to CCI as needed.

You must have an SDMS login and be associated with your organization in the SDMS database to access the SDMS Management System and to submit rosters and new applications. After logging in, click to open the CME Management System menu on the SDMS Learning Center landing page (It is a yellow-colored menu that is located on the upper left-hand portion of the screen). Click the CME Management link then click the Application Dashboard option to create a new CME application or the Rosters and Certificates option to manage your CME roster. Visit the SDMS Help Center for complete guidance.

View application fees. Activity application types are defined in the SDMS CME Activity Types section of the SDMS CME Policies and Procedures.

Lecture

• A live (not recorded) educational presentation of 120 minutes or less
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)
• May be a single offering (occurring once to one audience and expiring after this occurrence)
• May be a multi-offering (offered multiple times in the CME approval period, e.g., 12 months) with the same content.
• Audience must change. Location and presenter may change. Content cannot change
• A lecture may also be called a “presentation,” “session,” “skills lab,” or “applications training”

Conference

• A multi-topic lecture or lectures that exceed 120 minutes in total
• A live education conference consisting of one or more tracks with multiple presentations (i.e., unique objectives, presenters, etc.) and may span one or more days
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)
• May be a single offering (occurring once to one audience and expiring after this occurrence)
• May be a multi-offering (offered multiple times in the CME approval period, e.g., 12 months) with the same content. Audience must change. Location and presenter may change. Content cannot change

Self-Instructional activity

• Participants view and complete CME activities at their own pace
• Examples are (but not limited to): computer-based programs, written home-study programs, DVDs, recorded webinars, eLearning, and flashcards
• Approved for a 12-month period, at which time a new CME application must be submitted for review and approval

Study group

• Intended for an organization or group that meets regularly to provide planned CME activities and discuss topics with the same audience each time for 120 minutes or less. Examples are a hospital, imaging center, physician’s office, or local society
• Maximum of 12 CME credits per study group may be issued each approval period of 12 months
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)

Clinical instructorship

• The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits sonography educational programs that meet established standards and guidelines of the profession
• CAAHEP-accredited programs can award affiliated clinical instructors up to six CME credits per clinical instructor per calendar year for affiliated clinical instructors providing student instruction.

No, but an SDMS CME provider whose organization does not join the SDMS as an organizational member will lose discounted pricing on SDMS CME activity processing fees. SDMS CME providers with SDMS organizational membership still pay application fees, but at a discount over non-members.

Individual membership is not required. CME provider organizations can only obtain member discounts if they are an SDMS Organizational member.

Yes. CAAHEP accredited educational programs are eligible for a $100 discount on any tier of SDMS Organizational membership. If your educational program is eligible, please contact the SDMS Membership Department online or 1-800-229-9506 to receive the discount and process your request.

Clinical instructorship applications are free only if your organization is an SDMS Organizational member. CAAHEP-accredited educational programs receive $100 off organizational membership.

Yes, if they have an SDMS login and are associated with your organization in the SDMS database.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQs, please contact the SDMS Learning Department online or 1-800-229-9506.