January
July
Program Hours: 1680 Hours
Program Length: 72 Weeks
Accreditation: CAAHEP Accredited
Credential Awarded: Diploma
Clinical Instructors Earn SDMS Credits
Program Director:
Heather Monarrez, M.S.Ed, RDMS, RVT [email protected] | (916) 888-8655
Clinical Coordinator:
Melissa Mesorana, BS, RDMS
[email protected] | (916) 244-3271
It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at Sacramento Ultrasound Institute — a program dedicated to excellence, compassion, and professional growth. At SUI, we combine rigorous academic instruction with immersive, hands-on training that prepares students to meet the demands of today’s healthcare environment. Our sonography students develop both technical expertise and patient-centered care, ensuring they enter clinical rotations ready to contribute meaningfully to your team.
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program prepares students to perform ultrasound examinations in abdominal, obstetric, gynecologic, small parts, and vascular applications.
Our training philosophy emphasizes hands-on scanning from the very beginning. Students spend extensive time in the lab learning to acquire diagnostic-quality images under the supervision of credentialed instructors. By the time they begin clinical rotations, every student is expected to competently perform a full scan on a healthy patient, demonstrating both technical proficiency and professional bedside manner.
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Metric
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Value
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Notes
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2022-2024 Retention Rate
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91%
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3-year average
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3-year average
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ARDMS Abdomen Exam Pass Rate
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83%
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After completing intensive, hands-on training in SUI’s on-campus labs, students transition into clinical rotations at hospitals, outpatient centers, and imaging facilities across California.
By this stage, students have mastered the foundational scanning techniques and professional conduct required to perform independently on healthy patients — allowing clinical partners to integrate them smoothly into their departments.
Each rotation is designed to strengthen real-world scanning proficiency, image interpretation, and patient care skills through supervised, on-site experience. Students rotate through multiple modalities and specialties, including abdominal, OB/GYN, vascular, and small parts imaging, gaining exposure to diverse patient populations and clinical settings.
SUI’s Clinical Coordination Team works closely with every partner site to ensure a seamless experience. We tailor student schedules to each facility’s operational needs, typically aligning with 32-40 clinical hours per week. Our coordinators handle onboarding, documentation, and communication, allowing your staff to focus on mentorship and workflow integration.
SUI’s ultrasound labs are designed to replicate the clinical environment and provide direct, hands-on learning opportunities. Each lab is equipped with advanced ultrasound systems, including:
To maximize hands-on training, we maintain a 2:1 student-to-machine ratio — one student scans while the other serves as the patient. This peer-scanning model strengthens both image acquisition skills and patient communication abilities.
Lab sessions are capped at 12 students per instructor, ensuring personalized attention, immediate feedback, and mastery of scanning techniques before entering clinical practice.
SUI is committed to ensuring that every partnership is smooth, well-supported, and beneficial for both the facility and the students.
As a CAAHEP-accredited program, SUI awards up to 6.0 SDMS CME credits per year to qualified clinical instructors for providing student instruction. This benefit allows clinical educators to earn recognized continuing education credit while mentoring the next generation of sonographers.
SUI students enter clinical rotations having already demonstrated competence in scanning healthy patients and understanding sonographic anatomy. They’re confident, professional, and ready to contribute from day one.
Each clinical partner is supported by a dedicated SUI Clinical Coordinator who manages student placement, onboarding documentation, and ongoing communication throughout the rotation. Coordinators visit the site during the first week of a new student’s onboarding to ensure a smooth start, and return for monthly in-person visits to support both students and staff. They also oversee Trajecsys, ensuring students are clocking in correctly, logging progress accurately, and maintaining compliance with program requirements.
Credentialed faculty continuously monitor student performance to align clinical training with program objectives and accreditation standards, ensuring consistency and quality across all sites.
SUI maintains open communication with every clinical partner through routine check-ins, progress evaluations, and responsive follow-up whenever concerns arise. Our goal is to provide full transparency and proactive problem-solving throughout each rotation.
SUI values every clinical partner and highlights participating sites through institutional materials, community outreach, and collaborative initiatives that showcase their contribution to student success.
Clinical partnerships are at the heart of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. Our partners play an essential role in helping students bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.
By hosting SUI students, partner facilities provide opportunities for them to refine their skills, adapt to clinical workflows, and learn from experienced professionals in the field.
Clinical partners are expected to:
SUI uses the Trajecsys Clinical Tracking System, a secure online platform that allows students, clinical instructors, and program faculty to record and monitor clinical activity in real time. Through Trajecsys, instructors verify attendance, log competency evaluations, and submit performance feedback. This system ensures complete transparency and accountability, allowing SUI’s clinical coordinators to track student progress, hours, and case experience remotely while maintaining compliance with accreditation standards.
Clinical Handbook
We’re always looking to expand our clinical partnerships and welcome new sites that share our commitment to quality education and patient care.
If your facility is interested in becoming a partner or learning more about our programs, please complete the form below — our Clinical Coordination Team will reach out to you directly.
