it’s all about

S H R P School of Health Related Professions

D E P A R T M E N T O F M E D I C A LI M A G I N G S E R V I C E S

Choices…Vascular TechnologyVascular Technology

Students who choose

UMDNJ’s School

of Health Related

Professions want

a University that is

exclusively dedicated

to health care, with

state-of-the-art equipment,

rigorous coursework,

and faculty who

care. All our resources

go toward supporting a

health care educational

environment that

attracts and nurtures

the very best faculty

and students.

Choices…

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Vascular Technology, also called Vascular Ultrasound, is in need of

well-trained ultrasound specialists to help in the care of patients

with vascular disease. Vascular technologists typically work in the

Vascular Laboratory of a hospital or in vascular surgery group prac-

tices. They use ultrasound to evaluate patients that may need treat-

ment from a vascular surgeon or vascular medicine specialist. The

ultrasound examination differs from other forms of diagnostic test-

ing. Vascular technologists/sonographers use an investigational

approach to search for ultrasound characteristics that indicate dis-

ease. Examinations are often challenging and are complete only

when the vascular sonographer is able to combine all elements of

the exam to form a coherent impression of the patient’s status. This

impression is conveyed to the interpreting physician through the

images that are collected. The role of the vascular technologist forms

a valuable and close link between patient and vascular specialist

and directly involves technologists in the pre- and post-operative

care of patients.

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Is This Field Right For You?To be successful, you must enjoy working with patients; be skillful intasks that require precise hand-eye coordination; and be confident ofyour interpretive abilities. You will make technical decisions thathave important clinical consequences and be required to communi-cate your findings to physicians. This field will be exciting and chal-lenging if you enjoy these types of interactions. If not, the responsi-bilities can be daunting.

Career OpportunitiesTechnological advances are requiring vascular sonographers to bebetter educated and to accept greater responsibilities in patient care.A shortage of skilled technologists provides good opportunities local-ly and nationally. This high demand is not being met by the numberof graduates that are produced by the small number of vascular tech-nology programs.

Based on recent trends, the yearly starting salary has increased toover $40,000 in area hospitals. Individual rates vary by region andtype of facility but the lack of trained vascular sonographers pushessalaries upward throughout the country. Part-time and per diem jobsare available for those seeking flexibility.

The UMDNJ - SHRP Program in Vascular TechnologyThe Vascular Technology program is a full-time, daytime program.Starting in the Fall semester of each year, it continues for 15 monthsinto December of the following year. Classes are conducted on theScotch Plains campus of UMDNJ but students are also required toperform clinical practice in area hospitals for three or more dayseach week. Our active clinical affiliations include:

• St Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ• St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, NJ• St. Clare’s Hospital, Denville, NJ• University Hospital, Newark, NJ• Jersey Coast Vascular Institute, Brick, NJ• East Orange Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, East

Orange, NJ• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ• Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ

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Developing the student’s clinical competency is a primary goal of theprogram. We expect graduates to perform capably from the first dayof employment. To meet this goal, the program stresses the develop-ment of a good work ethic and good ultrasound skills.

Full development requires a solid base knowledge in vascular biology.We provide a strong classroom emphasis on vascular ultrasound as itrelates to vascular anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and thera-peutics. The curriculum, shown below, is dedicated toward givinggraduates the knowledge and skills they need to advance in this field.

VASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMSEMESTER COURSE TITLE CREDITS1 - FallVSTC4100 Patient Care For The Imaging Professional 2VSTC4111 Vascular Anatomy, Physiology And

Pathophysiology I 3VSTC4300 Vascular Laboratory Practices 4VSTC4370 Introduction To Noninvasive Vascular Testing 2VSTC4381 Introduction To Vascular Physics And

Instrumentation 1___Semester: 12

2 - SpringDXMS4111 Acoustic Physics I 2VSTC4121 Noninvasive Diagnosis Of Vascular Disease I 2VSTC4131 Clinical Correlation I 1VSTC4149 Clinical Practice I 4VSTC4212 Vascular Pathology, Diagnostics And Therapeutics 3___

Semester: 123 - SummerDXMS4212 Acoustic Physics II 2VSTC4222 Non-Invasive Diagnosis Of Vascular Disease II 2VSTC4232 Clinical Correlation II 1VSTC4249 Clinical Practice II 3___

Semester: 8

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4 - FallDXMS4151 Cross-Sectional Abdominal Ultrasound 2DXMS4360 Introduction To Echocardiography 1VSTC4333 Clinical Applications In Vascular Technology 2VSTC4349 Clinical Practice III 6VSTC4382 Vascular Physics And Instrumentation 1___

Semester: 12Total Program Credits: 44

The program is continually increasing its reliance on computerenhanced education. Within the program students will be requiredto develop computer literacy and to have remote (off-campus) accessto Internet services, including web browsing and e-mail capability.Students must also have independent transportation to travel to hos-pital affiliates for clinical training.

Course Descriptions

VSTC4100 Patient Care for the Imaging Professional 2 CreditsThrough this course, the student will gain a basic knowledge of thevascular lab and patient care skills necessary for a technologist in theclinical setting. Ethical and legal responsibilities, ergonomics, anddiscussions of the hospital administrative structure will be provided.Students will successfully complete CPR certification and HIPAAcompliance. (Lecture hours 30)

VSTC 4111 Vascular Anatomy, Physiology andPathophysiology 3 Credits

This first course of a two-part sequence will cover the anatomy,physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system. Theheart will be discussed as a pump along with the cardiac pathologythat may impact flow within the vascular system. The course willhowever concentrate on the anatomy and function of the arterial sys-tem, microcirculation, and venous system. Hemodynamics andpathology of the major vascular components will be explained alongwith cardiovascular controls that affect blood flow. (Lecture hours45)

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VSTC 4300 Vascular Laboratory Practices 4 CreditsObservation of day-to-day vascular laboratory operations is animportant non-contact introduction to the clinical environment, inpreparation for future clinical coursework. In addition to performingstudent on student practice with ultrasound equipment, students willobserve the daily functions of working vascular laboratories, andobserve clinical cases performed and presented by out-going student.(Workshop and Clinical hours 180)

VSTC 4370 Introduction to Non-InvasiveVascular Testing 2 Credits

An overview of basic noninvasive vascular testing as it relates to theunderlying pathology and possible medical and surgical therapies,this is a combination of lecture and workshop. The course providesa basic understanding of vascular anatomy and physiology, vasculardiseases, indications for testing, goals of testing, and the basic testingprotocols. Scanning techniques and testing protocols will be devel-oped in workshop through repetition, stressing the interactionbetween examiner, equipment and patient. (Lecture hours 20,Workshop 30)

VSTC4381 Introduction To Vascular Physics AndInstrumentation 1 Credit

Courses in Vascular Physics broaden the discussions in acousticphysics for unique applications in vascular ultrasound testing. Thiscourse contains background material for ultrasound physics and bio-medical instrumentation. Mathematics and physical principlesimportant to vascular physics will be discussed. (Lecture hours 15)

DXMS4111 Acoustic Physics I 2 CreditsThis course acquaints students with the modes of operation andimaging techniques that relates to high frequency sound production.This course includes lecture and demonstration. (Lecture: 30 hours)

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VSTC 4121 Noninvasive Diagnosis of VascularDisease I 2 Credits

Various forms of instrumentation and techniques are used for thenon-invasive assessment of vascular patients. This course describesthe instrumentation and methodologies that are applied to vasculartesting, explains the underlying principles of operation, measurementtechniques, interpretation and limitations of testing. (Lecture hours30)

VSTC 4131 Clinical Correlation I 1 CreditFirst course of a three part sequence that correlates the clinical prac-tice with classroom didactics. Case presentations by vascular tech-nology students and VTP faculty will include discussions of patientstatus, types of testing, testing techniques, test interpretation, andpatient outcome. Content will demonstrate and discuss examples ofduplex based pathology. (Lecture hours 15)

VSTC 4149 Clinical Practice I 4 CreditsThe Vascular Technology Program stresses a hands-on clinical experi-ence. Students develop their testing skills in clinical vascular labora-tories, affiliated with the Program. Under the supervision of experi-enced technologists, students will learn to interact with patients,other technologists, and physicians and develop their ultrasoundskills. (Clinical hours 406)

VSTC 4214 Vascular Pathology, Diagnostics andTherapeutics 3 Credits

Second course in a two-part series, this extends the discussion of vas-cular physiology and pathophysiology into diseases of individualorgan systems and extremities. It then discusses other forms of diag-nosis and types of medical and surgical treatments. (Lecture hours60)

DXMS4212 Acoustic Physics II 2 CreditsThis course is a continuation of Acoustic Physics I. A requirement forthe clinical practice of sonographers is an in-depth understanding ofthe characteristics of ultrasound and its interaction with tissue. Animportant element of this is quality control and the biological effectsof sound on human tissue. (Lecture: 16 hours, Web Enhanced)

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VSTC 4222 Noninvasive Diagnosis of VascularDisease II 2 Credits

This course will extend the discussion of vascular testing to new andmore specialized forms of non-invasive examination. It expands ourdiscussions in vascular ultrasound testing to cover specialized topicsin vascular diagnosis and pathologic arterial flow pattern changes interms of Doppler based hemodynamics. (Lecture hours 30)

VSTC 4232 Clinical Correlation II 1 CreditSecond in a three part sequence, this correlates clinical practice withclassroom didactics through presentations of cases observed or per-formed in clinical practicum. Critical thinking of the students will bedeveloped through group discussions. (Lecture hours 15; Laboratoryhours 10)

VSTC 4249 Clinical Practice II 3 CreditsUnder the supervision of the instructors of the clinical sites, the stu-dent will learn to interact with patients, other technologists, andphysicians and to develop the skills for diagnosing vascular disease.Skills will be developed using various ultrasound and non-ultrasoundinstrumentation. (Clinical hours 240)

DXMS4151 Cross-Sectional Abdominal Sonography 2 CreditsThe objective of this course is to provide the student with a basicknowledge of cross-sectional abdominal sonography. Emphasis isplaced on the sonographic appearance of abdominal organs, vesselsand their anatomical relationship to each other. (Lecture: 18 hours -Lab: 25 hours)

DXMS4360 Introduction to Echocardiography 1 CreditThe objective of this course is to provide the student with anoverview of cardiac anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and clini-cal applications of ultrasound, specifically echocardiography.(Lecture: 20 hours - Lab: 4 hours)

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VSTC 4333 Clinical Applications in VascularTechnology 2 Credits

A clinical review for non-invasive vascular testing combines materialsfrom different sources and forms a cohesive structure that is relevantto the real world, in preparation for the registry examinations.Through these approaches, the course will unify the clinical conceptsin Vascular Technology. (Lecture hours 30)

VSTC 4349 Clinical Practice III 6 Credits Under the supervision of the instructors of the clinical sites, the stu-dent reaches the final stages of vascular testing prior to graduation.Skills will be developed using various ultrasound and non-ultrasoundinstrumentation. (Clinical hours 210)

VSTC4382 Vascular Physics And Instrumentation 1 CreditAspects of vascular diagnostic instrumentation have been discussedin many of the didactic courses in Vascular Technology. This secondcourse in vascular physics provides a unifying overview in prepara-tion for the Registry examination, covering physics and electronicinstrumentation in a fast pace format. (Lecture hours 15)

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Admission Requirements

The program accepts students for:

1. Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health TechnologiesThe B.S. degree in Allied Health Technologies is a joint degreeoffered by UMDNJ and seven affiliate institutions of higher edu-cation: Bloomfield College, Georgian Court University, FairleighDickinson University, Felician College, New Jersey CityUniversity, Ramapo College, and Rutgers University (Newark).This track is open to students who have completed additionaldegree requirements at one of these seven institutions.

2. Second Bachelor of Science degreeStudents with an earned Bachelor’s degree from an accreditedU.S. institution may fulfill the requirements for a second degree.Students educated abroad are not eligible for this option.

3. Undergraduate certificate This options suits those interested in rapid program completionand employment. The Vascular Technology program is anupper division, undergraduate program. As such, certificatetrack students are required to have prerequisite, lower divisionaccredited college experience prior to entry.

All applicants are required to have approximately 60 college creditswhich include courses in Human Anatomy & Physiology I, andHuman Anatomy & Physiology II. Students with a GPA of 2.5 andabove are encouraged to apply. Final consideration of GPA scoreswill, however, depend upon the pool of applicants. The application and all supporting documents must be received byJune 1 for the fall term. Please submit official transcripts from allinstitutions where you have earned credits.

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Foreign Educated Applicants

If you were educated outside of the United States, you must providethe following additional documents:• Official transcrpts from the foreign university• Evaluation of your foreign transcript. You may obtain an evalua-

tion by contacting World Education Services, Inc. at www.wes.orgor by e-mail at info@wes.org.

• Results of test scores from the Test of English as a ForeignLanguage (TOEFL) exam. A minmum score of 550 on the writtenexam, 213 on the computer-based exam, or 79-80 on the internet-based esxam is required. The School code is 2895.

Selection is a competitive process. Decisions are based on a compos-ite of the applicant’s overall academic ability, including aptitude andabilities in professional and science courses. The school does not dis-criminate against qualified individuals on the basis of race, creed,national origin or disability. The University recognizes the value ofdiversity and is committed to providing appropriate support to itsstudent body. The Disability Compliance Coordinator may bereached at 973-972-8594.

You may take up to12 credits at SHRP as a non-matriculated stu-dent. This does not guarantee admission into the program. Toinquire about non-matriculated status, please call the Center forAdvanced and Continuing Education (CACE) at 908-889-2560 orcheck the web site at http://www.umdnj.edu/cceweb/.

Health Insurance

All full-time students and part-time students who participate in aclinical experience are required to have insurance coverage. You willbe billed by UMDNJ for coverage, unless you complete a waiverproving comparable coverage before the deadline date. Otherwiseyou will be required to purchase the University’s recommended poli-cy.

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Tuition/Financial Aid

Please visit the UMDNJ Financial Aid web site atwww.umdnj.edu/faidweb/index.htm for details related to tuition.

Accreditation

UMDNJ is accredited by the Commission of Higher Education of theMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The VascularTechnology program is fully accredited by the Committee onAccreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)through the Joint Review Committee on Education in CardiovascularTechnology (JRC-CVT).

For More Information

Students may apply on line athttp://shrp.umdnj.edu/admissions/index.html. Application bookletscan also be obtained from School of Health Related Professions,Office of Enrollment Services, 65 Bergen Street, Room 149, Newark,NJ 07107-3001 (973) 972-5454.

For additional information on the Vascular Technology program andthe career, visit our web site:www.umdnj.edu/vastcweb/homepage.html. The Program Director,Clifford T. Araki, PhD, RVT can be reached by e-mail atarakict@umdnj.edu (better) or by phone at 908-889-2468

NOTES