American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
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[edit] The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS)
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), incorporated in June 1975, is an independent, nonprofit organization that administers examinations and awards credentials in the areas of diagnostic medical sonography, diagnostic cardiac sonography, vascular interpretation and vascular technology.
ARDMS has certified more than 60,000 individuals and is the globally recognized standard of excellence in sonography.
ARDMS offers these credentials:
Credentials awarded by ARDMS include:
- RDMS: Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Specialty areas: Abdomen, Breast, Neurosonology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Fetal Echocardiography
- RDCS: Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer
- Specialty areas: Adult, Pediatric and Fetal Echocardiography
- RVT: Registered Vascular Technologist
- Specialty area: Noninvasive Vascular Technology
- RPVI: Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation
- Specialty area: Vascular Ultrasound Interpretation
ARDMS has earned the prestigious ANSI-ISO 17024 accreditation for certifying bodies from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Accreditation is granted through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ARDMS credentials serve to document personal achievement of recognized professional standards.
ARDMS credentials document personal achievement of recognized professional standards. However, ARDMS does not warrant the day-to-day job performance of individuals.
Credentials awarded by ARDMS are widely accepted in the medical community by sonographic and vascular professional organizations, including:
American College of Radiology
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
American Society of Echocardiography
Canadian Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Society for Vascular Ultrasound
ARDMS is governed by a board of directors composed of sonographers, vascular technologists, physicians, research scientists and a public member. The board creates the policies and defines the direction; the EDTFs conduct continuous evaluations of the material contained in our examinations.
The examinations are developed by subject matter experts who sit on Exam Development Task Forces (EDTFs). The EDTFs survey job functions and practices in various specialties and develop test questions based upon a blueprint of job tasks in sonography. EDTFs are comprised of sonographers, vascular technologists, physicians, and scientists. The members of each EDTF are knowledgeable in the subject area of the particular examination.
The only means of obtaining an ARDMS credential is by examination. Required examination prerequisites must be met before an applicant can take an ARDMS examination. Applicants are then required to pass two comprehensive examinations to earn a credential: (1) a physical principles and instrumentation examination, and (2) at least one corresponding specialty examination. Applicants for the RPVI credential must successfully complete a four-hour examination, which contains distinct content on physical principles and a variety of relevant clinical areas of practice.
As an emerging global organization, ARDMS examinations are also being delivered in Africa, and Hong Kong. Future sites for ARDMS examination delivery will be focused in South Korea, India, China and South America.[1]
