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We asked our community members at SonoPath Education if they've ever had buyers remorse with ultrasound equipment, and what advice they could share to help others avoid the same.
Karen Ebersole, Mobile Sonographer - DVM
2. Finding a really good educational program that fits your personality, and learning style, with good follow up support
3. Having a serious commitment to dedicating time to practice
I have made all of these mistakes myself! So I speak from experience. :) I quit doing US for a portion of my early vet career...just became too frustrated. When I jumped back in, I realized the necessity of a good machine (after buying a cheaper option, and having to return it).
For me, finding SonoPath education was a game changer. It turned me into a really confident and capable sonographer. It happens to fit my personality and learning style very well. :)
Chris Belan, DVM
Price should not be the driving factor. I run a mobile service and half of my clients bought machines inappropriate for there needs and expectations. They got something inexpensive with a single frequency probe and limited storage. The machine sits in the corner and gets used for cystos only.
Price should not be the driving factor. I run a mobile service and half of my clients bought machines inappropriate for there needs and expectations. They got something inexpensive with a single frequency probe and limited storage. The machine sits in the corner and gets used for cystos only.
Also you need to take training that involves a commitment over time and ongoing critiquing of your scanning. I took staged training over a year with critiquing of my scanning weekly over the year. Having the probe in your hand every day is what makes you good. Weekend courses are intended to wet your appetite for ultrasound not make you a competent scanner.
Get a basic understanding of probes and their limitations as well as the storage and telemedicine capacity of machines is essential to meeting your expectations. Also getting a machine that has upgrade capacity as many of us start with Ab scans and graduate to echos. This progression means you will need more options on your machine like color and continuous wave dopplers and phased array probes to do quality echos. Staying with popular brands used a lot in the human field gives you lots of options for secondary sales of refurbished probes. I have used GE Mindray and Esaote machines and they all have strengths and weaknesses. What they have in common is a minimum core of features that allows you to capture and store good images. After that it becomes personal preference and what your purpose is.
Alastair Westcott, General Practice DVM
You have to be committed to using the machine for more than cysto’s. The more you use it, the fear goes away and the confidence builds. We simply could not practice well without ultrasound. Be committed and you will not be sorry.
