PDA

View Full Version : SAIT: Diagnostic Medical Sonography



nerdkitty
02-10-2013, 01:27 AM
Hi guys,
I applied to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at SAIT for September 2013 and I have no yet heard back from SAIT in regards to my admission status after submitting the career investigation in early December.

I was just wondering if there were any of you that have heard back from the program or know of roughly when I should expect to hear back from them. I'm not sure when the interviews normally take place or whether they do rolling admissions based on the qualifications of the candidates.

Does anyone know the chances of getting in or the statistics of the current students in the program? I have a bachelors degree, and some work/school related experience in the health field.

Any input is appreciated! :)

rinny
02-11-2013, 12:52 AM
Check their website on your application status, it should give some detail as to which part of the process your application is in.

nerdkitty
02-11-2013, 01:47 AM
My application status still says "In selection". I guess I'll just have to be patient. :)

bignerd
02-17-2013, 01:17 PM
Usually they are doing interviews by now but they change the process every year so it could be different this year and yes, it is not the fastest process and they make mistakes sometimes as well.

"In selection" is still good at least.

They look for something different every year in the candidates. There were people in my class right out of highschool with no degree and little work experience, others with lots of work experience and no degrees and others with degrees-that being said 3 people in my class were kicked out of the program or did not finish it which I find unbelievable. It was pretty varied. Marks matter, if you get to the interview stage that is where you have to set yourself apart.

nerdkitty
02-21-2013, 11:17 PM
Originally posted by bignerd
Usually they are doing interviews by now but they change the process every year so it could be different this year and yes, it is not the fastest process and they make mistakes sometimes as well.

"In selection" is still good at least.

They look for something different every year in the candidates. There were people in my class right out of highschool with no degree and little work experience, others with lots of work experience and no degrees and others with degrees-that being said 3 people in my class were kicked out of the program or did not finish it which I find unbelievable. It was pretty varied. Marks matter, if you get to the interview stage that is where you have to set yourself apart.

I didn't get in this year, I just got a status update today. :( Would you mind me asking what background you had prior to applying for DMS? I know the program is competitive but I'm just curious as to how they are able to compare people from such varying backgrounds. Did you have a lot of school or work/shadowing experience? You can PM me if you want, I'm just not sure if I want to re-apply next year or try for another program. I definitely didn't think I would have a hard time with the content of the program (since my degree covered a lot of it), so I find it surprising how 3/22 can drop out/get kicked out if it is so competitive to get in.

Thanks!

Vmack
02-22-2013, 10:33 AM
for what its worth. they get around 600 apps for DMS and only take in 20 on an average year. very difficult program to get in to

bignerd
02-23-2013, 10:10 PM
Originally posted by nerdkitty


I didn't get in this year, I just got a status update today. :( Would you mind me asking what background you had prior to applying for DMS? I know the program is competitive but I'm just curious as to how they are able to compare people from such varying backgrounds. Did you have a lot of school or work/shadowing experience? You can PM me if you want, I'm just not sure if I want to re-apply next year or try for another program. I definitely didn't think I would have a hard time with the content of the program (since my degree covered a lot of it), so I find it surprising how 3/22 can drop out/get kicked out if it is so competitive to get in.

Thanks!

I think the year I got in, the dean of the health programs put a lot of weight on work experience and customer service, also I think I probably interviewed well. I am somewhat older and went back to school, so had lots of work experience (in banking) and customer service from that as well as some volunteer experience as a president of a small organization.

I had no prior post secondary-this is what I went back to school for and I upgraded my marks to go back. My physics mark was not the greatest but other marks were quite high.

Yes I also job shadowed too, not everyone in my class did which I found odd. Previously you had to do a career investigation report, I didn't have to do it for my year, but I think you do now again.


I believe they are now trying to focus on patient care. I would job shadow for sure. If you can get some sort of work/volunteer experience doing something with patients or medical related I would try that as well. I am sure marks are a big factor in narrowing the list down from 600 or so applicants. I don't know that previous post secondary matters so much as the classes are extremely tailored to Ultrasound, i.e. the physics you did in high school and ultrasound physics are completely different.

Two people were kicked out for attendance issues and the third person had a medical issue and had to leave.


Many people apply to ultrasound, xray, nuc med etc... I know someone that took the respiratory tech program when they didn't get ultrasound and she says she loves it.... xray has more seats so is a little easier to get into. Resp tech is usually hard for SAIT to fill. Nuc med is also hard to get into but hard to find work after too. Also, it seems to me some people get in on the second or third time of applying.

bignerd
02-23-2013, 10:19 PM
Originally posted by Vmack
for what its worth. they get around 600 apps for DMS and only take in 20 on an average year. very difficult program to get in to

6-700 apps, 350 of those meet minimum qualifications and maximum number of seats is 28 with at least four for Saskatchewan students.

nerdkitty
02-26-2013, 12:31 AM
Originally posted by bignerd


I think the year I got in, the dean of the health programs put a lot of weight on work experience and customer service, also I think I probably interviewed well. I am somewhat older and went back to school, so had lots of work experience (in banking) and customer service from that as well as some volunteer experience as a president of a small organization.

I had no prior post secondary-this is what I went back to school for and I upgraded my marks to go back. My physics mark was not the greatest but other marks were quite high.

Yes I also job shadowed too, not everyone in my class did which I found odd. Previously you had to do a career investigation report, I didn't have to do it for my year, but I think you do now again.


I believe they are now trying to focus on patient care. I would job shadow for sure. If you can get some sort of work/volunteer experience doing something with patients or medical related I would try that as well. I am sure marks are a big factor in narrowing the list down from 600 or so applicants. I don't know that previous post secondary matters so much as the classes are extremely tailored to Ultrasound, i.e. the physics you did in high school and ultrasound physics are completely different.

Two people were kicked out for attendance issues and the third person had a medical issue and had to leave.


Many people apply to ultrasound, xray, nuc med etc... I know someone that took the respiratory tech program when they didn't get ultrasound and she says she loves it.... xray has more seats so is a little easier to get into. Resp tech is usually hard for SAIT to fill. Nuc med is also hard to get into but hard to find work after too. Also, it seems to me some people get in on the second or third time of applying.


Thanks for all your input. I will definitely be reapplying for it along with some other programs next year. I actually work in field currently with direct patient care and I have also had a few years of experience in customer service.

The only things I could think of that may have hurt my application would have been my high school physics mark and possibly not going as in depth in explaining my experiences. I guess even with the right credentials, 600+ applicants is still tough to beat.

sunnygrs
11-18-2013, 11:04 AM
Hi Guys,

I have encountered a problem in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography career investigation at SAIT :banghead:. Could anybody please give some inside advice on this question? Thank you very much in advance!

Q: Is the diagnosing pathology one of the typical duties of a sonographer?

To me, the answer seems to be no, because pathology is the understanding and explanation of how a disease is developed. But a sonographer is only assisting in diagnosis. So the pathological part is the Doctor's business?

(In order to graduate from sonographer program, students need to learn related pathology courses. However, this question is asking for typical career duties. So the answer is still no?)

Please help me! Thank you very much!
:)

bignerd
11-18-2013, 07:27 PM
Technically, No.

A diagnoses is outside the scope of practice. You need to be able to form a technical impression of what you are seeing and be able to accurately describe it so the DR can form a diagnosis.

Sunshine18!
11-18-2013, 08:25 PM
Sunnygrs when did you receive your career investigation?

sunnygrs
11-18-2013, 09:10 PM
Originally posted by bignerd
Technically, No.

A diagnoses is outside the scope of practice. You need to be able to form a technical impression of what you are seeing and be able to accurately describe it so the DR can form a diagnosis.

Thank you very much for your help! appreciated! :thumbsup:

sunnygrs
11-18-2013, 09:11 PM
Originally posted by Sunshine18!
Sunnygrs when did you receive your career investigation?

Hi, I received it about 10 days ago. Are you applying to the program as well?

Sunshine18!
11-25-2013, 07:46 PM
Good luck through the application process. Very difficult process to get through, I unfortunately did not get in this year to DMS. I did apply to Medical Laboratory Technology at SAIT and made it through the selection process and have an interview next month.

jwa33
11-27-2013, 12:24 AM
Still waiting to find out about my application

jwa33
11-27-2013, 12:26 AM
Originally posted by sunnygrs


Hi, I received it about 10 days ago. Are you applying to the program as well?

Hi Sunnygrs
Did you receive any kind of notification before you received your career investigation? We've been watching the mail box, but it looks like it will just come to my email? Is that right?
Thanks

Sunshine18!
11-27-2013, 02:28 PM
You will not receive info before your career investigation. You will just get an email saying congratulations you made it to the next selection process with the career investigation in that email. Make sure you check mysait to make sure you are still in selection. Hope this helps you out jwa33

jwa33
11-27-2013, 03:24 PM
Originally posted by Sunshine18!
You will not receive info before your career investigation. You will just get an email saying congratulations you made it to the next selection process with the career investigation in that email. Make sure you check mysait to make sure you are still in selection. Hope this helps you out jwa33

Thanks for the reply, right now mine says "application received"

Okay, I'll keep hope then Thanks!

sunnygrs
02-22-2014, 12:01 AM
Hi guys, my DMS status just updated... and it says "waitlist selection declined"... sigh....:( The sad part is I didn't even know what went wrong and what could be improved in the career investigation. Hope anyone who's still in selection process can make it through and wish you all the best of luck!:thumbsup:

bignerd
02-22-2014, 02:23 AM
Are you going to reapply next year?

nerdkitty
02-28-2014, 02:33 AM
I encourage you guys to keep applying! I actually got into the program at NAIT and love it so far! For those of you who are set on sonography as a future profession, definitely try applying to NAIT as well. The admission criteria at NAIT is more clear cut, in that all the applicants are first ranked on their prerequisite courses (%) and the top 90 students get interviews. Out of the 90 they choose the top 30 after the interview process.

The interview format is also very different from SAIT in that it's in MMI form. Applicants won't have to face a panel with 3 other students answering the same questions one after another. This way, you can make multiple "first impressions" to different interviewers (IMO I think this is a better reflection of yourself).

The year I applied to SAIT (when I started this post) I submitted my application before the deadline but did not even get considered. I was waiting for news of my application decision and I tried calling SAIT. The department told me that all 22 seats were already filled (interviews had taken place before the application deadline; which I found strange).

bignerd
02-28-2014, 11:06 PM
That is SAIT's policy, not the programs. They will keep accepting the applications because they want the application fees, its all about the money.

Same reason SAIT will let people from Edmonton apply even though they are never going to consider them since SAIT is for Southern Alberta students, but they won't tell you this.

Did you use an Edmonton or Northern address when you applied to NAIT?

nerdkitty
03-01-2014, 01:36 AM
I thought both schools considered applicants from all of Alberta (and Saskatchewan). For NAIT, I applied using a Calgary address and I even brought up the fact that I was from Calgary during the MMI. Many people from my class are from other areas in Alberta like Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Grande Prairie etc. so I didn't think location factored much into it just as long as you were a Alberta resident.