Selection Process

All candidates who meet minimal requirements are encouraged to apply to the program. Because the selection process is competitive, not all applicants who meet minimal admission requirements will be selected into the program. All qualified candidates are evaluated for consideration based on merit utilizing the program’s established screening process.

Applications are initially reviewed for verification of minimal requirements. Applications who meet minimal requirements are scored using an established and approved score sheet. Of the applicants who meet minimal requirements and complete the mandatory pre-admission activity, some applicants will be invited to attend a personal interview with program faculty and representatives from each primary clinical education site. Interview candidates will be notified by email of their interview date, time and location (if an in-person interview occurs) or virtual meeting information. Following each candidate’s interview, the interview team will score each interview. Final selection of applicants into the program will be based on this score. An alternate list is formed with candidates rank-ordered based on their overall interview score.

Preference may be given to applicants who reside in the state of Indiana at the time of application or, for applicants who reside outside of Indiana at the time of application, are employed within an Ascension facility.

Clinical Site Selection

In order to meet all of the requirements in the adult cardiac sonography concentration, clinical sites are assigned by the program director.  Students will rotate through ALL clinical sites listed and will not be able to select just one primary site. 

Foreign Educated Applicants

Applicants educated in foreign countries are welcomed to apply to the program. However, candidates must have completed all the program’s general education pre-requisites through regionally-accredited American colleges and universities. No foreign academic work will be considered toward the general education requirements. Foreign transcripts or the equivalent domestic evaluation of foreign transcripts (ECE, for example) should NOT be submitted.

Disability

The Ascension St. Vincent Sonography Program does not discriminate on the basis of disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not request disability information from program applicants. Likewise, candidates are advised to not discuss or disclose a disability to program faculty, students or other Ascension St. Vincent associates or representatives. If accepted into the sonography program, candidates will have the opportunity to request accommodations for disabilities as defined by the American with Disabilities Act. The program, in consultation and guidance from the Ascension St. Vincent Offices of Associate Health , will determine if disability accommodations are reasonable. The program reserves the right to deny disability accommodations that are not deemed to be reasonable. 

Disclosure of Criminal History

The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography may deny exam eligibility for any applicant convicted of a felony, or misdemeanor, with the sole exception of speeding and minor parking violations. Consistent with ARDMS practices, applicants will be asked on the application to disclose their criminal history, excluding speeding and minor traffic violations. Applicants who disclose their criminal history must provide details as directed on the application.

Failure to disclose a positive criminal history will result in denial of the application. A positive criminal history will require the candidate to submit to the ARDMS a pre-eligibility application at their own expense. The applicant will be required to forward the decision of the ARDMS to the Program Director upon receipt. The decision of the ARDMS will be considered when selecting candidates into the program. In such cases when the ARDMS decision is pending when final selections are made, full acceptance will be contingent upon receiving the ARDMS decision by an established deadline.

Denial of pre-eligibility by the ARDMS will result in immediate revocation of acceptance. While approval of pre-eligibility by the ARDMS is required to gain full acceptance into the program, the program reserves the right to deny full acceptance or revoke conditional acceptance to any individual with a positive criminal history based on individual circumstances.

Disclosure of Professional License or Certification Suspension or Revocation

All applicants are required to disclose if they have ever had a professional license or certification suspended or revoked by any certifying agency or governing body. Applicants must provide details of the suspended or revoked professional license or certification as directed in the application. Failure to disclose a suspended or revoked professional license or certification will result in denial of consideration or withdrawal of conditional acceptance. The Sonography Program reserves the right to deny acceptance or rescind conditional acceptance to any individual history of suspended or revoked professional license or certification based on individual circumstances.