TSC sonography students poised to bolster RGV healthcare facility

A TSC Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) student practices in the DMS Lab at ITEC Center.

What started out as an information session with the Doctors Hospital at Renaissance for a cohort of Texas Southmost College Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) students became an opportunity that would change their lives.

Sandra Yanez, assistant director for Doctors Hospital Renaissance (DHR) radiology department, stood at the front of the classroom in the TSC ITEC Center and highlighted the many departments, services and community resources DHR employs.

“The demand for allied health positions in the Rio Grande Valley is increasing across the board,” said Yanez. “There is a huge demand for sonographers. TSC’s (Diagnostic Medical Sonography) program is a huge benefit to all the healthcare facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, it ends up allowing us to fill difficult positions in all our facilities.”

As Yanez reached the end of her presentation, she announced to the students that every one of them would have a job offer once they graduate from TSC.

“The program already has a high success rate,” said Scott Nelson, TSC interim dean of health professions. “This is the first time we have had all students offered a position before they’ve completed their training with a single entity. DHR came and offered a job to all of our students at the same time, pending licensure.”

Starting positions in diagnostic medical sonography offer annual salaries of $40,000 to $60,000 a year with the additional opportunity of hourly stipends for overtime, which will afford many of these students the opportunity to improve their family’s quality life.

“One hundred percent of students that complete the [DMS] program become licensed very quickly,” said Nelson. “One hundred percent of them are hired very quickly, but to have an entire class receive job offers at once, it’s pretty exciting.” For more information about the TSC Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, call (956) 295-3731 or visit tsc.edu/dms.