“ARDMS promotes quality care and patient safety through the certification and continuing competency of ultrasound professionals.”
Governance
ARDMS is governed by a board of directorscomposed of sonographers, vascular technologists, physicians, research scientists and a public member. The board creates the policies and defines the direction; the Exam Development Task Forces conduct continuous evaluations of the material contained in the examinations.
Examination development
The examinations are developed by subject matter experts who sit on Exam Development Task Forces. 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 composed of , vascular technologists, physicians, and scientists. The members of each EDTF are knowledgeable in the subject area of the particular examination. As a global organization, ARDMS examinations are being delivered at test center locations in 27 countries. ARDMS has Registrants in 70 countries. ARDMS credentialing programs have earned the ANSI-ISO 17024 accreditation through the International Organization for Standardization and the American National Standards Institute. The organization is the recognized international standard in sonography credentialing.
Certifications awarded by ARDMS
' : To obtain the RDMS credential, applicants must meet the required prerequisites and must pass two examinations — the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation examination, which tests basic physical principles and instrumentation knowledge, and one specialty examination. Specialty areas include Abdomen, Breast, Fetal Echocardiography, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatric Sonography. ' : Applicants seeking the RDCS credential must meet the required prerequisites and must pass two examinations — the SPI examination and a specialty exam in one of the following areas: Adult Echocardiography, Pediatric Echocardiography or Fetal Echocardiography. ' : To qualify for the RVT credential, applicants must meet examination prerequisites and pass the SPI and Vascular Technology examinations. ' : Applicants seeking the RMSKS credential must meet the required prerequisites and must pass two examinations — the SPI examination and the Musculoskeletal Sonographer examination. : The RPVI credential is offered exclusively to physicians. To qualify for the RPVI credential, applicants must meet examination prerequisites and pass the Physician’ Vascular Interpretation examination. : The RMSK credential is available to physicians and advanced care providers. To earn this credential, applicants must pass the Musculoskeletal Sonography examination.
