Health Sciences Application Process

Admission to Austin Community College does not guarantee admission to a Health Sciences program. ALL Health Sciences program applicants must:

1. Enroll in ACC and begin taking relevant program prerequisites
2. Follow the admission steps for the Health Sciences program you prefer.
3. Collect the required documentation and/or complete all immunizations before applying for program admission.
4. Submit your program application (a criminal background check may be required)

Sonography Application Steps

(updated 7/8/2011)

Sonography program applicants must follow the steps below. All students must complete the Health Sciences pre-admission process, including all prerequisites and other requirements, before applying to any program. | Apply to ACC.

Steps 1-4 may be done concurrently; Steps 5 & 6 MUST be completed at the same time:

Step 1

Download Application Process Checklist: PDF Updated 7/21/11

2011-2012 Medical Sonography Degree Tracking Worksheet

2011-2012 Cardiac Sonography Degree Tracking Worksheet

2011-2012 Vascular Sonography Degree Tracking Worksheet

Step 2

Sonography Information Session

Complete the Sonography Information session as soon as you possibly can; this is an information session for those interested in the ACC Sonography programs. A copy of the Sonography Information Session Assessment Post Test must be included with application documents (see Application Checklist).

Step 3
Sonography Lab Volunteer

Serve as the “patient” for the DMS, DCS, and ESC-VT student labs (1 volunteer session for each speciality is required of all applicants); you may begin to volunteer at any time in the application process. Points (1 point/volunteer session) will be assigned on the Sonography Applicant Ranking Worksheet. Contact 512.223.5945 to schedule your appointments. Sonography labs are held each semester and at a variety of times; do not delay in completing your Sonography Lab Volunteer sessions!.

Step 4(Updated 8/25/11)

Patient Care Education (minimum to apply Certified Nurse Aid course or equivalent)

Nurse Aid Certification courses are offered through the ACC Health Professions Institute, call 512.223.7542 for more information.

• The CNA course is NOT required if you have completed one or more of the following direct patient care programs: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Radiologic Technologist (RT-R), Paramedic, EMT-Basic, Respiratory Therapist or Surgical Technologist.
• Applicants who have completed an EMT-Basic, Paramedic, Radiologic Technologist, RN, LVN, Surgical Technologist, and Respiratory Therapist Program are awarded the points shown in this criterion on the Sonography Applicant Ranking Worksheet.
• The highest level of Paitient Care Education completed is awarded points.
• Applicants are NOT required to hold a specific credential or license (including CNA) to apply.

Step 5
Application

All Sonography program requirements and prerequisite courses MUST be completed before applying for admission. Requirements | Prerequisites

• All transcripts from outside of ACC (transfer coursework) MUST be reviewed by the Program prior to applying for admission; you must submit the Degree Plan Worksheet completed by the Program with the rest of your application documents.

The Sonography Application is available online (only) from December 1 each year to February 1, the next year (available for that 2 month period). The Application is sent to the Sonography Programs when you click “Select” at the end of the application.

Step 6
Application Packet Documents

Submit all the required documents at one time, by registered mail or in person, to the Health Sciences Admissions and Information Office, EVC, Bldg. 8000, Room 8356, Austin, TX 78702. Your name MUST be on each and every document. The deadline for submission is February 1 each (or the next business day if February 1 falls on a weekend).

• Immunization Record form. You MUST use this form; have your health care provider complete all requirements on the form, including appropriate dates and signatures.
• Patient Care Experience Form
  • Word(76Kb)
  • PDF( 53Kb)
• Copy of Sonography Information Session Assessment Verification fom
• Documentation of patient care education (transcript showing completion award, copy of a diploma or credential card)
• Unofficial copies of all college transcripts (ACC and/or transfer)

Transfer courses/transcripts MUST be reviewed by the Sonography Department Chair prior to applying for admission to a Sonography Program; contact the Department Chair by email or phone to schedule an appointment.

Note: All Sonography program requirements and prerequisite courses must be completed before applying for admission. | Requirements | Prerequisites

Admission Selection Process

Sonography Applications are accepted between December 1 of each year and February 1 of the next year (a 2 month period). The Sonography Application is available in an on-line format from this website; when completed, the application is submitted by email directly to the Sonography Department. The remainder of the Application Documents must be delivered (in person or by mail) to the Health Sciences Information Office. This office reviews the applications for completeness and the HS Compliance Coordinator reviews the Immunization Record. If deficiencies are found, the applicant will be contacted; the applicant must submit all required documentation by the February 1 deadline.

When the application period has closed, the Sonography Admissions Committee ranks all applications using the Sonography Applicant Ranking Worksheet. Applicants specify their desired program on the Sonography Application and the DMS and DCS pools are ranked separately. Prior to accepting students for the next admission class, the Sonography Faculty and Advisory Committees determine the number of students that will be accepted. The number of appropriate clinical sites available and willing to accept student placements throughout the length of the program (5 semesters) dictates the number of students accepted for each program every year. The top 16-20 applicants are accepted for the DMS program and the top 10-14 students are accepted for the DCS program (the number of applicants accepted MAY vary from year to year). Alternates are designated from the next 3-4 applicants; if an accepted student declines appointment to the program OR does not begin OR does not successfully complete the Criminal Background Check process by the deadlines stated in the conditional acceptance letter, alternates for the accepted class will be contacted in order of rank. Alternates are encouraged to visit with the Sonography Program Director to review his/her application.

Those not accepted into the program receive a letter stating their rank in the pool for the current year and he/she is encouraged to visit with the Sonography Program Director to review his/her application.

Sonography Applications are kept on file for 1 year; if the applicant does not reapply (submitting any updated documentation) by then end of the next application period, then his/her application file is purged.

The following Sonography Applicant Ranking Worksheet is used in the admission selection process.

• Please note that there is no ranking “number” that guarantees admission to either the DMS or DCS program; every applicant pool is fresh (no waiting list is used) so acceptance into the DMS or DCS program is based on an applicant's ranking within the pool for that year.

Applicant Ranking Worksheet

This Applicant Ranking Worksheet is effective 3-11-2011 and replaces all previously published worksheets.

In the event that one or more applicants receive the same number of Total Points, these points will be added to the Total Points:
0.02 points assigned for each "A" received in the pre-requisite courses
AND/OR
0.02 points assigned for a grade of "B" or better for PHYS 1401
AND/OR
0.05 points assigned to the applicant who completed a 2-year patient care education program

* Patient Care Experience includes any activity in which the applicant assists, transports, aids, and/or performs patient care procedures in a health care setting. Phlebotomy, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Office Assistant (front office), and/or other medical office duties do not qualify for direct patient care hours.

** Must be completed within 5 years of application (no earlier than 2006)