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Orange Coast College CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY Cardiovascular technology is an allied health profession concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with heart and blood vessel disease. The cardiovascular technologist performs tests at the request of a physician to obtain information about that patient’s heart and blood vessel anatomy and function so the physician can make a diagnosis. The profession of cardiovas- cular technology includes three areas of diagnostic evaluation: 1) invasive car- diovascular technology (diagnosis of heart disease by cardiac catheterization), 2) noninvasive cardiovascular technology (diagnosis of heart disease by cardiac ultrasound, exercise, and electrocardiographic testing), and 3) noninvasive peripheral vascular study (diagnosis of blood vessel disease using ultrasound testing). ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND VASCULAR ULTRASOUND ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE Employment possibilities include: Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technologist Echocardiographer/Echocardiography Technologist Cerebrovascular Ultrasound Technologist Program Outcomes Students will be prepared for entry-level employment as a professional and competent Cardiovascular Technologist to meet the needs of the local health care community. The Cardiovascular Technology program provides the necessary classroom and clinical courses to allow graduates to work as noninvasive cardiovascular technologists. Required prerequisites: Electrocardiography Technician Certificate of Achievement Specifically, the program objectives include: 1. Graduate qualified ECG technologists. 2. Graduate qualified noninvasive cardiovascular technologists who obtain RDCS within two years of completing the program and who are qualified in all noninvasive tests. 3. Provide an adequate number of graduates to meet the need for employees within the community. During the first year of the program, students learn basic medical sciences and noninvasive cardiovascular tests including electrocardiography (ECG), exercise testing, Holter monitoring, pacemaker evaluation and continuous cardiac monitoring. Students may exit the program after the first year and obtain a Certificate of Achievement as an Electrocardiography Technician. With this certificate, graduates may obtain employment as an ECG technician, stress testing technician, Holter monitor technician, pacemaker technician and/or monitor (telemetry) technician. Students wishing to complete the two-year program must complete the first year courses and the general education for the Associate in Science degree. Graduates of the Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technology program option may obtain employment as a cardiovascular technologist performing all noninvasive tests, particularly cardiac ultrasound or echocardiography. Additionally, gradu- ates may perform limited cerebrovascular ultrasound tests. The Cardiovascular Technology program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Program Admission Allied Health A010 course – application and orientation. The student must complete the General Education requirements for an Associate in Science Degree and the program prerequisites prior to acceptance to the program. 86 Subtotal: 27 Required Courses Course Units FALL Intro to Echocardiography Intro to Echocardiography Lab Echocardiography Clin Lab 1 Sono Physics/Instrumentation SPRING Adv Echocardiography Adv Echocardiography Lab Cerebrovascular Ultrasound and Peripheral Echocardiography Clin Lab 2 CVT CVT CVT CVT A200 A205 A210 A220 3 1 5 3.5 CVT CVT A250 A255 3 1 CVT A260 2.5 CVT A265 6 Subtotal: 25 Program Major Total: 52 General Education Breadth for AS Degree 18 Total AS Degree Units 70 Students are required to obtain a grade of “C” or better in all prerequi- sites and required courses.