The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) is a professional organization for sonographers, sonography education professionals, and sonography students. The SDMS was founded in 1970 to advance the development of the sonography profession and to raise awareness and understanding of sonography. The SDMS…

• Serves as a primary source of authoritative continuing medical education (CME) opportunities and SDMS CME credits
• Produces a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal
• Provides professional development opportunities
• Stimulates and facilitates original research and critical thinking to advance sonography
• Pursues cooperative relationships with other allied health organizations and healthcare stakeholders
• Advocates for sonographers and the sonography profession in multiple arenas, including government, media, and education

The SDMS Foundation is an affiliate of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) that provides grants, scholarships, and international assistance to members of the SDMS. The SDMS Foundation’s goal is to foster professional learning to enhance diagnostic medical sonography.

The SDMS Foundation invites tax-deductible contributions to support its mission.

SDMS membership includes sonographers across all specialties, sonography educators and students, sonography researchers, radiologic technologists, physicians, nurses, administrators, and businesses involved with ultrasound technology.

The SDMS is an international catalyst for the profession with members worldwide who are practicing sonography in a host of settings, including:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Mobile facilities
• Educational institutions
• Laboratories (diagnostic and research)
• Physician offices

Individual and organizational memberships in the SDMS are available.

Individual memberships encompass five categories with their respective annual dues:

• Standard membership is for all practicing sonographers or anyone interested in diagnostic medical sonography. ($175, which may be paid for one, two, or three years at a time, and discounted for multi-year memberships)
• Retired membership is for anyone aged 60 or older who is retired but wishes to remain engaged in the sonography field. ($90) An important distinction between retired membership and standard membership involves SDMS continuing medical education (CME) activities, which are available at a discount to retired members and free to standard members.
• Student membership is for anyone enrolled in a verified sonography-related healthcare educational program. ($45)
• Graduate membership is for renewing SDMS student members in the first year after they receive their undergraduate degree. It serves as a bridge year between student membership and standard membership. ($90)
• Fellow membership is for SDMS members who have been named an SDMS Fellow due to their outstanding contributions to sonography and the SDMS. These members must fulfill nomination eligibility requirements and be approved by the SDMS Board of Directors. ($0)

Organizational memberships are for businesses in or related to the sonography profession.

The SDMS values participation by organizations of all sizes and, therefore, offers organizational membership across six tiers, each with unique benefits and annual dues. All tiers, except Tier 1, automatically include a specified number of standard memberships that organizational members may extend to employees (“beneficiaries”). NOTE: More beneficiaries can be added in any tier – including Tier 1 – for $165 annually for each one.

• Tier 1 is the lowest-cost option ($275) and gives the organization discounts on SDMS Annual Conference registration, SDMS Store merchandise, and SDMS CME activity application fees, including clinical instructorship CME credit.
• Tier 2 ($825) provides a print subscription to the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS), a discount on SDMS Organizational Professional Liability Insurance, upon qualification and five standard memberships for beneficiaries, along with the other benefits in Tier 1.
• Tier 3 ($1,600) provides ten standard memberships for beneficiaries and all Tier 2 benefits.
• Tier 4 ($4,000) provides 25 standard memberships for beneficiaries, discounts on SDMS Job Board postings, and all Tier 3 benefits.
• Tier 5 ($7,500) provides 50 standard memberships for beneficiaries, includes all Tier 4 benefits, and provides SDMS medal level recognition for the organization.
• Tier 6 ($14,500) provides 100 standard memberships for beneficiaries and includes all benefits in the other tiers.

CAAHEP-accredited educational programs and SDMS-credentialed sonographer workplaces save $100 on any tier of organizational membership.

Here is a summary of SDMS member benefits:

1. Online access to unlimited, on-demand SDMS CME credits with new learning activities added throughout the year
2. A personalized SDMS CME Tracker that captures all completed SDMS CME credits and automatically transfers them to the ARDMS, ARRT, and CCI each day, seven days a week, for you
3. A free subscription to the bimonthly Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, the profession’s premier peer-reviewed journal
4. Pricing discounts on SDMS events, SDMS Registry Review S​eries, and SDMS merchandise
5. Access to professional liability insurance with no deductible on occurrence-based coverage to protect you against lawsuits
6. Sonography Salary Resources to enable comparisons with the industry’s compensation benchmarks and trends
7. SDMS Sonography Forum, a ​public forum that allows SDMS members to connect and learn from each other

Your SDMS membership dues enable the SDMS to fulfill its mission to promote, advance, and educate its members and the medical community in the science of diagnostic medical sonography. To achieve its mission, the SDMS follows the direction outlined in the SDMS Strategic Plan, which is drafted and approved by the SDMS Board of Directors.

Highlights of what your SDMS dues make possible include:

• On-demand virtual learning opportunities and in-person and virtual events dedicated to sonography continuing medical education (CME) so that sonographers can earn the SDMS CME credits they need to maintain their credentials
• Publication of the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, a scientific peer-reviewed journal that provides research, clinical, and educational content for all specialties as well as the opportunity to earn SDMS CME credits
• Career resources such as the SDMS Career Center, the SDMS Collaborate communities, the SDMS Image Library, the SDMS CME Tracker, model job descriptions, and sonographer salary resources.
• Recognition of the achievements of sonographers in the field of sonography research and education
• Industry recognized resources such as the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and white papers
• Proactive monitoring and response to legislation affecting sonographers and encouraging the adoption of state licensure
• Research on work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in sonography and prevention efforts

The SDMS values your membership and the SDMS Board of Directors, Committee members, volunteers, and staff are committed to fulfilling their fiduciary duty with the membership dues you entrust to the SDMS.

The SDMS sponsors numerous events to promote learning, networking, and time together with the sonography community, including:

• SDMS Annual Conference, held in the fall, provides learning and skills in new sonographic techniques, diagnostic accuracy, instrumentation enhancements, and practice management strategies for sonographers, physicians, educators, and students. It is designed as an in-person event for the sonography community.
• CME Weekend, held in the spring, is a travel-free, online learning experience for sonographers, sonography educators and students, and physicians.
• SDMS Virtual Seminars present a stimulating program of speakers in separate events customized for sonographers, educators, and students.
• SDMS Knowledge Series presents multiple focused topics throughout the year in a virtual webinar format with interactivity to allow participants to ask questions and receive answers from experts in real time.
• SDMS CME Crunch Week is a second chance to view the most popular SDMS content. Attendees who have not received SDMS CME credit for this content already can enjoy an opportunity to achieve valuable SDMS CME credits before the end of the year.

Event and merchandise discounts are available to SDMS members and also to individuals applying for membership simultaneously when registering for an SDMS event.

It depends. Non-student memberships submitted online and paid by credit card have immediate access. Student applications require up to a week due to the need to process the SDMS Student Status Verification form. Hard-copy applications with check payments require up to a week to process.

Individuals who wish to mail a check for payment need to submit a hard copy of the online application form with a personal check to the SDMS at P.O. Box 200971, Dallas, Texas 75320-0971.

Organizational members have the option of paying online or mailing a payment when joining or renewing online. However, membership benefits for the organization and any beneficiaries are not active until membership dues are paid in full.

Please contact the SDMS at 800.229.9506 if you have any questions about membership.
https://www.sdms.org/membership/join-sdms/member-benefits

Membership renewal is due annually on the last day of your anniversary month.

No. Members who need assistance can apply for a confidential SDMS Foundation Hardship Grant, which can be used for membership dues.

A common reason for a change in SDMS membership category is graduation. SDMS student members will be moved to the graduate member category ($90) for the first year after graduation. After this period, the graduate member will be moved to the standard member category and dues rate ($175).

Retirement is another milestone that may (or may not!) mean a change in SDMS membership category. The annual dues rate for a retired member is $90 a year - less than for a standard member ($175). Retired members get a discount on SDMS CME activities, which standard members get for free. It doesn’t take long – just a few SDMS CME activities – before the retired member would pay more for discounted SDMS CME activities than the incremental cost of maintaining a standard membership. So, retirees who plan to earn multiple SDMS CME credits each year will save money by continuing their SDMS standard membership.

Yes. This is a great option for busy SDMS members for four reasons:

• Saves you time
• Maximum convenience
• Secure transaction
• Continuous benefits

Simply provide your credit/debit card information when you renew your membership or call the SDMS office at (800) 229-9506 at least 90 days before your membership expires.

If you sign up for automatic membership renewal, you will be notified electronically prior to being charged each year. You may opt-out of auto renewal at any time online or by phone. Any discounts or coupons will be applied automatically to reduce total charges to your card. (Please remember: To receive electronic notifications, you must not opt-out or block SDMS emails.)

Accepted options include VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express for online transactions and check or money order for payments sent via USPS mail.

Yes. Both actions are possible for individual members and organizational members on this page of the SDMS website.

The Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) is the official scholarly journal of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS).

The JDMS is peer-reviewed and contains the latest research and information on diagnostic techniques and interpretation methods, thought-provoking case studies, practical research applications, and advances in a wide range of specialty areas. Members of the sonography community are encouraged to submit original research, case studies, and literary reviews for publication consideration. Upon acceptance for publication, SDMS continuing medical education (CME) credit may be awarded.

Each issue of the JDMS contains several SDMS CME activities. Successful completion of each activity, including passing a post-test, if there is one, earns SDMS CME credits.

The JDMS is provided to SDMS members free of charge, with access to issues dating back to 1985. Non-members can subscribe to the JDMS at the following cost for six issues per year (as of March 1, 2022, and subject to change by SAGE Publications, the publisher):

INDIVIDUALS. $221 for print only. $983 for print plus online access.

INSTITUTIONS. $1,070 for print only. Various options for online access and backfile lease range from $1,092 to $1,201.

A single print issue of the JDMS costs $48 for individuals and $196 for institutions.

(Please consult SAGE Publications for any pricing updates.)

The JDMS Editorial Board, as well as submission guidelines and other information, can be found here.

• Read the articles and test your knowledge against the associated learning activities
• Become a JDMS author
• Become a JDMS manuscript reviewer

In addition to these three ways an individual member can engage with the JDMS, there are advertising opportunities available for corporate members, as well as individuals.

JDMS post-tests can be taken online in the SDMS Learning Center with three opportunities to pass with a score of 75% or better.

SDMS CME credit may be awarded only to authors who are SDMS members at the time of the SDMS CME application, and only upon publication, of any of these manuscript types.

The Learning Center on the SDMS website offers hundreds of SDMS CME credit opportunities, and new activities are added throughout the year. Credit can be earned only once for each activity. The SDMS CME Tracker automatically makes a record of earned SDMS CME credits for each member and transfers this information to the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).

Non-SDMS CME credits are not reported by the tracker. For those, a sonographer must submit the completion certificate directly to the relevant credentialing body.

Yes. Non-members may purchase as many on-demand SDMS CME activities as they want and take the post-test (with three opportunities to pass, the same as SDMS members). If a non-member is interested in more than a couple of SDMS learning opportunities, purchasing an SDMS standard membership with free access to SDMS CME activities is an attractive, money-saving option.

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) requires completion of 30 CME credits during each three-year CME period.

The SDMS recommends completing a minimum of 10 CME credits annually to comply with ARDMS requirements.

Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) requires completion of 36 CME credits every three years, and at least 30 of these CME credits must be related to cardiovascular technology.

The SDMS recommends completing a minimum of 12 CME credits annually to comply with CCI requirements.

Completed CME credits are transferred to the ARDMS, ARRT, and CCI daily.

It varies. SDMS CME credits are determined by how many hours are actually spent consuming content, so time for breaks, lunch, or transition between sessions is excluded. Actual attendance at an SDMS virtual event – not just registration – is required to receive SDMS CME credits. In addition, SDMS CME credits are not awarded for consuming the content at a later date after the scheduled virtual event.

Technology features allow the SDMS staff to confirm attendance during the virtual event.

SDMS virtual events are popular with SDMS members, and the SDMS will continue to provide them. The launch of SDMS virtual events in 2019, a year before the pandemic began, was in response to feedback from members who wanted SDMS events without the cost and complications of travel, lodging, etc.

The SDMS Annual Conference held in the fall will continue to be an in-person event.

First, you need to register. Virtual events are posted on the SDMS website and communicated to members via email. Both formats contain a REGISTER button that navigates to a page where you can enter your information and pay for the event if there is a cost.

After you register, you will receive three emails, which are (1) an email receipt for the event purchase from the SDMS, (2) an email event confirmation from SDMS Events, and (3) a Zoom confirmation from SDMS Events with your personalized login link and technology tips for event day. The login link is unique to you and should not be shared with others. Sharing the link may result in not receiving your SDMS CME credits for the event.

On the day of the event, click the Zoom login link. If you are not already a Zoom user, you will be prompted to download and run Zoom. After the download is complete, refer to your registration email from Zoom and use the personalized login link to access the virtual event.

If you switch devices during the event, there are three things you need to know: (1) You must completely log off the initial device and log in again on the second device. You can only be logged into the virtual event on one device at a time. (2) If you log out and log back in for any reason the Q&A box will have refreshed and the content you saw earlier will be gone. Staying logged in will provide an optimal experience for virtual events. (3) If you switch to another device in a timely manner, you will not miss out on earning the applicable SDMS CME credit(s).

Yes. Attendees can enter their questions for speakers via the Zoom Q&A function.

During the presentation, attendees’ audio lines are muted and cameras are turned off. However, attendees are able to comment to other participants by using the chat box. These comments are visible to all participants and staff hosting the event.

Your personal internet connection frequently determines the audio and visual quality of any virtual event. For other technical issues, please email events@sdms.org.

That is always our intent. Post-event, an email will be sent to registrants with the links to access the recording and materials.

Browser. It is recommended that Internet Explorer NOT be used to view an event.

Optimize. Get the best streaming experience by closing all other programs on your device.

Go Mobile. The Zoom app permits viewing on all iOS and Android mobile devices.

No Audio? The steps below are successful in troubleshooting this issue for most users.

1. Confirm that the sound is enabled on your computer or device. Look in Settings/Sound to make sure the correct speaker is selected if there are multiple options.
2. Check that your system volume is not muted.
3. Check that the volume on the viewer is turned up.
4. If you have external speakers, check:
1. If the speakers are firmly plugged into an outlet.
2. If the speakers are firmly plugged into your computer.
3. If the speakers are turned on and the volume knob is turned up.
4. If the speakers are not muted via a mute key on your keyboard
5. If you have built-in speakers, ensure that the speakers are not muted via a mute key on your keyboard.
6. Test audio with videos from a website such as YouTube.

Frozen Video? The steps below are successful in troubleshooting this issue for most users.

1. Refresh your viewer.
2. Close your viewer and relaunch it by following the link in the Zoom email you received.

If you have any questions about SDMS virtual events that are not answered here, please email events@sdms.org.

You must have an SDMS login and be associated with your organization in the SDMS database to access the SDMS Management System and to submit rosters and new applications. Log onto https://learn.sdms.org. Click to open the CME Management System menu on the SDMS Learning Center landing page (It is a yellow-colored menu that is located on the upper left-hand portion of the screen). Click the CME Management link then click the Application Dashboard option to create a new CME application or the Rosters and Certificates option to manage your CME roster.

The application fees, effective January 15, 2024, are shown in the table below. Activity application types are defined in the SDMS CME Activity Types section of the SDMS CME Policies and Procedures.

Lecture

• A live (not recorded) educational presentation of 120 minutes or less
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)
• May be a single offering (occurring once to one audience and expiring after this occurrence)
• May be a multi-offering (offered multiple times in the CME approval period, e.g., 12 months) with the same content.
Audience must change. Location and presenter may change. Content cannot change
• A lecture may also be called a “presentation,” “session,” “skills lab,” or “applications training”

Conference

• A multi-topic lecture or lectures that exceed 120 minutes in total
• A live education conference consisting of one or more tracks with multiple presentations (i.e., unique objectives, presenters, etc.) and may span one or more days
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)
• May be a single offering (occurring once to one audience and expiring after this occurrence)
• May be a multi-offering (offered multiple times in the CME approval period, e.g., 12 months) with the same content. Audience must change. Location and presenter may change. Content cannot change

Self-Instructional activity

• Participants view and complete CME activities at their own pace
• Examples are (but not limited to): computer-based programs, written home-study programs, DVDs, recorded webinars, eLearning, and flashcards
• Approved for a 12-month period, at which time a new CME application must be submitted for review and approval

Study group

• An organization or group that meets regularly to provide planned CME activities and discuss topics with the same audience each time for 120 minutes or less. Examples are a hospital, imaging center, physician’s office, or local society
• Maximum of 12 CME credits per study group may be issued each approval period of 12 months
• Delivered in person or via electronic channels (Zoom, Facebook Live, GoToMeetings, etc.)

Clinical instructorship

• The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits sonography educational programs that meet established standards and guidelines of the profession
• CAAHEP-accredited programs can award affiliated clinical instructors up to six CME credits per clinical instructor per calendar year for affiliated clinical instructors providing student instruction.

No, but an SDMS CME provider whose organization does not join the SDMS as an organizational member will lose discounted pricing on SDMS CME activity processing fees. SDMS CME providers with a SDMS organizational membership still pay application fees, but at a discount over non-members.

Not if you organization extends you a standard membership as a beneficiary. Beneficiaries may be purchased in every tier of organizational membership. A designated number are provided free with organizational membership in Tier 2 and above.

Yes. CAAHEP accredited educational programs are eligible for a $100 discount on any tier of SDMS organizational membership. If your educational program is eligible, please contact the SDMS Membership Department at membership@sdms.org or 214-473-8057 to receive the discount and process your request.

Clinical instructorship applications are free only if your organization is an SDMS organizational member. CAAHEP-accredited educational programs receive $100 off organizational membership.

Yes, as long as they have an SDMS login and are associated with your organization in the SDMS database.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQs, please contact the SDMS Learning Department at learning@sdms.org or 214-473-8057.