Student information

Student Awards

The ASA is committed to sonographer education and seeks to recognise and encourage the potential in students by providing both an academic and clinical practice award to universities and education and training institution courses that are accredited by ASAR and corporate partners of the ASA. Academic Excellence Award winners receive complimentary Accredited Medical Sonographer Membership and Insurance for the following membership year. Clinical Excellence Award winners receive a full free registration to an ASA annual conference. 

Congratulations to the 2023 Student Award recipients

To all graduating sonography students of 2023 well done and we hope your chosen profession provides you with satisfaction, mental stimulation and reward. Student Awards for 2023 include -

Auckland University

• Academic Excellence Award - Holly Smith
• Clinical Practice Award - Jeremy Mitchell

Central Queensland University

• Academic Excellence Award - Hiba Hallak
• Clinical Practice Award - Leah Gordon

Queensland University of Technology

• Clinical Practice Award - Michael Hobson (General)
• Clinical Practice Award - Rhett Webster (Cardiac)

University of South Australia

• Academic Excellence Award - Callum Marshall
• Academic Excellence Award - Georgia Hayes
• Academic Excellence Award - Kirsty Davies
• Clinical Practice Award - Kathleen Howell

Western Sydney University

• Academic Excellence Award - Deirdre Chia
• Academic Excellence Award - Lauren Webber
• Clinical Practice Award - Isabella Bosevski

Award recipients from previous years can be viewed below.

Sonography qualification

To practise as a sonographer you must complete an accredited course of study in Australia or New Zealand, including a comprehensive clinical training program of up to 2,200 hours or three days per week over two years.

Courses can be undertaken to become a general sonographer or a discipline-specific sonographer e.g. cardiac, vascular.

Applicants for postgraduate sonography courses have generally already completed a degree-level qualification in a health science such as medical radiation technology, nuclear medicine technology, physiotherapy or nursing.

Clinical training placements

Most accredited sonography courses will require the prospective to have already secured a clinical training placement to support the academic course of study. Due to the intensity of this training, this is typically an employed clinical training placement and something that students must secure themselves.

Commonly sonographer students identify a placement is through their workplaces. Particularly where they already work in diagnostic imaging departments/company or other health service employment. 

Clinical placements are also advertised through online job notice boards, such as SEEK and CareerOne. Prospective sonographer students looking for a placement may also contact hospital diagnostic imaging departments and private businesses directly in their area to self-identify any clinical training opportunities that may be available.

Students who become an ASA member (free for students) also have access to the ASA jobs board where some workplaces advertise clinical training opportunities. ASA Students Members can also post a note that they are seeking a clinical training placement.

This is a serious barrier to many potential sonographers across Australia and New Zealand and something on which we are working with governments to address.

Click here to see the ASA Position Statement on Student sonographers paying for clinical training placements

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