Book excerpt: Give your readers an essential guide to careers in ultrasound and sonography. Diagnostic medical sonographers perform ultrasound procedures that direct high-frequency sound waves into the body. The returning sound waves can be converted into an image of the body's internal structures. The most familiar use of ultrasound is in visualizing the fetus of a pregnant mother, but ultrasound has numerous medical applications. Many diagnostic medical sonographers specialize in particular areas of imaging, including neurosonography and musculoskeletal ultrasound. Sonographers can earn a good salary in this fulfilling career upon completion of a two-year program. Because ultrasounds are low-risk procedures that yield real-time images, sonography is an in-demand field with bright prospects for increased job growth.