Software specification: This is what the system should provide based on the criteria you have been given. Imagine yourself simply telling someone ” the system should do this and the system should do that” – that’s the basis of the specification.

Software Design: This is the breaking down of the specification into discreet individual parts. Each part should be self contained although data can be passed in from another part and the processed data passed out to a subsequent part.This normally involves flow charting and/or deciding on a ‘top down’ or ‘bottom up’ approach. Up to this point no consideration at all is taken (or at least should be taken!) of how the system is to be actually programmed.

Writing the Software: It is at this point that you consider what programming language(s) provide the best facilities to implement your design e.g. implemented entirely using one language or different parts written in different languages that are ‘pulled together’ during the compilation stage.

Validation and Debugging: Individual parts should be tested as stand alone modules with ideally every possible way through them tested with valid and invalid data. Only when each does exactly what it is supposed to do is the whole system pulled together and re-tested as a whole.

All the above is an ideal that in practice is very unlikely to be adhered to by any system designers. If they all did the above we would never have systems that contained bugs!

SOFTWARE DESIGN
How will people interact with the program?
How will data flow within the system?
How long will the application take to develop?

WRITING THE SOFTWARE
What is the ideal language for this application?
What individual modules will the system comprise of?
Functions inherit to each module.
Pseudo code for each function.

VALIDATION AND DEBUGGING
What input will have to be validated and what criteria should it conform to?
Test plan for the application…
- How long will it take?
- What needs to be tested?
- Special test conditions?

Most fairly experienced programmers know very little about program design, database design or program validation and testing. In medical terms, that would be like a cardiac surgeon/gynecologist/neurosurgeon. Not many good ones around. And the body they’re working on doesn’t change every 6 months either.

I’ve only been doing this for 35 years, and I’d be a bit lost at your point in the project too. (As a consultant, if I were asked to do this – including software validation – I’d first research whether I could ask for more than 6 figures. It’s a VERY non-trivial assignment.)

Of course, if this is your senior project for a CS degree, you shouldn’t be lost at all, just a bit shocked.

Diagnostic medical sonography is definitely a good job. It tends to have regular hours, pays well, and is meaningful as you are able to help patients. Employment outlook is also good. Of course, whether it’s right for you depends on what you are looking for in a job.

I’m not an ultrasound technologist yet, but I am a first-year student in a two-year program. I will be halfway through my program at the end of July this year (when I’m going away to clinicals). If you have any more questions, feel free to email me; I’d be happy to help any way I can!

As far as salary goes in ultrasound, you get paid more if you are Registered – which is why going through an accredited program is so important. And then you can increase your pay by obtaining additional registries. Employers usually only hire Registered Sonographers so that’s what’s crucial, type of degree is less important.

I would only recommend technical colleges, community colleges, or hospital programs for Sonography. Trade/for-profit schools are not respected in this field and could hurt you when looking for a job. Good luck

Helpful link: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos273.htm