If you are a medical student, graduate, or retired from the medical field, you may consider volunteering as an ultrasound technician. This is often a requirement for most medical students majoring in sonography, and it looks great on any resume. Depending on where you live, the need for ultrasound volunteers may vary widely. Although, with a nationwide shortage of medical professionals, free work rarely is turned down.

edifcios de la ciudad image by Nuka from Fotolia.com

Contact your local hospitals and inquire about any available volunteer ultrasound positions. Depending on the size of the city you reside in and the need for ultrasound technicians, you may have to wait a substantial period of time before a local volunteer opportunity becomes available. Sending a copy of your resume to the radiology departments of your local hospitals is not always necessary, but recommended.

A candidate who is currently in medical school or who has prior experience in sonography will have the best chance of being contacted for an available volunteer position. Calling to follow up your resume submission will bring attention to your qualifications more quickly.

Register with ACRIVS (American College of Radiology International Volunteer System). This website is devoted to connecting people who wish to volunteer in radiology to those who need them.

Access the ACRIVS website (https://internationalservice.acr.org/) and click the "register" link at the top right corner of the page to create a user name and password. You also will be required to provide your full name, home address, as well as a short biography detailing your experience in the radiology field. This listing will include any experience you may have in radiology, as well as your education qualifications.

Travel abroad to increase your opportunities in finding volunteer positions. As ACRIVS is a worldwide service, you are likely to be more successful in obtaining an ultrasound volunteer position if you are willing to travel. You will find available overseas volunteer positions listed on the "Projects" page. Place the cursor over the "Projects" link. This will open a box. Move your cursor over to the box and click "Search for Projects."

Many other organizations, such as Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, either will take volunteers to developing countries to practice radiology or connect them with other organizations that will provide the means to assist those in need.