Educational sessions, connection opportunities, and yoga are a few things that attendees can expect at the 2026 Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) annual meeting.
The meeting is being held September 24 to 26 in Atlanta, GA and will have events and activities for sonographers of every specialty.
“It is a place to learn from peers, see new approaches, evaluate new technology, and discuss difficult professional issues and reconnect with the larger sonography community,” said Kevin Rooker, who chairs the SDMS’ Events Management Committee.
The SDMS annual meeting will feature an exhibit hall and opportunities to network with fellow sonography professionals and students. Attendees will earn SDMS CME credits while learning about new sonographic techniques, diagnostic accuracy, sonographic instrumentation improvements, and practice management strategies.
Sessions to be held throughout the meeting will feature updates in managing diseases and conditions through ultrasound. These cover subspecialties such as OB/GYN imaging, musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging, cardiac imaging, vascular imaging, and abdominal imaging.
Sessions will also cover current and emerging strategies toward sonography education. These education-focused sessions will go over clinical education gaps, AI in learning, and improving engagement between students and faculty.
Hands-on scanning sessions will also be held for attendees to hone their skills with the latest ultrasound technology and imaging techniques.
And the Stephen McLaughlin Memorial Lecture to be held on September 24 will analyze survey responses that the SDMS said will provide insights into retention, advancement, and overall recruitment to a career in sonography.
Kevin Rooker lays out what attendees will have to look forward to at the SDMS annual meeting.
Yoga sessions will also be held early in the mornings throughout the meeting, with attendees able to earn CME credits. Rooker said the long-term hope for these sessions is to encourage wellness practices for sonographers who may be at risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders later in their careers.
“It brings it [wellness] into the conversation. It brings it into the forefront, top of mind, so to speak,” Rooker said. “And these sessions are specifically connected to sustainable scanning, upper body protection, lower body stability, postural support, and nervous system regulation and resilience.”
SDMS president Aubrey Rybyinski highlighted this issue on a recent episode of the Ultrasound MinnieCast.
“The one thing that I’ve run into is that often times, a sonography manager or director is not a sonographer by trade,” Rybyinski said in the episode. “So, they may not know how important it is to have a table that is height-adjustable, or a chair that’s height-adjustable, or an ergonomic workstation to type up a preliminary report.”
Rooker said employers also have a responsibility involving providing ergonomic equipment, sufficient staffing, scheduling, breaks, workload training, and a culture in which discomfort can be reported early and without consequence.
“The rest of the program reinforces that message through research on work system,” he added.
The SDMS Foundation Educational Grant Program will also provide financial aid to sonographers and students who attend the meeting. Grants may be used for expenses incurred by applicants related to meeting participation.
Rooker said attendees should leave the meeting with “at least one idea” that improves how they care for patients when they return to work.
“Beyond clinical knowledge, attendees should leave feeling more connected to each other, the profession, and be reminded that they are part of a much larger professional community,” he said.
Rooker shares how the SDMS annual meeting strengthens patient care by sonographers and credits the work of SDMS members for the success of the meetings.
More information on the SDMS annual meeting can be found on the society’s meeting page.