Emergency Ultrasonography Curriculum

Lecture Series

Basic and advanced applications of emergency ultrasound are covered at weekly conferences. Topics include but are not limited to:

Basic Lecture Series: Months 1 - 4

  • Introduction/Basic physics
  • Ultrasound guided procedures
  • Transabdominal and transvaginal pelvic ultrasound
  • Ultrasonography in trauma
  • Biliary ultrasound
  • Retroperitoneal ultrasound
  • Basic echocardiography
  • DVT ultrasound

Advanced Lecture Series: Months 5 - 8

  • Advanced physics
  • Advanced echocardiography(4-part lecture series)
  • Soft tissue and musculoskeletal
  • Testicular and ocular ultrasound
  • Regional anesthesia
  • Pediatric ultrasound applications
  • Critical care ultrasound: Hypotension
  • Critical care ultrasound: Thoracic Ultrasound and Respiratory Distress
  • Critical care ultrasound: Cardiac arrest and ROSC

Program Development Lecture Series: Months 9 - 12

  • Emergency Ultrasound Program Development: Politics, Education and Credentialing
  • Ultrasound infrastructure: Machine Purchases, Archiving Systems, and Networking
  • Ultrasound Documentation, Billing, and Coding
  • Faculty and resident credentialing

Journal Club and Tape Review

Sessions held monthly. These review landmark articles in emergency ultrasound and current topics. Sessions also include group ultrasound review for consistency in quality assurance.

Scanning Shifts

The ultrasound fellow attends a minimum of four scanning shifts per month. These shifts are done independently from clinical shifts and are intended to improve the fellow's examination skills. A minimum of 800 ultrasound exams must be completed by the end of the fellowship year. Ultrasound exams are performed with the fellowship director or associate director.

Teaching Responsibilities

The fellow will provide both didactic and hands-on education to various groups within the emergency department. These include but are not limited to:

Residents

  • At least 2 lectures per year in basic emergency ultrasound
  • Monthly introduction to ultrasound to the EM intern during their radiology rotation
  • Bimonthly meeting to do bedside scanning with the EM interns during their radiology rotation
  • An ultrasound "Case of the Month" will also be given during EM Wednesday conference

Medical Students

  • At least 3 lectures per year covering an introduction to emergency ultrasound

Attending Faculty

  • At least 1 lecture per year in an advanced application of emergency ultrasound

Physician Assistants

  • At least 1 lecture per year in emergency ultrasound applications

Quality Assurance

The emergency ultrasound fellow will carry out quality assurance on a minimum of 1000 ultrasound exams performed by residents and attending physicians. All images will be digital still images or cine clips.

Administration

The emergency ultrasound fellow will be involved with the various administrative and quality assurance duties involving emergency ultrasound. Such duties include but aren't limited to internal billing audits, interdepartmental meetings, and monitoring the credentialing process of colleagues.

Research

The emergency ultrasound fellow will design a research project to be completed during the fellowship year. All steps, including study design, IRB submission, data acquisition and analysis, write-up, and abstract submission will be carried out by the fellow with the help of the fellowship director.

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