Ultrasound Scholarly Concentration
Purpose
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) serves as an essential diagnostic and procedural tool widely used across specialties. Early, hands-on exposure can reinforce development of ultrasound (US) skills and clinical reasoning in students early in their medical careers. This concentration aims to engage students in longitudinal US education, literature, and scholarly activity.
By the completion of the concentration, students should be able to perform basic image acquisition and interpretation for the FAST, cardiac, pulmonary, biliary, renal, reproductive, and soft tissue exams and obtain US-guided intravenous (IV) access.
How To Apply
Maximum Number of Students per year: 1-2
Applications for the scholarly concentration open at the beginning of the Spring term for MS1 students with rolling admissions through the fall of the 2nd year. To apply, students will fill out a brief personal statement (sections listed below, 4000 character maximum each), undergraduate college information, and other contact/demographic information.
Section 1 – Interest/Experiences:
In this section please include a summary of why you are interested in this scholarly
concentration and a description of any previous experiences with ultrasound (including research) that are related to it.
Section 2 – Future Goals:
In this section please include a description of how you will maximize your experience in this concentration (i.e., what goals do you have for participating the scholarly concentration? How will participating in the scholarly concentration benefit you in the future?).
Section 3 – Concentration Topics:
What specific concentration related topics are you particularly interested in exploring? What specialties are you considering?
Program Requirements
- Scholarly project
- May include an US case report or other research project, to be published in a peer-reviewed journal
- Presentation at a regional or national level conference
- Attend 2 Wednesday US Conferences per semester
- Complete a minimum of 2 scan shifts per semester with mentor
- Complete US elective in either the 3rd or 4th year (conference and scan shift requirements incorporated)
- Create a short, educational presentation for Space City POCUS by the end of the concentration
- Complete introductory US curriculum
Program Timeline
Year 1
Apply to the program
Optional:
- Identify and meet with mentor
- Begin introductory US curriculum
- Complete scan shifts with mentor
- Attend Wednesday US conferences
- Enroll in the Summer Research Program
- Become a member of a professional society
- Society for Clinical Ultrasound Fellowships (SCUF) offers free membership forstudents
- Attend US workshops hosted by various student interest groups
Year 2
- Meet with mentor at least twice
- Begin/Continue introductory US curriculum
- Complete 2 scan shifts per semester with mentor
- Attend 2 Wednesday US conferences per semester
- Continued work on scholarly project
Year 3
- Meet with mentor at least twice
- Continue introductory US curriculum
- Complete an EMER US elective (yr 3 or 4)
- Continued work on scholarly project
- Present US research at a regional or national meeting (yr 3 or 4)
Year 4
- Meet with mentor at least twice
- Complete introductory US curriculum
- Complete an EMER US elective (yr 3 or 4)
- Create Space City POCUS presentation
- Present US research at a regional or national meeting (yr 3 or 4)
- Submit scholarly project publication to a peer reviewed journal
Didactics
Required didactics will include an introductory ultrasound curriculum, one EMER US elective in either yr 3 or 4, and a monthly journal club in yr 4. A sample of these didactics is listed below.
Introductory Ultrasound Curriculum
1. Basics
– Introductory Lecture
– SAEM Introduction to Bedside Ultrasound
– Probe Movements
– Sonosite Machine
– Infection Control
2. FAST
–https://www.pocus101.com/efast- ultrasound-exam-made-easy-step-by-step- guide/ (external link)
– FAST Case
3. Biliary
– https://coreultrasound.com/gallbladder/ (external link)
– Biliary Case 1
4. Renal/Bladder
– https://coreultrasound.com/hydronephrosis/ (external link)
– https://wikem.org/wiki/Bladder_ultrasound (external link)
– Bladder Volume Measurement
– Renal Case
5. Lung
– https://coreem.net/core/pulmonary-ultrasound/ (external link)
– https://pie.med.utoronto.ca/POCUS/ POCUS_content/lungUS.html (external link)
– Pulmonary Edema
– Lung Case
6. Cardiac/Vascular
– https://pie.med.utoronto.ca/tte/ TTE_content/ standardviews.html#instructions (external link)
– https://coreultrasound.com/how-to-obtain- cardiac-windows/ (external link)
– https://coreultrasound.com/basic-cardiac-function/ (external link)
– Basic Transthoracic Echocardiography
– https://www.acep.org/sonoguide/basic/cardiac (external link)
– IVC for Fluid Responsiveness
– Cardiac Case
– Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
– https://www.pocus101.com/dvt-ultrasound-made-easy-step-by-step-guide/ (external link)
– Vascular Case
7. Soft Tissue
– https://litfl.com/pocus-soft-tissue- ultrasound/ (external link)
– Soft Tissue Case
8. MSK
– Shoulder
– Achilles Tendon
– Hands/Feet (water bath)
– Knee
9. Nerve Blocks
– Introduction
– Fascia Iliaca
– Serratus Anterior
– Median, Ulnar, and Radial Nerves
10. Procedural
– US-Guided IV
– US-Guided Arthrocentesis
– Foreign Body Removal
– Foreign Body Case
11. Reproductive
– Early Pregnancy
– Fetal Biometry (Anatomy) Scan
– Fetal Viability
– Testicular Torsion
12. Other
– Ocular US
Ultrasound Elective
(one elective required from the options below, yr 3 or 4)
- EMER 3030 Emergency Medicine — Ultrasound
- EMER 4M02 Introduction to Point of Care Clinical Ultrasound
Probing the Literature
(yr 4)
- Virtual national US journal club hosted on either a Tuesday or Thursday monthly at 1 pm
- Students may attend live or watch back the recording each month throughout the 4th year
- https://www (external link).saem.org/about-saem/academies-interest-groups-affiliates2/aeus/education/ (external link) probing-the-literature-journal-club
Other Resources
Introduction to Bedside Ultrasound (free ebooks)
- https://books.apple.com/us/book/introduction-to-bedside-ultrasound-volume-1/ id554196012 (external link)
- https://books.apple.com/us/book/introduction-to-bedside-ultrasound-volume-2/ id647356692 (external link)
AEUS Asynchronous Ultrasound Curriculum
- 10-day curriculum with web-based content, literature, and quizzes on select US topics
- https://www.saem.org/about-saem/academies-interest-groups-affiliates2/aeus/education/aeus-off-the-shelf-asynchronous-ultrasound-curriculum#0 (external link)
Space City POCUS
- US tips and cases presented by fellowship-trained EM physicians
- https://www.instagram.com/spacecitypocus?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== (external link)
Ultrasound Journals
Annals of Emergency Medicine
Academic Emergency Medicine
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (WestJEM)
Cereus Journal of Medical Science
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) EM Resident Magazine (not peer- reviewed)