Faculty and staff in the division work to provide emergency and critical care medicine providers — both national and international — education and training in using emergency ultrasonography to maximize safety and efficiency as we provide patient care.
Bedside ultrasonography enhances the physician’s ability to diagnose and treat emergency department/critical care patients. Bedside ultrasound imaging is often implemented in the acutely ill or injured patient when time is precious, therefore the emergency physician is in an ideal position to use this technology to advance patient care.
Program highlights
- EDUCATION: Annual two-day, 14-hour didactic/hands-on ultrasound course for incoming interns and multiple hands-on learning opportunities covering a basic and advanced curriculum in emergency ultrasound.
- PATIENT CARE: SonoSite ultrasound machines with director review of all bedside ultrasounds performed in the ED and a commitment to continuous quality improvement.
- RESEARCH: Clinical emergency ultrasonography research studies involving staff at the University of Missouri.
Ultrasound examinations with a focused approach will provide immediate information and can answer specific questions about the patient’s medical condition. The American College of Physicians (ACEP) and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) believe that ultrasound imaging is within the scope of practice of emergency physicians and endorses training in bedside emergency ultrasound within residency training.
The University of Missouri Emergency Medicine residency puts a strong emphasis on ultrasound training throughout the three-year program. Residents will receive ultrasound instruction through lectures and hands-on training and feedback of ultrasound scans performed.
Upon graduation, residents will have completed an extensive curriculum covering basic and advanced applications in emergency bedside ultrasound as outlined by published ACEP training guidelines. Completion of this curriculum will lead to a letter of successful emergency ultrasound training that can be used by graduates for credentialing at the hospitals of their future employment. Didactic and hands-on ultrasound scanning opportunities are available for medical students, nurses, residents and attending physicians.
Annual Emergency Medicine ultrasound course
The Emergency Medicine residency program hosts an annual emergency ultrasound two-day course. Morning lectures are complemented by afternoon small-group workshops. The workshops use live-model approaches, including trauma/extended Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma (FAST) exam, hepatobiliary, OB/GYN, echocardiography, renal, abdominal aorta, vascular/deep vein thrombosis (DVT), procedural and soft tissue/musculoskeletal ultrasound. The program is an annual event in June before the start of clinical practice for the incoming EM residents.
