What’s the deal with ultrasound?

Our department relies heavily on ultrasound for the treatment of our patients. Our ultrasound faculty, Drs Petra Duran and Andrew Shannon, develop a robust curriculum that starts during the first week of residency, with an in-depth introduction to ultrasound, and continues throughout training through ultrasound rotations, online journal clubs, conference teaching, and elective rotations. Our department has updated equipment dedicated to each specific area as well an online platform Qpath, which is used to view studies and provide quality feedback. This platform is also connected to our hospital PACS so studies can be uploaded in to the patient record and viewed by consultants. Given the robust quality and documentation system, our department is able to bill for studies performed by residents, which are over-read by attendings while on shift. Our simulation lab also utilizes ultrasound models to help develop skills in pelvic ultrasound and transesophageal echo.