MGB Point-of Care Ultrasound

Course Overview

The point-of-care ultrasound experts at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Ultrasound invite you to Boston! This course provides an overview of POCUS and reviews the evidence behind the major applications used in emergency and critical care medical practice.

The course provides two days of combined lecture and bedside hands-on instruction using live models; the faculty-to-student ratio is never more than 1:5. Students will receive training in both image acquisition and image interpretation. Case presentation will be employed to solidify the clinical integration of findings. In addition to diagnostic POCUS, procedural skills such as ultrasound guided central/peripheral venous access and lumbar puncture will be covered. 

Upon the completion of this course, students will have knowledge of how to incorporate point-of-care ultrasound into their practice and will have gained experience with image acquisition and interpretation. This knowledge is essential for those who care for critically ill patients, who practice in resource limited regions, or who provide direct patient care in the in- or outpatient setting. 

The course will feature two tracks that will allow a focus on the necessary skills for both those new to ultrasound and those with prior experience. 

In addition to the two main tracks there will be two pre-course offerings: 

Global Health POCUS Pre-course 

• Implementation of a POCUS Program 
• POCUS Clinical Practices and Training in Resource Limited Settings 
• GYN and 3rd Trimester OB POCUS 
• FASH Exam 
• Ultrasound and Refugee Care 
• Teleultrasound

Procedural/TEE POCUS Pre-course 

• Ultrasound Guided IV 
• Ultrasound Guided Paracentesis 
• Ultrasound guided Thoracentesis 
• Ultrasound guided Pericardiocentesis 
• Ultrasound guided Nerve Blocks 
• Ultrasound guided LP 
• TEE  

Who Should Attend

• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Specialty Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• Primary Care Physicians 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: 

• Discuss the different applications of point-of-care ultrasound and determine the diagnostic objectives of each of the applications. 
• Explain the core functions of an ultrasound machine and become proficient at scanning technique and image acquisition. 
• Distinguish between normal sonographic images and pathology.