The KU School of Medicine Emergency Medicine ultrasound rotation is designed to provide MS4 students a 4-week experience in point-of-care ultrasound at The University of Kansas Hospital, a nationally ranked hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center. EM faculty provide direct supervision and bedside teaching. Students work clinical shifts, attend didactic lectures, participate in a specialized orientation and ultrasound image reviews.

Educational Experience

• Weekly image reviews
• Training modules
• Resident didactics
• Scanning shifts

Goals

• Understand basic principles of point-of-care ultrasound
• Understand clinical indications and limitations for point-of-care ultrasound
• Develop technical proficiency in image acquisition and machine knobology
• Develop proficiency in image interpretation
• Develop ability to integrate point-of-care ultrasound into a patient’s diagnostic workup and management

Objectives

• To be able to describe ultrasound physics and machine functions
• To be able to perform an ultrasound examination with the appropriate technical skills, including scanning windows and planes, transducer selection and orientation, proper probe handling, image optimization and hand-eye coordination
• To be able to describe indications for point-of-care ultrasound examinations as well as limitations
• To be able to perform and interpret point-of-care ultrasound examinations in the required scans for the rotation
• To understand normal sonographic anatomy and most common pathological states associated with these ultrasound examinations
• To be able to explain ultrasound examination results to patients and to care providers
• To document ultrasound examinations appropriately and accurately

Training Modules

• Introduction to POCUS
• Introduction to ultrasound physics
• eFAST Exam
• Renal ultrasound
• Bladder volume measurement
• Introduction to lung ultrasound
• Lung ultrasound - pneumothorax
• Abdominal aorta
• Cardiac Ultrasound 1 - basic cardiac views
• Cardiac Ultrasound 5 - inferior vena cava
• Cardiac Ultrasound 2 - pericardial effusion
• Cardiac Ultrasound 3 - left ventricular systolic function
• Cardiac Ultrasound 4 - right ventricular assessment
• Lung Ultrasound - B-Lines
• Introduction to musculoskeletal POCUS
• Skin and soft tissue ultrasound
• Gallbladder POCUS
• Lower extremity DVT
• Introduction to POCUS guided procedures
• Central venous access
• Paracentesis
• Thoracentesis
• Ultrasound guided peripheral IV insertion
• Obstetrics - 1st trimester

Clinical Responsibilities

• 17-18 (8) hour clinical shifts

Required Scans and Presentation

Medical students will be required to perform a minimum of 200 point-of-care ultrasound examinations. Each scan done of the rotation is reviewed and graded for adequate image acquisition, proper documentation and correct interpretation of the images obtained.

The student must perform a minimum of:

• 25 E-FAST trauma studies
• 25 cardiac studies
• 25 abdominal aorta studies
• 25 biliary studies
• 10 soft tissue / musculoskeletal studies
• 25 urinary tract studies

The remaining 65 studies can be of various applications, including extra of any of the above studies, but also other studies learned and participated in during the rotation.

Students are also required to prepare 10 questions for ultrasound question bank to demonstrate understanding of course material. Students will present an ultrasound case or journal article that exhibits new knowledge gained on rotation.

Recommended Resources

• Ma & Mateer’s Emergency Ultrasound

Ultrasound Director
Bradley Jackson, M.D., AEMUS, FPD

Dr. Jackson is an associate professor for the Department of Emergency Medicine and director of medical student, resident and fellow point-of-care ultrasound education and training.

Interested applicants may contact Dr. Bradley Jackson, bjackson2@kumc.edu, for further information.