Senior Area of Concentration

A fourth year emergency medicine residency area of concentration in EM ultrasound is offered for interested residents.
Residents participating in the US AOC are expected to spend their designated time:

  1. doing ultrasound in the ED,
  2. teaching other residents EM ultrasound,
  3. doing focused readings regarding ultrasound,
  4. preparing teaching cases of interesting ultrasound studies, which may be added to the ultrasound website,
  5. participating in ultrasound research,
  6. meeting monthly for ultrasound-related discussions and reviews of their studies.

The standard EM ultrasound studies are:                                                                                  

  • FAST/eFAST
  • Biliary
  • Aorta
  • Cardiac
  • Renal
  • Pelvic—1st trimester pregnancy transvaginal and transabdominal
  • Procedural ultrasound, including central line placement, paracentesis. arthrocentesis, etc.

Each resident upon completing the AOC should have exceeded the minimum requirements of US for the residency program, which is 25 studies in each of the basic study categories as listed above.

Efforts will be made to discuss and learn how to do other types of studies, including DVT, nerve blocks, and introduction to testicular ultrasound focusing on the advanced use of doppler.

The ultrasound compendium produced through ACEP is a template for the AOC.

Attention will also be paid to the administrative issues of establishing an ultrasound program, quality improvement, privileging and credentialing, qualities of the ultrasound equipment including the machine and probes, and coding and billing issues.

At the completion of the AOC, the resident should be confident in their EM ultrasound skills and be able to become a lead person in ultrasound for the development and/or advancement of EM ultrasound where they practice emergency medicine