Ultrasound

Ultrasound has become an indispensable point of care diagnostic tool in the emergency department. Ultrasound training in our program focuses on residents developing the skills to apply this technology in the rapid evaluation of critically ill and injured patients.

Ultrasound (US) training is integrated into all three years of residency starting with a half-day US course for the new EM1s, and continuing with regularly scheduled US Grand Rounds (didactic, hands on including the use of an US simulator), the regular use of US in daily patient care and dedicated US shifts through training as well as a dedicated US rotation in the senior year. All residents become proficient in the use of US to evaluate trauma patients, patients in cardiac arrest, and patients with suspected AAA. The application of the skills sets needed for the aforementioned scans positions our residents to easily perform the RUSH exam (Rapid US for Undifferentiated Hypotension). Additionally, residents are exposed to and utilize US in performing procedures such as central line placement, paracentesis thoracentesis, and foreign body localization.

While all of our faculty have received ongoing US training and are credentialed by the hospital to perform and interpret point of care US in the critical patient, a core group of faculty have been established to provide ongoing regular contact with residents specifically to focus on their US training. This group of faculty has both highly developed US skills, strong interest in promoting US training for residents, performing US research and in the administrative aspects necessary to maintain and continually improve our academic emergency medicine US program.

All residents leaving the program will achieve the currently recommended number of scans (150-200).

Core Ultrasound Faculty

Mary Beth Phelan, MD, RDMS, US program director
Tomer Begaz, MD
Mark Kostic, MD
Dan Mielnicki, MD
Carrie Pace, MD
Alicia Pilarski, DO
Matt Tews, DO
Dan Worman, MD

Image courtesy of John Nienhuis