Learning POCUS?

[SilverCat]

Hi,

As someone who finished residency, starting fellowship, I was wondering how to learn POCUS? My residency wasn't really geared toward teaching POCUS; I tried 5 min sono and practicing on patients, but usually had difficulty visualizing structures. Was wondering if there was a way to learn POCUS after residency that involves someone showing you how to find structures? Only way I can find are the 2000$+ one day courses.
Thanks.

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[Bobblehead]

I'm assuming you're referring to bedside echo because imaging blood vessels for IV access or compressing for DVT or just scanning the thorax in general doesn't require that many reps to get proficient at image acquisition.

If you're willing to spend some money, get your own personal US and image everyone instead of using your stethoscope. Better yet if the fellowship is willing to buy an US for whoever is doing consults then have them do so and you all can share.

Just start looking at everyone's chest. If you're not finding anything, stop after a minute or two so you don't waste a whole lot of your time. Repetition is the key. I've not found any of the coursework, even with hands on practice to substitute for just plain repetitions.

 

[AussieAg]

Hi,

As someone who finished residency, starting fellowship, I was wondering how to learn POCUS? My residency wasn't really geared toward teaching POCUS; I tried 5 min sono and practicing on patients, but usually had difficulty visualizing structures. Was wondering if there was a way to learn POCUS after residency that involves someone showing you how to find structures? Only way I can find are the 2000$+ one day courses.
Thanks.

Make friends with the sonographers. I'm a cardiology fellow and the sonographers are the ones who teach us how to scan. Once you really understand the physics of ultrasound, the rest is a combination of knowing where to put the probe and pattern recognition. Sonographers can teach you the former and sonographers/radiologists/textbooks/YouTube can teach you the latter.

 

[FamilymedMD]

It took some time but I'm long out of residency and in solo primary care practice and was still able to get initial training in POCUS.

Some of the CME is very expensive but if you look again there is a lot of CME both inperson and online for a lot less than that.

After a couple of classes I scanned a lot of patients with either telemed radiology overreads or follow on studies at radiology (not necessarily US). Then I reviewed 150 of these with an online preceptor (also available if you call around to online POCUS CME providers) to meet keep my medmal carrier happy before scanning patients for clinical decision making.