Point of Care Ultrasound

The University of Vermont's Emergency Ultrasound program offers comprehensive training in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) through a longitudinal curriculum for medical students, residents, and faculty, alongside cutting-edge research and global outreach initiatives.

Established in 2012, the UVM Department of Emergency Medicine's Section of Emergency Ultrasound promotes excellence in bedside sonography. Initially focused on training UVMMC faculty and regional emergency physicians in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), the program has expanded to include a 4th-year medical student elective, a 4-year longitudinal POCUS curriculum, a Trans-esophageal Echocardiography (TEE) program, and a research initiative, along with an active EM POCUS interest group.

Collaboration with the UVM Sim Lab provides diverse continuing medical education opportunities, including Echo-guided Life Support (EGLS), weekly image reviews, and hands-on workshops. Ultrasound Section faculty also engage in regional, national, and international POCUS development, particularly in resource-limited settings, through education and remote quality assurance image review.

Global Health Electives

Body

Emergency Medicine is a critical component of global health at UVM. We are uniquely positioned within the University to help lead many of the global health initiatives. The Department of Emergency Medicine has four primary areas of focus in global health: electives, sustainable partnerships, advocacy and research.

Emergency Medicine Residency

Body

The UVMMC ED Ultrasound Section’s residency curriculum ensures comprehensive training in ultrasound, enabling graduates to excel in its clinical application within emergency care. It includes an intensive POCUS boot camp, a two-week PGY-1 rotation, dedicated scanning shifts, weekly image reviews, and opportunities for advanced electives and POCUS research. Residents will master all core ACEP scanning applications and TEE for critical resuscitation, with senior residents taking on mentorship roles in POCUS education and research.

Medical Student Education  

Body

The four-year ultrasound curriculum at the Robert Larner College of Medicine integrates point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training from the start of medical school. In the first year, students take the Fundamentals of Ultrasound course, combining online modules and hands-on training, while correlating ultrasound with anatomy and clinical skills. The second year builds on these skills with advanced applications in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, renal, obstetrical, neurovascular, and respiratory ultrasound. The third year incorporates POCUS into Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, and OBGYN clerkships. The fourth year reinforces previous teachings, with an emergency department elective focusing on diverse pathologies and opportunities for research, independent study, and a radiology elective. Learn more about the curriculum at the Office of Medical Education.

Research

Body

The Emergency Ultrasound Section’s research program works in coordination with the UVM EMRAP program. We focus on new applications for point of care ultrasound and on outcome studies examining the impact of point of care ultrasound on patient care.  These include multidisciplinary projects with other specialties including radiology, urology, and critical care.