Point of Care Ultrasound Champion Program

School of Medicine Point of Care Ultrasound Champion Program banner

The Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Champion Program is a one-year certificate program designed to help faculty develop proficiency in the use of bedside ultrasound in their clinical practice. Through a mix of didactic education, hands-on scanning workshops, image review sessions, and real-time expert guidance, this novel curriculum aims to build the knowledge and skills essential to use POCUS effectively both in clinical care and to develop as future POCUS educators.

Features include:

  • Weekly training with POCUS experts in various fields to establish foundational skills that won’t disappear after a workshop. ​​​​​
  • Learner POCUS case review with expert discussion and guidance to provide scaffolded support for participating faculty.
  • Ongoing mentorship and engagement with the larger POCUS community at OHSU to help support and grow your individual practice or your efforts to guide trainees. 
  • Credentialing in POCUS at OHSU, and a POCUS Certificate of Training upon successful completion of the course.
  • Alignment with multiple Professional Board POCUS Certifications.

Interested in joining a future cohort?

Applications are currently open for the 2024-25 cohort. Apply by May 8.

Learn more and apply

Program structure

POCUS's cohort based program will include a 50:50 mix of virtual didactic and image review sessions, with in-person, hands-on scanning, either in a workshop setting or in the hospital with real patients.

Most sessions will take place on Thursdays from 3 - 5 p.m., though hands-on sessions in real clinical settings will be more flexible and determined on an individual and small group basis.

Program objectives

By the end of this course participants will:

  • Develop competence in the appropriate indication, acquisition, interpretation, and medical decision making for the most used techniques in Point of Care Ultrasound.
  • Practice the skills and appreciate the knowledge base necessary for the education of others in ultrasound image acquisition.
  • Be able to assist in the development and delivery of POCUS education and Quality Assurance initiatives.

The 2024-2025 cohort will run from September 5, 2024 to May 29, 2025.

September – November

Weekly didactics and hands-on workshops designed to develop foundational skills in the following POCUS indications:

  • Lung
  • Abdomen
  • Renal/GU
  • Focused Cardiac
  • Vascular
  • Basic MSK

December – February

Supervised and directed scanning sessions in real clinical environments with identified pathology, followed by image review and quality assurance sessions.

March – May

Dedicated clinical integration didactics (see below), along with ongoing image review and quality assurance sessions.

POCUS applications taught

•    Ultrasound basics
•    Lung ultrasound
•    Focused cardiac (with internal jugular/inferior vena cava) ultrasound
•    Abdominal ultrasound
•    Renal and bladder ultrasound
•    MSK and vascular ultrasound
•    Skin and soft tissue ultrasound

Clinical syndromes and scenarios

•    Volume status
•    Dyspnea/Hypoxia
•    Hypotension/Shock
•    Acute kidney injury
•    Abdominal pain
•    Trauma, codes

OHSU POCUS privileges

Privileges will be granted based on completion of appropriate CME hours, which will be granted during the basic workshops and clinical integration sessions. The total numbers of CME hours that will be offered is still being determined.

Certificate of completion

To receive the POCUS Certificate of Training, you must complete 75% of the didactics and workshops, complete the image portfolio requirement, and pass a brief written and hands-on evaluation.

This program is primarily available to OHSU School of Medicine faculty who have clinical appointments, and either currently use Point of Care Ultrasound in practice, or plan to in the future.

Interested faculty from other OHSU schools who have clinical appointments and use or plan to use POCUS in practice may also apply.

The initial cohort (2024-25) will be limited to 12 participants, with priority given to those in the School of Medicine.

How to apply

During yearly application windows prospective learners will be asked to:

  1. Fill out an online Qualtrics survey
  2. Submit a letter of interest (an attachment)
    1. No more than 500 words outlining current clinical practice and how POCUS will fit into your practice. Applicants should also share any interest in teaching, educational leadership, and/or education scholarship that is planned regarding POCUS in the future.
  3. Submit a letter of support from the candidate’s direct supervisor (as attachment)
    1. Should highlight the candidate’s strengths and potential for contributions to the OHSU community of educators. The letter must indicate how the Department or Unit will ensure the scholar will be free from other routine commitments on Thursday afternoons between 3 - 5 p.m. and indicate commitment to covering tuition for non-School of Medicine applicants ($2,500 per scholar).

NOTE: Participants must have regular access to an ultrasound during their clinical practice to be a candidate for this course.

Selection criteria

Applications will be scored based on the candidate’s expressed interest in POCUS use and education, description of how this course will help them achieve their goals, and the strength of the supervisor’s letter of support.

Applicants will be notified via email once decisions have been made.

There is no tuition cost for learners within the School of Medicine. Participants from schools other than the School of Medicine are encouraged to apply, and will be charged a tuition of $2,500.

Program history

2024-2025 is the exciting inaugural year of the POCUS Champions Program!

OHSU has a strong institutional reputation and has many national leaders across multiple clinical fields in Point of Care Ultrasound. Still, as POCUS becomes more prominent in our medical school, residency, and fellowship curricula, there is a growing need for more expert faculty to help supervise these learners and shepherd the expansion of POCUS in clinical practice.

The POCUS Champion Program was borne from remarkable interest and demand from the entire SOM faculty. We distributed a survey broadly to faculty and received an overwhelming number of faculty wanting to develop skills in point of care ultrasound. As the first multi-disciplinary, longitudinal POCUS program ever launched, we are incredibly fortunate that the School of Medicine generously supports this endeavor to bring otherwise costly training to our faculty at no cost!

By designing this course to teach indications that apply across many different clinical practices and enrolling faculty from all over the School of Medicine we aim to un-silo POCUS education across OHSU and help to develop a strong collaborative group of the next wave of POCUS champions.

Course directors

James Anstey, M.D.
Course Director

Michael Wollenberg, M.D.
Course Assistant Director

Additional faculty

Kevin Piro, M.D.
Christine Schutzer, B.S., RDMS
Nilan Schnure, M.D.
Aaron Silver, M.D.
Matt Chan, M.D.
Lokesh Yadav, M.D.

Contact

Program Directors

James Anstey, M.D., Course Director

Michael Wollenberg, M.D., Course Assistant Director

Administrative Contacts

Kacy Kesecker, Administrative Coordinator, Office of Faculty Development

Devon Ritter, Program Design Specialist, Office of Faculty Development