POCUS-focused TI electives:
Dunedin Emergency Ultrasound Elective – a structured, 5 week elective based in Dunedin ED, open to any NZ student. Contact Dr. Sierra Beck at the University of Otago for more information.
Yale School of Medicine Emergency Ultrasound Elective – 2-4 weeks of bedside scanning in the ER at Yale-New Haven Hospital, under the supervision of world-leading experts.
https://www.yaleem.org/rotating-with-us https://medicine.yale.edu/emergencymed/ultrasound/education/
Courses:
University of Otago Post-Graduate Certificate in Clinician-Performed Ultrasound (PGCertCPU): One year of half-time study (can be done alongside full time clinical practice). NZ’s highest POCUS qualification. Consists of 3 long-weekend sessions in Dunedin/Clyde (lectures, discussions, and scanning volunteers), and submission of a logbook of 50 scans performed in your own hospital. A wide range of POCUS applications are covered, including focused echocardiography. Otago’s regulations require a medical degree for admission. The total cost is around $7000.
UIE POCUS Workshops: Dunedin and Wellington. Suitable for beginners, covering a broad range of POCUS applications (including basic echocardiography). $2500.
EMUGS courses: Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Groups provides several courses throughout the year in NZ and Australia, many at beginner level. https://www.emugs.org/events
Australian Institute of Ultrasound courses: 1-5 day courses on the Gold Coast, Australia. There are a huge range of courses available covering various disciplines and for any level of prior experience. Cost: $250-$5000
Other hands-on opportunities in NZ:
- Spend time in EDs that support students/junior RMOs to learn POCUS
- Approach your hospital’s sonographers, echocardiographers, radiologists or obstetricians and ask to spend time in their scan sessions.
- Martin Necas (Sonographer and clinical tutor, Waikato Hospital) invites all interested students to ultrasound teaching, 4-5pm every Wednesday.
A note on funding for RMO Medical Education Leave
The NZRDA SECA (the most popular contract for RMOs) ensures 5 days of education leave for all doctors in PGY2 and above (clause 26.2). Applications should be submitted at least 3 months in advance (26.6). If your RMO unit approves leave for a course, they generally pay for it too (28.6). Unfortunately the SECA does not ensure any education leave for PGY1s, however 26.9 indicates that if a PGY1 can demonstrate the course would advance entry into a vocational pathway, it may be funded. Contact the RDA from your personal (not hospital) email address for help.
POCUS Revolution 