Courses

Excellence in Training and Faculty Building

We provide the highest quality POCUS training for resource limited settings. CPoCUS certification is amongst the most rigorous in the world. Our outreach curriculum is tailored to the needs of practitioners in low resource settings. Our instruction method is deconstructed, reproducible and standardized across all applications. Our online course materials are available in English and French and the written materials are downloadable for offline study. Our instructor group includes Francophones. Our theory to practice ratio is 1:5. Our instructor to student ratio is 1:2. Our machine to student ratio is 1:2. The EDE course has a teleguidance training manual for instructors which is specific to our didactic process and we have proven feasibility in the field.

We have run both short course and longitudinal training models for Independent Practitioner certification, but favor the former “Bootcamp” style for efficiency in faculty building. Our apprenticeship model builds faculty rapidly with all instructors teaching a standardized image acquisition process. The majority of our course instructors are local faculty with the clinical experience to place POCUS findings in the relevant clinical context. All are CPoCUS credentialed instructors.

Each course operates on a cost recovery basis for expenditures and has a pay-it-forward philosophy for instruction.

We place great emphasis on developing judgement about indeterminate scans. While graduates of the course will receive an internationally recognized certification as an independent practitioner in the relevant applications, more importantly, they will leave with confidence in their ability to integrate POCUS findings into their clinical practice.

Course Accreditation

All of our courses are accredited by the Canadian Point-of-Care Ultrasound Society (CPoCUS) and conform to their standards. All instructors are certified as Independent Practitioners, Track or Module Instructors, and are supervised by CPoCUS Master Instructors. For further information on the CPoCUS standards and guidelines please go to cpocus.ca.

The EDE Course

The EDE course is the original POCUS course that has been taught to over 20,000 Canadian health professionals and is the most highly rated introductory course in North America. It is delivered as an online course completed with a practical day of intensive scanning practice. The Basic Modules include: Aorta, Sub-Xiphoid Cardiac, Abdomen for Free Fluid, Pneumothorax, Pleural Effusion and First Trimester Obstetrics. We add an IVC Module for those taking our Acute Care Core Plus Bootcamp. Details of the course content can be viewed at “The EDE Course”. Enrollment in this course for outreach program students is generously supported by Dr Ray Wiss and “The EDE Course”.

Acute Care Core IP Certification Bootcamp

This is a 5-day intensive course covering the AC Core curriculum of the Canadian Point-of-Care Ultrasound Society and culminating in certification as an Independent Practitioner. Day 1 is the practical scan day for the introductory EDE course. The next four days are taken up with practical scanning, image interpretation and exam completion. On the final day we add an introduction to bedside instruction with a “Teach the Teacher” module. Full details of the curriculum can be viewed on the CPoCUS website. Membership of the society and certification fees are generously supported by the Canadian Point-of-Care Ultrasound Society.

Acute Care Core Plus IP Certification Bootcamp

This course has been optimized for practitioners in low resource settings. It is an intensive 5 day course which adds three modules from the CPoCUS advanced resuscitation curriculum to the basic AC Core modules. The extra modules are IVC, Comprehensive Lung and Respiratory Distress Lung. Successful participants receive certification in these extra modules in addition to the basic AC Core track.

Resuscitation IP Certification Bootcamp

This is a 5-day course which covers the CPoCUS resuscitation curriculum of cardiac modules, PSL, PSS, SXC, A4C, IVC and Lung assessment. It includes all the required didactic, practical scanning and examination components necessary for independent practitioner certification. Additional modules of DVT and Vascular Access are included in some of the courses. Full details of all the modules can be found on the CPoCUS website. Membership of the society and certification fees for program students are generously supported by the Canadian Point-of-Care Ultrasound Society

Third Trimester Obstetrics IP Bootcamp

This is a new track for CPoCUS developed by our program in Africa. It is a 2-day IP course in Third Trimester POCUS indications of: fetal presentation, number, cardiac activity, amniotic fluid volume,and placental position. The course was developed using CPoCUS course design guidelines and aims to equip participants to practice independently. It uses “The EDE Course” 3OB module as the introductory course component. Included are 40 monitored scans on third trimester models and written, visual and practical examinations. The new 3OB track will be published on the CPoCUS website in 2025. Participants who successfully complete this course will be certified as independent practitioners in this track.

Course Application

1. Applicants from Resource Limited Settings: Each course has 10 places for local participants. Admission is at the discretion of the local Course Director. The course costs are divided into two parts. A budget is set by the local course director and the applicant will pay their share of that cost. There is no refund for these costs in the event of cancellation by the applicant as the expenditure will still be incurred by the course. In addition, the applicant agrees to pay the instruction costs by return of service for three courses. The first return of service course is an instructor apprenticeship followed by two further courses as full bedside instructor.
2. International applicants: There are two discretionary places. 1-2 of these places may be taken up by a participant who donates to the program, the equivalent cost of a similar course in Canada ( in the case of AC Core Plus this would be CAD $5,500). These funds are directly used to subsidize the course cost for the local participants or to purchase equipment for the program. Admission of donor participants is at the discretion of the Outreach Program Director.
3. Sponsored applicants: A discretionary place may be offered to other regional RLS applicants. The fee is the same as for a local applicant. A local champion who intends to return home to organize training would be admitted in this category. Other organizations may choose to sponsor travel, accommodation and course cost for a RLS member of their organization. Admission of sponsored participants is at the discretion of the Outreach Program Director.

All inquiries regarding upcoming courses and application should be by email to: [email protected]

Testimonials

” This was my first Outreach program to participate in and for sure will not be the last. It was rich with knowledge and a large amount of practice. You will feel tired, but it’s worth it! In addition to the knowledge and skills that you will gain you will also meet students of different nationalities and types. It is the experience of a lifetime so – don’t waste it!”

Fatemah Alshammaa, Kuwaiti Donor Participant, Acute Care Core Plus course, Dar es Salaam, April 2024

“Before attending the course in Nairobi, I had no idea how to use an ultrasound machine or how to interpret images.  Now, I feel confident in my ability to do bedside ultrasound and use it routinely in my clinical practice. I really enjoyed how each objective of the course was taught very consistently and systematically- this prepared me to teach residents and other learners and has been very helpful when performing bedside ultrasound on patients with complicated anatomy.  It was a wonderful experience to train with local physicians in Nairobi!”

Lindsay Bridgland, Internist University of Alberta Hospital, Donor Participant Nairobi 2023, Volunteer Instructor Nairobi 2024