Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound (FAMUS) is the point of care ultrasound standard created for Acute Medicine physicians to aid the management of the acutely unwell adult patient. It is endorsed by the Society for Acute Medicine and recognised by the AIM training committee as one way of achieving the mandatory AIM POCUS competencies.

Warwick Medical School Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Course

This one-day course provides the essential requirements to start your Focussed Acute Medical Ultrasound (FAMUS) training journey! Hands-on practical training will provide you with the skills you need to begin the next stage of your scanning training. The course is suitable for all members of the acute care team who wish to start POCUS training using the FAMUS curriculum and progress towards FAMUS accreditation, either in single modules or full accreditation. Course attendees will benefit from the new £4.2m state-of-the-art teaching facilities at the University of Warwick Clinical Education Hub. Alongside studying the core FAMUS curriculum, you will have a unique opportunity to review clinically relevant anatomy using Europe’s largest collections of plastinated human specimens from von Hagens Plastination. Course faculty are experienced clinicians who use POCUS as part of their daily practice and academic clinical anatomists who will provide crucial refreshers on structure identification relevant to image optimisation. Our clinical faculty are representative of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team members.

Why study this course?

This course is an accredited component of the FAMUS training programme and introduces POCUS for the complete novice. The course faculty will share their passion and dedication to using POCUS to make rapid decisions as part of acute care assessments. Upon completion of the course, you can begin the practical mentored component of FAMUS training within your clinical practice. This course can also be undertaken as an introduction, without commitment to further training.

Who is this course aimed at?

We believe all acute care team members who assess patients should have access to POCUS training. As such, this course is open to doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

Course content

The course content aligns to the FAMUS curriculum. Topics include:

• Physics for POCUS
• Lung
• Abdomen
• Deep veins
• Procedures (IV access, aspirating pleural effusions and paracentesis) 

How will I learn?

The course consists of a combination of short engaging theory sessions with accompanying hands-on practical sessions taking place immediately afterwards. Scanning practice takes place in small groups on normal volunteers, giving you opportunity to learn by both observation and practice. The theory sessions will cover all the common pathologies seen on POCUS in acute medical care.

Programme

8:30am – 9.00am: Refreshments and registration

9.00am – 9.30am: Theory: Introduction to POCUS and all the physics you will ever need to know – Dr Chris Partridge

9.30am – 10.15am: Theory: Lung and Blue Protocol – Prof Dan Lasserson

10.15am – 11.15am: Practical: Lung POCUS

11.15am – 11.45am: Refreshments

11.45am – 12.15pm: Theory: Abdomen – Prof Dan Lasserson

12.15am – 1.15pm: Practical: Abdominal POCUS

1.15pm – 2.00pm: Lunch

2.00pm – 2.30pm: Theory: DVT - Prof Dan Lasserson

2.30pm – 3.00pm: Theory: Procedures venous access/pleural tap/paracentesis – Dr Chris Partridge

3.00pm – 4.30pm: Practical: Deep veins & Procedures

4.30pm – 4.50pm: Theory: Mentorship, Accreditation and Governance

4.50pm – 5.00pm: Certificates and closing remarks/questions

Faculty