Ultrasound Education Group

Frequently Asked Questions: Building Ultrasound Career Guide

• 1. How to learn ultrasonography in Australia? Where to get started in incorporating clinical ultrasound into practice?

  In simplest terms, clinical ultrasound can be used as an extension of clinical evaluation by all medical practitioners. Think of it as “ultrasound assisted clinical evaluation”, and so basic ultrasound of the heart, lungs, deep veins, abdomen, musculoskeletal system and even during pregnancy simply improves the diagnostic fidelity of routine clinical evaluation. In this most complex form, ultrasound forms a part of specialties such as cardiology or radiology.

  Many universities are now teaching basic clinical ultrasound as part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. In a few years’ time this is likely to be routine across most universities. This is where you get started in incorporating clinical ultrasound into your practice. However, it is just the start and like most medical skills, needs further training to improve knowledge and skill. To this end, there are number of options available including purely online learning, or blended learning program such as workshops or simulator-based programs. Within clinical learning, mentors will help guide and check skills and interpretation.

  The Ultrasound Education Group in the Melbourne Medical School, at the University of Melbourne already has many options available from simple online courses to graduate award programs such as certificate, diploma, or master courses; as well as a suite of workshop and simulated base courses.

  All Courses Here>>

• 2. What are other specialties in ultrasound?

  In the future, all doctors should be able to perform basic clinical ultrasound. The range and type of ultrasound scans will depend on the scope of practice of the medical practitioner. Within each specialty craft group, there will also emerge a group of practitioners who become advanced clinical ultrasound usages.

  For example, in the critical care specialties (anaesthesia, intensive care and emergency medicine) all doctors should be able to perform basic clinical ultrasound, but some will become experts including applications such as transoesophgeal echocardiography. The two core specialties where ultrasound is seen as a subspecialty is cardiology and radiology. Practitioners become very expert in their field of ultrasound use, and typically will supervise ultrasound laboratories which are staffed by ultrasound sonographers.

• 3. What is the future of diagnostic sonography?

  The uptake of clinical ultrasound by non-cardiology/radiology practitioners is a highly disruptive process that is excellent for patient care. The ability to more accurately diagnose medical conditions during their first presentation will enormously improve patient care and probably reduce cost due to misdiagnosis.

  However, when abnormalities are detected with basic ultrasound, there will frequently be a need to confirm and quantify the diagnosis and severity with more advanced ultrasound imaging. It is likely that specialists in diagnostic sonography will see fewer “normal studies” but more studies with pathology. Furthermore, over time more basic uses will extend their knowledge and skill to diagnostic level. Within departments or groups of practitioners from multiple specialties including general practice specialists, there will be “in-house” ability to confirm findings from basic ultrasound.

• 4. What is the difficulties and challenges while studying ultrasound?

  Studying ultrasound has two key components-knowledge and practical skills. When a practitioner starts to learn ultrasound, the knowledge, hands on learning, and practice of roughly equal proportions. However, as the transition from basic to advanced practitioner the greatest proportion of learning is knowledge.

  When starting, it is important to have a systematic approach to learning and starting with basic before tackling advanced topics. It is important to have good instruction on how to perform the ultrasound in a systematic manner and then applying it in practice.

  One of the difficulties is when students have a burst of learning and then don’t practice. We highly recommend that the student tries to perform a number of echocardiography studies early on to boost their confidence. We know that after about 30 scans, their confidence improved enormously and the rate of continued learning begins to slow.

• 5. What is the difficulties and challenges while studying ultrasound online?

  Online learning is very good for delivering knowledge and for practicing interpretation. Part of that learning is how to perform the scan. However, sooner rather than later, the student does need to learn and practice the actual acquisition of ultrasound images-and that cannot be done online.

  It is best to think of the online learning as a part of a blended learning program whereby the knowledge and interpretive practice is delivered online and the hands-on learning and practice must be done with the patient.

• 6. Is ultrasound scan safe, what should I pay attention to when performing a scan?

  The ultrasound scan is considered completely safe. This includes ultrasound scans during pregnancy. Some types of ultrasound scans are considered “invasive procedures” where body cavities are entered, and then there is risk of damage to the body organ or discomfort to the patient.

  For example, Transoesophageal echocardiography or vaginal ultrasound are examples. When performing a scan, it is important to consider how to position and expose the patient maintaining their privacy at all times.

  Physical pressure of the probe on the skin can be uncomfortable, particularly if there is bruising or fractures around the site that you’re putting the ultrasound probe onto. Sometimes, one has to not scan a certain part for the patient comfort sake.

• Booking the Simulator at Center for Medical Research
  DETAILS

  We have a variety of simulators available for 
  Simulator bookings are only available to UOM students and staff members of Royal Melbourne Hospital.

  STEP 1
  Please click the link to access the Simulator Booking System.

  STEP 2
  Log in using your email address.

  STEP 3 
  An instruction is given on how to select a suitable simulator for your use in the booking system.
  Please read it before you make the appointment. 
  Select the Suitable Simulator on the top right-hand corner.

  

  STEP 4
  You can click on the Calendar on a preferred day (on the right-hand side) and time (below the calendar).
  All booking session is to be booked in1 hour blocks. Multi-bookings are available.
  Enter your full name and click 'Create Reservation'.

  Or, you can click Available tab, it will show you a list of time and available simulators within 24 hours. 
  You can modify this search at the bottom of the page.

  

  Please contact us on +61 3 9035 4739 or email mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au if you require assistance with your booking.

• Login issues check up

  How do I get my login details?

  Our 'Getting Started' email is sent to you immediately after you successfully enrol in a course. This will contain your login details along with other information you need to get started.
  Do a search of your inbox for 'Getting Started' to quickly locate this email.
  Please check your junk mail if you do not see the 'Getting Started' email in your inbox.

  Contact our support team if you cannot find this email.

  I’m seeing "The username or password you entered is incorrect.". What can I do?

  Find your login details in the "Getting Started" email.
  Carefully copy and paste your login details across to the login screen, ensuring that caps lock is off (passwords are case-sensitive), and you are not inadvertently adding a blank space before or after your password.

  If you have enrolled in a free course, then you will have access to the free course for 6 weeks. After your access has lapsed, you will receive the 'incorrect username or password' error. You will need to enrol in a paid course or contact support to extend your access to the free course if this is the case.

  If you have forgotten your password, use the 'Forgot your password' option on the login screen to reset your password.

  I'm seeing "There was a problem while contacting the server. Please try again later". What can I do?

  Often this is caused by an incorrect username or password. Please double-check that your username and password are correct.
  Sometimes our servers can go down for short periods for maintenance. Let us know at support if you continually receive this message.

  If you have downloaded the materials to your portable device for offline access, then you may receive this message after a continuous period of more than 2 weeks being offline. Our system requires that you periodically re-verify your identity at least every 2 weeks to continue receiving offline access to materials. Connecting to the internet and then logging into the app whilst online will re-verify your identity and solve this issue.

  The app is crashing or the app/web browser is constantly asking me to login. 

  This can happen for a number of reasons:

  • Your username and/or password are incorrect. Please double-check to ensure that you have entered them correctly.
  • You have exceeded the maximum number of device logins. We have a limit of 5 devices logins before your access is automatically limited, causing the app to exit each time you attempt to login. Sometimes you can reach this limit unexpectedly, as 'new devices' can be accidentally recorded by the system if you clear your cookies or use a different browser. If you suspect that this is happening then please contact us and we will reset your device count.
• Cancellation & Transfer Policy

  Participants are required to inform our office in writing if they need to cancel their place on a FUSE/FCU course or iHeartScan workshop. Requests to cancel a course or workshop or to transfer to another course or workshop must be sent by email to mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au

  The cancellation and transfer policies are as follows:

  Refund

  • Up to 6 weeks prior to the course/workshop: a full refund will be provided within 10 working days after you have notified (and received acknowledgement) from the office.
  • 2 – 6 weeks prior to the course/workshop: For a FUSE or FCU simulator course, 40% ($100) cancellation fee will be charged. For an iHeartScan course, a 40% ($560) cancellation fee of the workshop fee will be charged and the difference will be refunded within 10 working days after you have notified (and received acknowledgement) from the office.
  • 2 weeks prior to the workshop: a 100% cancellation fee will apply and no refund will be given.

  Transfer

  • 12 months to 6 weeks prior: Transfer is free of charge.
  • 2 to 6 weeks prior: For a FUSE or FCU simulator course, an administration fee of $50 will be charged. For iHeartScan an administration fee of $195 will be charged.
  • 2 weeks prior: No transfer will be given.

  Course/Workshop Cancellation

  • In the event that the course/workshop you are registered in is cancelled or re-scheduled, registrants will have the option of receiving a full refund or transferring to an alternate workshop within 12 months of the original workshop registration date.