POCUS INItiative

The value of POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) as a clinical tool in family medicine is undeniable. Our faculty believe POCUS will be an integral part of the practice of all family physicians in the next 5-10 years and are committed to training our residents in its use. To maximize resident experience and minimize logistical barriers, our program has put a personal point of care ultrasound device (Butterfly IQ) in the hands of every resident and every faculty physician.

POCUS Curriculum:

We have eight 3-hour workshops with self-assessment quizzes focused on each body system throughout each academic year (cardiac, renal, GI, DVT, shoulder, etc.) to learn ultrasound fundamentals with scanning practice. All residents use the Butterfly actively in all rotations, ranging from the ICU, ED, inpatient procedures, and in the outpatient setting. Our goal is to utilize ultrasound as another tool in our diagnostic arsenal. For example, in our outpatient clinic, we can reduce antibiotic use by ruling out sinusitis, expedite treatment by diagnosing pneumonia, and improve continuity care by confirming intrauterine pregnancies. In the inpatient setting, we can track the diuresis for our CHF patients and identify RV strain to diagnose pulmonary embolism. Recently, a resident diagnosed retinal detachment in a stroke rule-out patient with visual loss and was able to emergently refer them to ophthalmology.

POCUS Area of Concentration: 

As of 2020, we have created an area of concentration for interested residents to expand their POCUS knowledge and skill in an effort to increase resident proficiency. 

• Requirements:

  • Open to PGY2+

  • Total # of Scans: 150 minimum, at least 25 in 6 categories, use Butterfly cloud to track with the following documentation: One-liner, specific clinical Q, scan type, and follow-up imaging (if available) as Quality Control

    • Cardiac

    • Pulmonary

    • Renal / Bladder

    • GI

    • MSK

    • OB

    • Soft Tissue

• Complete the Global Ultrasound Institute Ultrasound Course

• Serve as a resident lead during all POCUS workshops

• Attend >50% of the HOCUS POCUS (resident-led ultrasound interest group) meetings

• Lead teaching topics / scanning sessions / image reviews at HOCUS POCUS group

• Academic Project: Use at least 1 elective/ selective / Family and Community Medicine month (FCM) / QI to focus on POCUS 

• Serve as resident champion in managing HOCUS POCUS interest group for the academic year