Coursework
Master of Clinical Ultrasound
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What will I study?
Overview
What you will learn
Gain a deep understanding of echocardiography
Understand advanced echocardiography interpretation and the role of echocardiography in clinical situations relevant to perioperative and critical care.
Examine the latest developments in clinical ultrasound
Gain insight into 3D echocardiography, new technologies and novel applications of clinical ultrasound, as well as examining how to approach echocardiography for unusual medical conditions.
Complete an advanced case studies practicum
In your final year, you will undertake a case studies practicum to put your advanced knowledge of clinical ultrasound into practice. You will also examine best-practice research methods and the latest literature.
As a student of this online course, you should obtain practical experience at your institution or attend hands-on workshops to supplement your knowledge base.
Course structure
The Master of Clinical Ultrasound is a 150-point program, designed to take eighteen months if studying full time or three years if studying part-time.
You must complete:
- Twelve core subjects, each worth 12.5 points.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this degree.
- 12.5 pts
This will provide advanced knowledge for the performance and interpretation of 3-Dimensional echocardiography, as well as introducing new technologies and novel applications of clinical ultrasound.
Topics include:
- Transducer design and method of 3-D reconstruction
- How to perform 3-D transthoracic examination
- How to perform 3-D transoesophageal examination
- Understanding cropping and manipulation of recorded images
- Reporting 3-D examinations
- 12.5 pts
This subject will provide advanced knowledge for echocardiography interpretation in patients with adult congenital, obstetric, and unusual medical conditions.
Topics include:
- Transthoracic echocardiography in children
- Atrial defects
- Ventricular defects
- Valvular defects
- Defects of the great vessels
- Congenital defects that present in adults
- Assessment of congenital defects after surgery
- Case reports - 25 cases
- 12.5 pts
Students are required to submit 50 clinical ultrasound patient scans done in the workplace using the online logbook provided. In addition, 50 advanced and rare clinical ultrasound case studies will be provided for interpretation and reporting.
- 12.5 pts
This subject will outline a physics related to medical ultrasound use; an introduction to transthoracic echocardiography using the focused assessment technique HEARTscan (Haemodyanmic Echocardiography Assessment in Real Time).
Topics include:
- The role of Echocardiography in Perioperative and Critical Care Medicine
- Optimising Ultrasound Images (Knobology)
- Physics/Modes of Ultrasound/Transducers
- Anatomy of the Heart
- Anatomy of the Valves
- Comprehensive Transthoracic Echocardiography Examination
- Basic Haemodynamic State Assessment
- HEARTscan Valves
- HEARTscan Case Studies
- Comprehensive Transoesophageal Echocardiography Examination Artefacts
- 12.5 pts
This subject will provide additional advanced material on anatomy and doppler analysis, which would not have been covered at the certificate level.
Topics include:
- Role of Echocardiography in Perioperative and Critical Care Environments
- Safety of Ultrasound and TOE
- Cleaning and Disinfection of Ultrasound Probes
- Anatomy-Coronary Vessels
- Additional TOE Views and anatomical Variants
- Anatomy-Other Structures
- Estimation of Intraventricular and PA Pressures
- Normal Doppler Values
- Calculations Workshop
- Principles of PISA
- Paediatric and Obstetric Conditions
- 12.5 pts
This subject will provide advanced knowledge called valvular and aortic pathology and echocardiography assessment
Topics include:
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Perioperative Assessment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- Mitral stenosis
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Regurgitation
- The Tricuspid Valve
- Aortic Disease
- Prosthetic Valve Assessment
- The Pulmonary Valve and Miscellaneous Conditions
- Miscellaneous Congenital Cardiac Disorders
- 12.5 pts
This subject will identify the role of ultrasound and specific clinical situations relevant to perioperative and critical care practice.
Topics include:
- Clinical Applications- Persistent Hypotension
- clinical applications-Acute Pulmonary Oedema
- High-Speed Deceleration Injury
- Unexplained Sepsis
- Stroke
- Echocardiography for Cardiac Transplant Surgery
- pericardial Tamponade
- Epiaortic Echocardiography
- 12.5 pts
This subject will outline how formally report diagnostic echocardiography studies, using a custom designed database reporting system. There will be 50 case studies to be reported.
Topics include:
- Principles of Echocardiography Reporting
- Use of Echocardiography Report Database
- Reporting Case Studies-50 Cases
- 12.5 pts
This subject will work through research methods applicable to understanding echocardiography and clinical ultrasound literature. Learning will be reinforced by completing a series of assignments focused on evaluating echocardiography and clinical ultrasound publications.
- 12.5 pts
This subject will introduce Doppler echocardiography to complement basic transthoracic echocardiography imaging.
Topics include:
- Principles of Blood flow
- Principles of Doppler, and Optimising Image
- Basic Doppler Measurement Technique
- Colour Flow Doppler
- Doppler Assessment of Systolic Function
- Using Doppler to Help Grade Valve Lesions
- HEARTscan Studies with Doppler Measurements
- 12.5 pts
This subject will expand the knowledge of transthoracic echocardiography by learning pathophysiology and assessment of ventricular function, including in diastolic function.
Topics include:
- The Cardiac Cycle
- Left Ventricular Systolic Function Pathophysiology
- Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function
- Right Ventricular Systolic Function
- Right Ventricular Function Evaluation
- Atrial Function and Pressure Estimation
- Diastolic Function Pathophysiology
- Assessment of Diastolic Function
- Management of Diastolic Function
- HEARTscan Studies
- 12.5 pts
This subject will outline the technique of using ultrasound to guide percutaneous procedures. Procedures will include vessel access, nerve blocks, and trauma related procedures. There will be an elective of either "Nerve Blocks" or "Critical Care Procedures".
Topics include:
- Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access
- Nerve Blocks-Upper Limb
- Nerve Locks-Lower Limb
- Nerve Blocks-Peripheral Nerves
- Nerve Blocks-Abdominal and Thoracic
- Focused Abdominal Scan in Trauma
- Additional Ultrasound in Trauma
- Assessment of Flow and Stenosis in Vessels
- Critical Care Procedures
- 12.5 pts
In the subject, the student will learn about ultrasound assessment of the abdomen and learn to integrate abdominal, lung and cardiac ultrasound in the peri-arrest scenario.
- 12.5 pts
In the subject, the student will learn about basic ultrasound assessment of pregnant women, and for gynecological emergencies, as well as completing a logbook of 75 clinical cases.
- 12.5 pts
In the subject, the student will learn about ultrasound assessment of lung and musculoskeletal ultrasound and learn how to perform ultrasound guided vascular access and nerve blocks