Can you describe the emergency ultrasound fellowship opportunities at Prisma Health Upstate?
I would first like to begin by saying how excited we are following the Match in November 2019 to be welcoming the program’s first two fellows who will begin their fellowship training with us in July of 2020. Our fellowship program is 1 year long and provides a unique and robust fellowship opportunity. The Division of Emergency Ultrasound is well established and supported within the Department of Emergency Medicine. The Greenville Memorial Hospital is a level 1 trauma center with 710 patient beds, is the regional referral center for the Upstate, and provides care for >100,000 patient visits per year. The emergency medicine residency is ACGME accredited and the University of South Carolina - School of Medicine Greenville is located on the campus of Greenville Memorial Hospital. The Division of Emergency Ultrasound manages point-of-care ultrasound education for the Department, credentialing, and administrative operations for 7 emergency departments within the health system. The Division oversees the approximate 10,000 point-of-care ultrasound scans that are performed each year in the emergency departments within the system. Furthermore, 6 of the emergency departments are accredited by ACEPs Clinical Ultrasound Accreditation Program.
The size of our health system, the educational responsibilities our Division holds for emergency medicine faculty/residents& medical students, the established ultrasound workflow within the emergency departments, and support the Division receives from the Department creates an environment rich with educational and research opportunities in addition to robust and diverse clinical practice environments.
What type of educational experience is provided to the EM US fellows?
Under the direction of our Division faculty (see below) the fellows training will provide the skills necessary to become an Ultrasound Director as well as the foundation necessary to become a leader within the field of Emergency Ultrasound. Training will focus primarily on advanced clinical applications, teaching (both in didactic format as well as hands on), research, and administrative skills. The fellow will be an active participant in weekly emergency ultrasound Division conference (which residents are welcome to attend!), scans shifts with ultrasound faculty, didactic and hands-on teaching for residents/faculty/medical students, Division research, and Division administrative responsibilities including credentialing and quality assurance (QA).
Dr. Dustin Morrow, MD, RDMS
Dr. John Eicken, MD, Ed.M.
Dr. Doug McGuff, MD
Dr. Eli Jaffa, MD
Dr. Chelsea Burgin, MD
Dr. Stephen Strasberg, MD
Dr. Alex Gleason, MD, RDMS, RDCS
So what type of US machines do residents and fellows use in the Emergency Department?
We are fortunate to have a total of 4 SonoSite machines in the GMMC ED (2 Edge II, 1 X-Porte, 1 M-Turbo). For probes we have phased array, curvilinear, linear, and endocavitary. The network is set up for wireless transfer of images to Qpath E as well as transfer of images to electronic medical record (EPIC, PACS) when appropriate.
Will the US fellows be involved in resident education?
Yes - all emergency medicine residents (10 per PGY class) complete an emergency ultrasound block during their intern year. This rotation is comprised of hands-on scan shifts in the ED (some with US faculty, some with US fellows, and some self-directed), an US curriculum, medical school educational experiences, and US journal club. Furthermore, senior emergency medicine residents have the opportunity to complete an advanced emergency ultrasound elective, beyond their intern emergency ultrasound block, if they choose to do so.
What impact do you anticipate the US fellowship having on the Emergency Medicine residency program?
I anticipate the presence of 2 US fellows will allow for the residents’ to experience an even more robust emergency ultrasound educational experience. The US fellows will be involved in resident education at all levels, including monthly didactic sessions, monthly hands-on practice sessions, resident US rotation ED scan shifts, image quality assurance (QA) and feedback, and the yearly Intern Ultrasound Boot Camp.
