Emergency Ultrasonography Fellowship

The Department of Emergency Medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine has approved a fellowship in emergency ultrasonography in an effort to advocate and augment this diagnostic resource among emergency medicine physicians. Emergency ultrasound is an extremely useful aid in both the diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions. The objectives of this fellowship are to promote advanced emergency ultrasonography through formal education, hands-on scanning, resident and faculty education, and original research projects. Not only are the original six primary ultrasound applications explored (FAST, cardiac, aorta, first trimester pregnancy, gallbladder, renal), but so too are vascular/DVT, pleura/pulmonary, testicular, ocular, musculoskeletal, and procedural studies.

The emergency ultrasonography fellowship is a one-year fellowship running throughout an entire academic year (July through June). Board-certified/board-eligible emergency medicine residency graduates are encouraged to apply. Timely completion of all hospital credentialing materials and a Pennsylvania medical license are required prior to beginning the fellowship. The main hospital site will be at Drexel University College of Medicine's main clinical site, Hahnemann University Hospital (a level-1 trauma center, tertiary referral center). Further sites will be the Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia (an inner-city, community hospital with a high acuity rating) and possibly St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, as desired.

The emergency ultrasound fellow shall be required to work between 15-20 clinical hours per week of emergency medicine shifts at the Hahnemann Emergency Center. During these clinical shifts emergency ultrasound shall be encouraged. Additionally, the fellow shall be required to work at least one dedicated "scanning" shift per week. While the fellow is at his or her scanning shift he or she will be involved in ultrasound teaching of students, residents, and faculty. An additional day per week of administrative/academic ultrasound time shall be required, during which the fellow will review ultrasounds for Q & A, prepare lectures, and perform scholarly research activities in order to promote his or her research requirements. 

The expected goals of the emergency ultrasound fellowship are at least 800 scans between the two clinical centers, with the majority of these scans expected to be indicated studies. The fellow shall also be required to participate in active teaching of the residents, especially the ultrasound intern rotating through the ER during that month. Additional teaching goals are 2-3 emergency ultrasonography grand rounds presentations per year, a monthly two-hour medical student lecture on introduction to emergency ultrasonography, and a 70% emergency medicine resident conference attendance.

The fellow shall be involved in at least two research projects, one of which he or she shall be the lead investigator of. One research project shall be submitted for publication. All projects shall be directed through the IRB at the university.

Additionally, the fellow will play an active role, with faculty supervision, in the Q & A process at the two centers reviewing still images, video as applicable, radiology/patient follow-up, and M/M case submission to the ER M/M conferences. It is during this time that significant learning in emergency ultrasonography can occur; therefore the Q & A process must not be taken too lightly.

The fellow shall be actively involved in a monthly ultrasound interest group meeting discussing literature review, research, and interests among emergency medicine faculty/residents.

Finally, additional ultrasonography teaching will come through outside resources. The fellow will be required to attend the SAEM/ACEP national conferences and play an active role in attending all emergency ultrasonography interest group meetings, lectures, and presentations at these conferences. The fellow will attend the advanced emergency ultrasound course at the Gulf Coast Ultrasound Institute, in addition to completing an advanced self-taught, at-home ultrasound course provided by the Berwin Institute. Additionally the fellow will attend any of the medical school’s applicable gross anatomy dissections, such as gallbladder/liver, lower extremity vasculature, female pelvic, renal, and cardiac. Of note, RDMS certification is not required at the completion of this fellowship, however it is encouraged.

The fellowship in emergency ultrasonography is not ACGME accredited. The fellow will not be board eligible in emergency ultrasonography; however, the fellowship has been developed to provide the highly motivated emergency physician the opportunity to excel as a leader in a subspecialty with in emergency medicine.

John P. Fojtik, M.D.
john.fojtik@drexelmed.edu
Assistant Professor
Emergency Ultrasonography Fellowship Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine