Acute Care POCUS Fellowship

Acute Care Point of Care Ultrasound Fellowship

Welcome to the Acute Care POCUS Fellowship Program at London Health Sciences Centre and St Joseph’s Health Care in London, ON. We offer a 1-year ultrasound fellowship program focused on training future leaders in point of care ultrasound by developing advanced POCUS scanning skills combined with ultrasound teaching, research and administration. 

London Health Sciences Centre is a fully accredited teaching hospital and Level 1 Regional Trauma Centre, affiliated with the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University. Serving more than 156 000 patients per year, the Division of Emergency Medicine provides its clinical and academic undertakings across 3 sites – Victoria and University Hospitals of the London Health Sciences Centre and the Urgent Care Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Our divisional program consists of 68 diverse and progressive academic clinician educators, administrators and researchers

Curriculum

Education: 

  • The fellow’s ultrasound education will be comprehensive and will include advanced applications such as peripheral nerve blocks, advanced transthoracic echo, thoracic, abdominal and GU applications.
  • The fellow will have supervised scanning time with our faculty until the fellow is competent with the core POCUS applications.
  • The fellow will engage in undergraduate, graduate (FRCP and CCFP residents) and Continuing Professional Development teaching with module development, bedside teaching and didactic lectures and is expected to have 8 hours of dedicated bedside scanning a week.
  • The ultrasound team holds on average 3 sit down sessions a month incorporating didactic sessions and image review.
  • Opportunities to participate in national and international ultrasound courses. 
  • Ability to explore areas of interest including TEE, Pediatrics, Critical care and OB ultrasound. 
  • The fellow will collaborate with the Critical Care Ultrasound (CCUS) program led by Dr. Robert Arntfield who is cross-appointed with the Division of Emergency Medicine and actively engaged in the EMUS program. The fellow will be provided an excellent opportunity to rotate in the ICU to enhance their CCUS skills.
  • The fellow is expected to complete 800 scans by the end of the fellowship and will have the necessary training to apply for relevant certification examinations.
  • Complimentary online resources such as “Introduction to bedside ultrasound” volume 1 and 2 by Matt Dawson and Mike Mallin and “Point of care Ultrasound” by Nilam J Soni, MD, Robert Arntfield, MD and Pierre Kory, MPA, MD are available during the fellowship.

Clinical:

  • Resident (in training) applicant: the fellow will work an average of 8 clinical shifts a month in the capacity of a senior resident (TBD with Program Directors) 
  • Licensed applicant: the fellow will work an average of 8 clinical shifts a month as consultant staff if independently licensed.

Research: 

  • The fellow will complete an academic project that is in keeping with their own career goals and is expected to have a publishable paper or an abstract accepted at a national or international meeting. 
  • The fellow will have the support of the research and ultrasound team to reach their objectives.
  • Access to department resources and methodologists will be provided to assist.

Administration: 

    • As part of becoming leaders in POCUS, fellows will learn how to develop and run their own emergency ultrasound program. This includes developing practice and residency pathways of achieving and maintaining competency in POCUS, developing collaborative relationships with other departments and quality improvement measures on scanning.
  • Fellows will be expected to perform QA of the studies submitted by the residents on the ultrasound rotation or the staff undertaking ultrasound skill enhancement courses.

Number of Ultrasound faculty: 6

Frank Myslik MD, CCFP-EM, CCEeXAM – ED Program and Fellowship Director

Drew Thompson, MD, FRCPC 

Behzad Hassani MD, CCFP-EM

Adam Slomer MD, FRCPC

Brad Rostas MD, FRCPC, CCEeXAM

Michael Blaszak, FRCPC, CCEeXAM

Ultrasound machines available: 

2 Mindray TE7 and 3 Sonosite Edge with TEE probe at University Hospital 

2 Mindray TE7, 1 ME8 and 4 Sonosite Edge with TEE probe at Victoria Hospital 

1 Sonosite Edge II at St. Joseph Urgent Care Center

Eligibility

  • Completion of either FRCPC or CCFP(EM). FRCPC residents are able to apply for their subspecialty focus
  • Other FRCPC Specialties are able to apply for a subspecialty year or post graduation fellowship training
  • Eligible for licensure by the CPSO
    • International Applicants Eligible for licensure may also apply

Application Process

Requirements:

  • 3 Letters of reference (including 1 from program director)
  • Letter of Interest 
  • Curriculum Vitae

Starting Date: Negotiable

Contact Information

Completed application and Questions sent to:

Name: Nancy Couto
Position: Administrative Assistant
Email: nancy.rebelo-couto@lhsc.on.ca

Name: Dr. Frank Myslik
Position: Program Director
Email: Frank.Myslik@lhsc.on.ca

Address: London Health Sciences Centre
University Hospital, Emergency Medicine Office
Room A1-190
339 Windermere Road, London, ON N6A 5A5

Phone: 519-663-3200 Fax: 519-663-3013