Point of Care Ultrasonography

Overview

The objective of the Point of Care Ultrasound Fellowship at the University of Ottawa is to train the future leaders of Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography (EMUS). Fellows will obtain extensive experience in the use of clinical point-of-care ultrasound, as well as teaching, administration, and research.

All CCFP(EM) and FRCP(C) residents take part in dedicated POCUS-EM rotations which is supported by an enthusiastic and nationally recognized EMUS Faculty, and our fellows are an integral part of running our residency training program.

Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine is a regional trauma centre with over 140,000 emergency visits/year. The high acuity and diverse patient population has benefited from the Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography (EMUS) program since 1998.

Ottawa

As the National Capital of Canada with a population of close to 1 million people, Ottawa is a beautiful city with countless festivals, concerts, and cultural attractions to offer. Highlights include a visit to Canada’s Parliament, the Byward Market, the annual Tulip Festival, Winterlude festival, as well as a number of other musical and food festivals each year at the rapidly developing Landsdowne Park.

Ottawa is also host to many incredible and family friendly museums and galleries including the National War Museum, the National Art Gallery, The Canadian Museum of History, The Canadian Museum of Nature, and more.

Besides the many museums and cultural attractions, Ottawa is an outdoor lover's paradise. The city has extensive bike paths, jogging trails, the longest skating rink in the world (the Rideau Canal), world class rapids for kayaking, nearby downhill skiing as well as hundreds of kilometers of cross-country trails.

• City of Ottawa – Visitors
• Ottawa Tourism

Highlights

• Weekly sessions with EMUS Faculty
• Opportunities to teach locally and nationally
• Pediatric, ECHO, and Critical Care rotations
• Access to world-class researchers and methodologists

Requirements

• Demonstrated interest in Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography
• Clinical competence
• Letter of interest with 3 references (one of which must be from the program director if applicable)
• Eligible for appropriate licensure in Ontario by CPSO
• Eligible for appropriate medical liability insurance by CMPA
• EM certified physicians who are eligible for Ontario licensure or residents in a Canadian EM program

Deadline for applications is the last Wednesday in September every year
All applicants invited for an interview will take place either

• a) In person - first Wednesday in October OR
• b)Web based – second Wednesday in October

Completed applications can be submitted to Josiane Beausoleil

The start date is negotiable, but will typically begin July 1.
Please note that this is a one year fellowship. Clinical traineeships for less than a year in POCUS-EM are organized individually and subject to availability.

Dr. Michael Woo obtained his medical degree from Queen’s University in 1998. He completed his family medicine and emergency medicine residency at the University of Ottawa in 2001. After working and traveling around the world he obtained his American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography certification in 2008.

Dr. Woo is an Emergency Physician and Trauma Team Leader at the Ottawa Hospital. He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa and is the Director ofResearch and Innovations, Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography (EMUS). He is also the Fellowship Program Director for POCUS-EM.

Dr. Woo has combined his passion for education with clinical sonography and has developed novel continuing education tools combining simulation and internet based technology. He has organized and taught numerous clinical sonography courses across Canada and around the world to a variety of specialists and health care professional.

Clinical Sonography

Clinical sonography training will occur primarily within The Ottawa Hospital emergency departments. There will also be opportunities to gain additional exposure in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Echocardiography, and Critical Care. It is expected that Fellows will have performed over 800 exams and will be experienced enough with all indications for scans that they would be able to teach them to someone else.

Education and Teaching

Education and Teaching are essential components to the Fellowship. Fellows will develop and enhance teaching skills with a particular emphasis on new methods and web-based technology. Fellows are expected to give lectures at local courses and may have opportunities to take part in national courses. In addition, bedside teaching is also required and will take part throughout the year.

Research

The Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa maintains one of the most active research programs in Canada. With access to world-class researchers and excellent infrastructure it is expected that fellows will complete and submit a research project for presentation and publication.  

Administration

Fellows will learn how to develop, direct, and maintain a Clinical Sonography program. This will include providing physician credentialing and organizing and managing a quality improvement program. The ability to develop and maintain inter-professional relationships is essential. Fellows will understand the process of equipment evaluation and purchasing and provide ongoing equipment maintenance. It is expected that Fellows will take part in leadership activities advocating and promoting EMUS.

The Department of Emergency Medicine has 4 ultrasound machines at each of the General Campus and Civic Campus emergency departments.

There is one Phillips Sparq machine with curvilinear, linear, phased array transducers at each site and a transesophageal echocardiography probe at the Civic site.

There are two Zonare machines with curvilinear, linear, phased array, and endocavitary transducers at each site.

There is one GE Logiq E with curvilinear, linear, phased array, and endocavitary transducers at each site.

All machines have color doppler, pulsed wave doppler, and digital image archiving capacity. The Sparq machine adds more advanced functions such as tissue doppler imaging, advanced echocardiography calculators and transesophageal echo.

All POCUS-EM images are archived using Q-path.
For more information see Clinical Sonography Ottawa

Current

• Dr. Talia Burwash-Brennan
  Attending Physician
  University of Ottawa
• Dr. Geraldine Leong
  PoCUS Fellow Emergency Medicine
  University of Ottawa
• Dr. Robert Suttie
  PGY4 Emergency Medicine
  University of Ottawa

Alumni 2018

• Dr. Massimiliano Iseppon, Attending Physician, Université de Montréal
• Dr. Rajiv Thavanathan, PGY5-FRCP-EM, University of Ottawa

Alumni 2017

• Dr. Elizabeth Lalande, Emergency Physician, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval (CHUL), CHU de Québec, Laval University

Alumni 2016

• Dr. Frank Myslik,, Assistant Professor, Fellowship Program Director – Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship, Western University
• Dr. Sze Joo Juan, Consultant, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore Singapore
• Dr. Mike Rubin, Attending Physician, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa
• Dr. Badar Alhamrashdi, Head, Department of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Director of Medical and Paramedical affairs, Rustaq Hospital, Oman
• Dr. Noman Khan, Attending Physician, Saudi Arabia

Alumni 2015

• Dr. Brandon Ritcey, Emergency Physician, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa

Alumni 2014

• Dr. Mark Taylor, Emergency Physician, University of Saskatchewan

Alumni 2013

• Dr. Hasan Alzharani, Program Director Emergency Medicine, King Khalid University Medical City - Abha, Saudi Arabia

Alumni 2012

• Dr. Faiz Alhrbi, Emergency Physician, Windsor Regional Hospital

Alumni 2011

• Dr. Muhammad Tashkandi, Emergency Medicine, Consultant, King Saud bin Abdulaziz Medical City, Saudi Arabia

Alumni 2010

• Dr. Donna Lee, Emergency Physician, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia
• Dr. Khaled Al-Rajhi, Deputy Chair, King Saud bin Abdulaziz Medical City, Saudi Arabia

• Wein T, Lindsay MP, Côté R, Foley N, Berlingieri J, Bhogal S, Bourgoin A, Buck BH, Cox J, Davidson D, Dowlatshahi D, Douketis J, Falconer J, Field T, Gioia L, Gubitz G, Habert J, Jaspers S, Lum C, McNamara Morse D, Pageau P, Rafay M, Rodgerson A, Semchuk B, Sharma M, Shoamanesh A, Tamayo A, Smitko E, Gladstone DJ; Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Stroke Best Practice Committees. Canadian stroke best practice recommendations: Secondary prevention of stroke, sixth edition practice guidelines, update 2017. Int J Stroke. 2017 Jan 1:1747493017743062. doi: 10.1177/1747493017743062. [Epub ahead of print]
• Pageau, P., Sinclair, D., Abu-Laban, R., Eisener-Parsche, P., Frank, J., Holroyd, B., . . . Toth, P. (2017). The future of emergency medicine in Canada: Reflections one year after the release of the Collaborative Working Group final report. CJEM, 19(S2), S38-S39. doi:10.1017/cem.2017.366
• Connolly, R., Woo, M., Lampron, J., & Perry, J. (2017). Factors associated with delay in trauma team activation and impact on patient outcomes. CJEM, 1-8. doi:10.1017/cem.2017.389
• Gaspari R, Weekes A, Adhikari S, Noble V, Nomura JT, Theodoro D, Woo M et al. A retrospective study of pulseless electoral activity, bedside ultrasound identifies interventions during resuscitation associated with improved survival to hospital admission. A REASON Study.
• Boet S, Thompson C, Woo M Y, et al. (August 22, 2017) Interactive Online Learning for Attending
• Physicians in Ultrasound-guided Central Venous Catheter Insertion. Cureus 9(8): e1592. DOI 10.7759/cureus.1592 [accessed Jan 13 2018].
• Kadhim-Saleh, A., Worrall, J., Taljaard, M., Gatien, M., & Perry, J. (2017). Self-awareness of computed tomography ordering in the emergency department. CJEM, 1-9. doi:10.1017/cem.2017.45
• Gaspari R, Weekes A, Adhikari S, Noble VE, Nomura JT, Theodoro D, Woo M, et al. Emergency department point-of-care ultrasound in out-of-hospital and in –ED cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2016;109:33-39.
• Woo MY, Hecht N, Hurley B, Stitt D, Thiruganasambandamoorthy V. Test Characteristics of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Acute Posterior Ocular Pathology. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2016; 51(5):336-341. Doi: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2016.03.020
• Ritcey B, Pageau P, Woo MY, Perry JJ. Regional nerve blocks for hip and femoral neck fractures in the Emergency Department: A systematic review. CJEM. 2016 Jan 18(1):37-47. Doi:10.1017/cem.2015.75.
• Ohle R, McIsaac SM, Woo MY, Perry JJ. Sonography of the optic nerve sheath diameter for detection of raided intracranial pressure compared to computed tomography: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ultrasound Med. 2015 Jul;34(7):1285-94. - nominated top 5 SAEM/AEUS best review article research award 2016 – New Orleans
• Taylor M, Woo MY, Pageau P, McInnes MDF, Watterson J, et al. Ultrasonography for the prediction of urological surgical intervention in patients with renal colic. Emerg Med J. 2015: doi:10.1136/emermed-2014-204524 - nominated top 5 SAEM/AEUS best retrospective research award 2016 – New Orleans
• Alzahrani H, Woo MY, Johnson C, Pageau P, Millington S, Thiruganasambandamoorthy V. Can severe aortic stenosis be identified by emergency physicians when interpreting a simplified two-view echocardiogram obtained by trained echocardiographers? Critical Ultrasound Journal. 2015: 7:5. doi:10.1186/s13089-015-0022-8
• Woo MY, Taylor M, Atkinson P, Loubani O, Bowra J. My patient’s got abdominal pain: identifying biliary problems. Ultrasound. 2014: 22(4); 223-228. DOI:10.1177/1742271X14546181
• Woo MY. Psoas abscess. J. Emerg Med. 2014. 2014: 47(5); e129-e130.DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2014.06.035

• C Farrell, S Teed, N Costain, M Austin, A Willmore, A Reed, J Maloney, R Dionne. EMS Boot Camp: A Real-World, Real-Time Educational Experience for Emergency Medicine Residents. CAEP Annual Conference, Whistler, Canada. June 2017.
• N Costain, V Charbonneau, S Mitchell, M Austin, A Willmore, A Reed, R Dionne, J Maloney. EMS Month: Familiarizing Emergency Medicine Residents With Prehospital Care And Disaster Medicine. NAEMSP Annual Conference, New Orleans, USA. January 2017.
• Connolly, R., Woo, M., Lampron, J., & Perry, J. (2017). LO89: Factors associated with delay in trauma team activation and impact on patient outcomes. CJEM, 19(S1), S58-S59. doi:10.1017/cem.2017.151
• Ritcey BW, Woo MY, McInnes MDF, Watterson J, Perry JJ. What ultrsonography characteristics predict surgical intervention for testicular torsion? Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 18, Issue S1, May 2016, pp S35-S35 - doi: 10.1017/cem.2016.51
• Shefrin AE, Ritcey B, Perry JJ, Woo MY. What ultrasonography characteristics predict surgical intervention for children with testicular torsion? Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 18, Issue S1, May 2016, pp S71-S71 - doi: 10.1017/cem.2016.155
• Atkinson, P., Bowra, J., Milne, J., Lambert, M., Jarman, B., Noble, V., . . . Tessaro, M. (2016). LO042: Sonography in Hypotension and Cardiac Arrest (SHoC) - Hypotension: Derivation of an evidence-based consensus algorithm for the integration of point of care ultrasound into resuscitation of hypotensive patients. CJEM, 18(S1), S44-S44. doi:10.1017/cem.2016.79
• Atkinson, P., Bowra, J., Milne, J., Lambert, M., Jarman, B., Noble, V., . . . Tessaro, M. (2016). LO045: Sonography in Hypotension and Cardiac Arrest (SHoC) - Cardiac Arrest: A consensus on the integration of point of care ultrasound into advanced cardiac life support during cardiac arrest. CJEM, 18(S1), S45-S46. doi:10.1017/cem.2016.82
• Gaspari R, Atkinson PR, Woo MY, Rang L, Adhikari S, Noble V, Nomura J, Raio C, Theodoro D, Weeks A, Blehar D, Brown S, Caffery T, et al.
• Sonography in cardiac arrest: Real-time Assessment and Evaluation with Sonography – Outcomes Network (REASON). **Plenary Oral Second Place. Can J Emerg Med. 2015; 17(suppl 2): S4.
• Ritcey B, Pageau P, Woo MY, Perry JJ. Regional nerve blocks for hip and femoral neck fractures in the emergency department: a systematic review. Can J Emerg Med. 2015; 17 (Suppl 2): S78.
• Lee JS, Bhandari T, Emond M, Perry JJ, Woo M, Chenkin J. Ultrasound guided regional anesthesia in older hip fractures patients: uptake of regional anesthesia in randomly selected emergency physicians. Can J Emerg Med. 2015; 17 (Suppl 2): S47.
• Woo MY, Chagnon N, Power B, St. Pierre N. Evaluation of a pilot ultrasonography workshop for second year medical students. Presented at Academy for Innovation in Medical Education (AIME) Day. Ottawa, Canada. April 10, 2015.