Flipping to Create Competency


Together creating a "flipped" classroom for CUS. Yesterday's model of teacher centered knowledge delivery to the passive student is finally being replaced. Instead, today's educator begins by providing opportunities for independent student learning, prior to visiting the classroom. The educator identifies and directs students to the best websites, narrated lectures, or social media including blogs, podcasts, and even textbooks. Today's classroom then becomes a hands on active learning lab for students to ask questions, apply new knowledge, and learn new skills. 

CUS competency development parallels the performance of a CUS exam. Clinicians must apply more sophisticated knowledge and skills at each step. First, clinicians need to recognize the indications, contraindications, and limitations of CUS for an expanding number of applications. Next, clinicians need to apply an understanding of US physics to machine operation, while performing CUS protocols on a diverse patient population. Then clinicians need to be able to interpret normal sonographic anatomy, common variants, and subtle to obvious pathologic findings. Finally, clinicians need to be able to effectively utilize CUS in daily practice to improve patient care by applying the latest evidence, documenting findings, billing appropriately, and performing quality assurance review.

ACE4CUS helps educators meet the challenge of creating competency by providing a collection and curriculum of the best FOAM for CUS. Utilizing a flipped classroom, trainees may begin to learn the knowledge of indications, US physics, image recognition, and finding integration. Trainees then apply this factual knowledge while learning CUS skills at the patient's bedside with CUS educators. 

This site is by everyone and for everyone. Utilize the site as a curated collection of high quality CUS FOAM resources, a curriculum, or just a tool box for your shop. For CUS directors, we are happy to provide back end access to the google databases that each quiz, test, Scan Number form, and SDOT populates so that you can track your trainees progress. Alternatively, we will provide an online copy of all google forms for you to modify and utilize locally. 

We have been utilizing this ACE4CUS Curriculum at Cook County for our Resident, Fellowship, Medical Student, Nursing, Advanced Practioner, and Attending CUS Training Programs for the last three years. We recommend supplementing this FOAM curriculum with the following in person training: 
  1. Weekly CUS Rotation Orientation Sessions: At the bedside, small group, hands on instruction during which we complete Pre-Rotation SDOTs and identify where to focus teaching efforts. 
  2. Weekly CUS Rotation Wrap Up Sessions: At the bedside, small group, hands on instruction during which we complete Post-Rotation SDOTs, and provide any last minute targeted education.
  3. Weekly CUS Academic Day: Fellow Only QA, Resident QA, Journal Club (See Recommended Articles for each Application) and small group Hands on Scanning. This provides multimodal learning. 
  4. Quarterly CUS Workshops: We typically incorporate 2-3 applications per workshop, beginning with Flipped Classroom Materials to review, then brief in person didactics, followed by "gamified" hands on scanning through a series of stations. 
Check out Learning Plan for more information. Contact support@ace4cus.com to receive ACE4CUS ID numbers and begin using for your trainees.