Core Emergency Medicine Ultrasound

The Core Emergency Ultrasound Course is a foundational one-day training programme designed to develop both knowledge and practical skills in Emergency Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) aligned with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine curriculum at Introductory and Intermediate levels. Delivered by Bromley Emergency Courses, a provider with 21 years of experience teaching EM and PoCUS courses to over 23,000 clinicians, this course combines pre-course online learning with intensive in-person practical training.

The course covers the following key areas:

• Ultrasound physics and knobology (machine operation)
• PoCUS clinical governance
• Focused Assessment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
• Ultrasound-guided peripheral and central intravenous (IV) access
• Echo in Life Support (ELS)
• Ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB)
• Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST)
• Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (eFAST) for thoracic assessment

The structure combines flexible pre-course learning (approximately three hours of online videos with embedded quizzes covering core knowledge) with a full-day in-person session. Participants are encouraged to complete the online material beforehand so the in-person day emphasises practical scanning experience. On the course day, short presentations recap key topics, followed by extended practical sessions working with multiple ultrasound machines, healthy volunteers, handheld ultrasound devices, scannable manikins, and state-of-the-art ultrasound simulators that can demonstrate a wide range of realistic pathologies. Faculty provide guidance and supervision throughout, with participants free to explore equipment and maximise their own learning. The day concludes with a quiz covering the day's content.

By the end of the course, learners will understand ultrasound principles, be able to operate various ultrasound machines, understand the RCEM PoCUS curriculum structure and knowledge/skill requirements at each level, and be able to acquire diagnostically useful images across the Introductory and Intermediate curriculum areas. You will develop practical skills including probe handling, image optimisation, positioning in three-dimensional space, recognition of pathologies, and the ability to use ultrasound to guide cannulation and nerve blocks.

The venue is Terracotta Court (ground floor), 167 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 3LN. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and pastries; the course runs 9:00 a.m. to approximately 5:10–5:45 p.m. Lunch (buffet-style with salads, hot bites, sandwiches, and sides) is provided, with dietary requirements accommodated on request. A CPD certificate is issued via email after the course, and participants retain access to the online pre-course materials for six months following the course date. The course is popular with an average Google review rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.