Start with our POCUS Fundamentals Certificate

Demonstrate your knowledge of point-of-care ultrasound! The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fundamentals Certificate is designed to assess your knowledge on the basic physics and instrumentation of ultrasound when applied in a POCUS clinical evaluation, making it the perfect opportunity for practitioners who desire to advance their everyday use of POCUS technology with their patients.

This offering does not include continuing medical education (CME) credits.

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POCUS Fundamentals Certificate Details

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy developed the POCUS Fundamentals Certificate as a starting point for new and advanced POCUS practitioners to prove their clinical proficiency. This certificate includes learning modules and a summative assessment. The learning modules aim to provide a review of foundational topics in ultrasound physics and instrumentation. The assessment tests your knowledge of these topics.

Upon completion of the program and earning the POCUS Fundamentals Certificate, you should be able to:

Explain the principles of ultrasound physics
Define echogenicity and attenuation
List and explain the ultrasound machine settings and modes
Identify the different transducer types
Describe ultrasound safety principles, ultrasound artifacts, and ultrasound bioeffects

The Fundamentals Certificate is a prerequisite for more advanced certifications, although may be waived for clinicians who have passed the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination with the last 5 years or ARDMS® and APCA™ Certificate holders.

LEARNING MODULES

There are eight learning modules. Each module includes an interactive review and a knowledge check. The modules are in the following topic areas:

Principles of Ultrasound Physics
Echogenicity and Attenuation
Machine Modes
Instrumentation
Transducers
Image Orientation
Ultrasound Artifacts
Safety and Bioeffects

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

The assessment contains 35 questions in multiple-choice format. Some incorporate images or graphics. The percentages below show an approximate distribution of the questions across the content areas.

Instrumentation – 37%
Basic Principles of Ultrasound – 27%
Ultrasound Artifacts – 22%
Safety and Bioeffects – 14%

Check out the POCUS Fundamentals Assessment Content Outline for more detailed information. Please note that candidates are expected to be prepared for the POCUS Fundamentals assessment through the completion of training or educational programs concerning foundational point-of-care ultrasound knowledge. Applicants have 30 days, from date of purchase, to complete the certificate and will have unlimited access to the learning modules until the summative assessment is started. Please note, the summative assessment can only be attempted once.

For detailed information about all certification options, download our Certificate and Certification Guide.

Prerequisites

Recommended to have some prior healthcare training
Recommended to have some exposure to ultrasound physics and instrumentation

Preparation Materials

Some learners may find these additional resources to be of benefit when preparing for the Fundamentals Certificate:

You may also want to check out our Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation knowledge check, the materials in our learning library or browse training courses offered by partnering POCUS education providers.

System Requirements

To access the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy content, a computer (Mac or PC) or tablet (Android or iPad) with a common browser will be required. Headphones or speakers are recommended, and a reliable internet connection is necessary.

Technical Specifications
Operating System	Windows 10 or newer, Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac OSX 10.10 or newer
Display	Minimum resolution: 1024 x 768 in 16-bit color
Network Connection	The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy suggests that, whenever possible, exams are completed using a wired network. Wired networks typically provide more reliable exam delivery performance than wireless networks.
Internet Connection	Broadband (DSL, cable or LAN/WAN): 512 kbps up/down
Internet Browsers	Latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Browser Settings	Internet cookies must be enabled. All pop-up blockers must be disabled.
Sound	Headphones or speakers, if in a private location, are acceptable. Note: Closed captioning is also provided.
Testing Environment	A quiet test taking environment is recommended. Exams include audio and video components. Appropriate lighting and minimal distractions will improve the experience.

Troubleshooting Technical Difficulties

If you’re experiencing technical difficulties, please try the following:

Clear internet cache
Make sure you have a strong internet connect, using VPN if needed
Make sure you are using Google Chrome
All pop-up blockers are disabled
Enable internet cookies
Make sure the following site is a trusted site: lms12.learnshare.com (some devices have firewalls that prevent the webpage from loading)

If the steps above do not resolve the issue, please contact us at pocus@inteleos.org.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is $125 fee for this certificate. This offering does not include continuing medical education (CME) credits. Requests for cancellations or refunds may be submitted until a candidate starts an assessment. Neither full nor partial refunds will be issued for any Certificate or certification that has been started or for which the completion time has been exhausted. All refunds will be processed in the same form as the original payment within five (5) business days.

Timeframe and Unsuccessful Attempts

You will be given thirty (30) days from the date of purchase to complete the review modules and summative assessment (35 multiple choice questions)
Please note that once the summative assessment is started, you will no longer be able to access the review modules
If the summative assessment result is unsuccessful, you may reapply after waiting thirty (30) days. The full certificate fee is required with each reapplication

Renewal

The POCUS Fundamentals Certificate will not expire and will remain valid for those who successfully complete all components.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Inteleos does not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.