Ultrasound & POCUS Courses & Articles for UK Doctors

It depends on your grade and specialty. Foundation doctors should start with a basic POCUS course covering FAST scans and AAA assessment. Core trainees benefit from RUSH protocol and general POCUS skills. Registrars should look at advanced modalities like haemodynamic and cardiac ultrasound. Browse our POCUS courses or ultrasound-guided procedure courses to find one matched to your level.

Most courses teach the skills, but accreditation requires supervised practice afterwards. For FUSIC Heart (Intensive Care Society), you'll need a logbook of at least 50 scans (minimum 10 directly supervised), completed within a 12-month window, plus pass practical and theoretical assessments. The overall accreditation process must be completed within 24 months of registration. FAMUS follows a modular pathway through the Society for Acute Medicine, with a separate logbook per module. Check the accreditation body for your specialty.

Prices typically range from £100 for shorter online courses to £600+ for multi-day hands-on workshops. FAMUS courses range from £200 to £395 depending on the centre. Most are eligible for NHS study budget funding. Online courses are cheaper but won't give you the hands-on scanning practice that in-person courses offer.

POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) focuses on rapid bedside assessment in emergencies — ruling in or out life-threatening conditions. Full ultrasound training, like MSK or obstetric ultrasound, is a longer pathway aimed at diagnostic imaging as a core clinical skill. If you work in ED, acute medicine, or critical care, start with POCUS. For specialty-specific imaging, look at our MSK ultrasound or echocardiography courses.