Echocardiography, as a branch of ultrasound medicine, plays a significant role in the overall clinical assessment of patients. The evaluation of echocardiography is multi-dimensional, multi-level, and multi-system, thus requiring specialized and systematic training.

The clinical training program of the Echocardiography and Vascular Ultrasound Center at FAHZU provides trainees with a professional learning content and environment for cardiac ultrasound that combines theory with practice, to better engage in advanced cardiac ultrasound work.

During the training period, participants will learn and practice from both theoretical and practical dimensions to gain experience and truly enhance their professional abilities. Learners will acquire highly skilled techniques in multiple professional sub-areas including basic echocardiography planes, routine echocardiographic measurement, echocardiographic diagnostic approaches, assessment of cardiac systolic and diastolic function, critical care ultrasound, characteristics of echocardiography in various diseases, and transesophageal echocardiography. They will also master the clinical and research experience necessary for a successful academic career in this field.

1. Learn theory and practice of echocardiography one-on-one with our cardiologists.

2. Have contacts to directors and receive their lectures.

3. Regular learning meetings to summarize what has been learned and analyze key and difficult points.

4. Enter the operating room to assist in cardiac surgery by practicing the use of transesophageal echocardiography during surgery.

The goal of our project is to enable trainees to master the theory and practical skills in simple and complex transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, and to become proficient in the use of echocardiography for common diseases. By engaging with clinical and research echocardiographers in the department, we also aim to provide our advanced trainees with a solid foundation in clinical research, enabling them to enter successful careers in the field of academic medicine.

The project offers full-time training ranging from 1 month to 6 months. In special cases, training can be arranged for other durations based on the needs and interests of the learners.

• Fellows: Obtain a standardized training certificate in ultrasound medicine and a medical practitioner's qualification certificate.

• Residents: Obtain a medical practitioner qualification certificate.

Key areas and sub-specialties:

1. Cardiomyopathy Echocardiography

2. Valvular Heart Disease Echocardiography

3. Coronary Heart Disease Echocardiography

4. Critical Care Echocardiography

5. Transesophageal Echocardiography in intraoperative applications

Skills:

· Master the views and measure parameters that need to be assessed for various diseases and learn how to integrate ultrasound findings with clinical analysis to guide clinical diagnosis;

· Proficiently master the common views and basic parameters of transesophageal echocardiography and learn the application skills of transesophageal echocardiography in common cardiac surgical procedures.

DAY 1: Introduction and welcome, project overview and objectives, department introduction, confirmation of one-on-one mentor lists.

Monday

Weekly: 1) MDT meetings, discussion of complex and error-prone cases; hold one-on-one mentorship session to answer questions from trainees.

Tuesday

Weekly: Internship on outpatients, assist in report writing.

Every two weeks: One-on-one training with mentors.

Wednesday

Weekly: Trainees operate hands-on by themselves.

Thursday

Weekly: Theoretical learning course on transesophageal echocardiography, internship on outpatient transesophageal echocardiography (mainly observational, can assist with intubation operation and button pressing, etc.)

Friday

Weekly: Enter the cardiac surgery operation room to learn the practical application of transesophageal echocardiography during the surgery process (due to the limitation of the number of people in the operating room, trainees will take turns entering on different days of the week, and other learning projects on the corresponding dates can be swapped with Friday).

Conduct a systematic theoretical paper test for trainees every two weeks, and an operational assessment once a month (with different content each time).

The scores are announced to the trainees by one-on-one tutors the day after the exam.

The program is free of charge.