The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) is delighted to launch a pilot programme of echo skills days in collaboration with the British Junior Cardiologists Association (BJCA).
The programme aims to alleviate the difficulty some registrars experience in accessing echocardiography training and will facilitate the acquisition of basic skills as well as introductions to echo training leads in their local area.
Taking place over five days from September-November 2023, the programme will initially open to ST4 cardiologists as they begin their training posts, but may be made available to a wider audience should places be available later in the summer.
The skills days will use live models and include basic echo training: how to hold the probe; how to operate the scanners; what measurements to take; basics on report writing etc. Crucially, the faculty leading the days will be the training leads in those regions enabling the registrars to meet the people who will be training them in their centres and therefore removing the obstacle many registrars find of knowing whom to contact within echo departments.
To supplement the learning there will also be online content provided. This will take the format of eLearning modules including MCQs to be completed pre and post the course.
Dr Claire Colebourn, President of the BSE, said, "I am so excited to see this programme launched across the UK. Our intention is for the programme to become embedded into registrar training over the coming years providing a firm footing from which to build essential echo skills for immediate use in day to day practice. The key to this programme is really the opportunity to meet the regional echo trainers and the echo team you will be working with for years to come; I think this is the most powerful component of the programme. My thanks to the UK TPD team in cardiology for their help in ensuring all trainees can attend. Let's see how effective we can be at getting the ball rolling towards the development of nationwide acute echo teams."
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Echo skills days 2023