Online third trimester ultrasound course

Learning outcomes

• Use an ultrasound machine to assess fetal presentation and wellbeing in pregnancy
• Accurately determine and describe fetal presentation and lie
• Assess the amniotic fluid volume
• Perform a biophysical profile assessment
• Understand how blood flow resistance in the umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery may be used in assessment of fetal well-being 
• Apply knowledge of ultrasound results to patients’ clinical contexts

Course structure

Course units

• Tutorial 1: Introduction to ultrasound
• Tutorial 2: Fetal Presentation
• Tutorial 3: Amniotic Fluid Volume - Biophysical Profile 
• Tutorial 4: Umbilical Artery Doppler
• Tutorial 5: Middle Cerebral Artery Doppler

Delivery mode

Course completion requires approximately 12 hours of elearning, including 6 interactive tutorials and 12 online case studies to practice interpretation. Students have the flexibility to study in their own time and location. Program material can be accessed through the eLearning Education App on mobiles and tablets with iOS, Android or Windows systems. Program material can also be accessed on a PC using a web browser.

Assessment

A Certificate of Completion is issued upon satisfactory completion of the course assessment requirements: 5 tutorial unit self-assessments and 10 case studies.

Entry requirements

Participants of this course should be either enrolled in, or have graduated from, a midwifery or medical degree.

Continuing Professional Development

Participants who successfully complete this course will be eligible to receive CPD points from RANZCOG, RACGP, ACRRM, or the ACM.

Course fees

$385 (incl GST) for doctors (specialists/ GPs)

$250 (incl GST) for midwives/ trainees/ students 

Course directors

Professor Sue Walker is a maternal-fetal medicine sub-specialist and an academic clinical researcher. She founded and continues to lead the Mercy Hospital for Women’s Perinatal Department. Sue is a national leader in her field, frequently invited to speak at international and national conferences and was recently awarded an Order of Australia. One of her primary research priorities is reducing preventable stillbirth. Her work has, and continues to focus upon, better assessment of fetal wellbeing and placental function. Sue has fostered a strong educational program through Mercy Perinatal, delivering the Fetal Medicine at Twilight Seminar series, and the hugely successful, annually sold-out conference, the Global Obstetric Update. This ultrasound course is the newest educational initiative that Sue has championed in her quest to bring babies safely home.

Dr Teresa MacDonald is an obstetrician, gynaecologist and academic researcher. Her PhD investigated ways to improve the detection of poor placental function, under the guidance of Prof Walker as her primary supervisor. There was a major ultrasound focus to this work, interrogating both fetal growth velocity and Doppler ultrasound parameters.

Ms Rachel L Worboys is a midwife providing both clinical and organisational leadership in her role in managing the Mercy’s Fetal Monitoring Unit. This essential part of the hospital’s antenatal landscape performs over 600 ultrasound assessments each month. Rachel performs these assessments as well as trains other midwives working in the unit. She sees the need first-hand for greater access for midwives to training in bedside ultrasound scanning for the assessment of fetal presentation and wellbeing and believes this course will fill the gap.

Sue, Teresa and Rachel are delighted to be co-directing this ultrasound course, delivering the education required to enable greater access for women to point of care ultrasound assessment in their pregnancies.