Physicians' and Nurses' Online Course in Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound

This online course has been designed to instruct learners in the performance of "limited obstetrical ultrasound". The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) defines a "limited ultrasound" as one which is "performed when a specific question requires investigation" (see "AIUM Practice Guidelines for the Performance of an Antepartum Obstetric Ultrasound Examination" — www.aium.org).

This course is an outgrowth of the need seen for a limited obstetrical ultrasound course to train medical personnel in the performance of limited obstetrical ultrasound. The course follows an over 10-year history of instruction in limited ultrasound courses and now uses web-based technology to enhance the availability of such training. It follows the models for adult learning with the use of multiple modalities and repetition to achieve learning.

The course is original in its content and organization. It follows the guidance of both the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for training individuals in limited obstetrical ultrasound.

The Instructors

Byron C. Calhoun, MD, FACOG, FACS, MBA
Dr. Byron C. Calhoun, MD, FACOG, FACS, MBA is a diplomate board certified by the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in general Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the sub-specialty of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (high-risk obstetrics. He has over 20 years of ultrasound experience including complex prenatal diagnosis and ultrasound education of medical students, nurses, residents, and fellows.

Dr. Calhoun has authored over 60 scientific peer review articles in the Obstetrics and Gynecologic literature, presented over 100 scientific papers, and participated in over 40 research projects.

Dr. Calhoun presently serves as Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the West Virginia University-Charleston and is involved in resident, medical student, and sonographer education. He is licensed in several states and continues in active practice in maternal-fetal medicine, performs diagnostic ultrasounds, and participates in prenatal diagnosis and counseling.

Thomas A Glessner, JD
Thomas A. Glessner, JD is the founder and President of NIFLA, a public interest law firm founded in 1993 committed to legal counsel.

Mr. Glessner graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle in 1977 and practiced law in the Seattle area for ten years. As the CEO and President of NIFLA, Mr. Glessner has developed and implemented legal guidelines for limited ultrasound.

Thomas A. Glessner is listed in Who's Who in American Law, is a member of the bar associations for the United States Supreme Court, the State of Virginia, and the State of Washington.

Continuing Medical Education Credits (CMEs)

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA) and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. CMDA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Christian Medical Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of up to 22 hours in category one credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

The course contains six instructional modules. Their topics and estimated time of completion are:

At the end of each module a short quiz of ten multiple choice questions is given. The learner must get seven of these questions correct before he/she is allowed to go to the next module.

When the learner completes the entire course an evaluation form is provided for he/she to complete and mail to CMDA. Upon receipt of the evaluation, CMDA will promptly mail to the learner the certificate of CMEs.

Information for Nurses

The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) is licensed by the California Board of Nursing to provide Contact Hours for nurses. Nurses taking this course can receive up to 26.4 Contact Hours from California. While the course is officially approved only for the state of California for nursing credits most states recognize such California credits. When you have completed the course NIFLA will send to you a certificate of completion that lists the number of Contact Hours you have received and NIFLA's California provider number issued by the Board of Nursing. When you report these units to your state board you should list the name of the course and NIFLA's California provider number on the forms you are to complete for your state.

Course Cost

The cost of the course is $775 for medical personnel who are not associated with a pregnancy center that is a member of NIFLA, and $725 for those who are associated with NIFLA. To enroll, please choose either the Member or Non-Member selection below and click "enroll now".

Please note that the Ultrasound Measurement Performance module in this course requires the Macromedia Flash plugin software, which is available for free by clicking here. Other linked documents may require the Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available for free by clicking here.

To access the course module, please use the following address:
http://www.ultrasoundcmes.com/ultrasound

Date of original release: 5/25/2006.

Course activities shall be reviewed and/or updated on or before May 2008

Copyright © 2007 by National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). All rights reserved. No part of this course may be reproduced in any form, by photostate, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the express written permission of NIFLA.