The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Ultrasound is a professional coursework qualification which enables graduates, or advanced level students, of science or health / medical courses to extend their field of expertise to include the production and interpretation of focused, point of care, diagnostic ultrasound images. The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Ultrasound has a focus on the application of Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in emergency medicine in both general and cardiac settings for emergency and critical care practitioners. Some units include compulsory residential schools on a university campus to facilitate ultrasound skill acquisition and image interpretation training. This course is not a pathway to becoming an accredited medical sonographer or echocardiographer.
The
Graduate Certificate of Clinical Ultrasound enables healthcare professionals,
such as doctors and paramedics to extend their clinical practice to include the
production and interpretation of focused point of care diagnostic ultrasound
imaging to inform patient management and enhance patient care.
Duration | 0.5 years full-time or 1 years part-time |
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Credit Points that Must be Earned | 24 |
Number of Units Required | CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24). |
Expected Hours of Study | One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term. |
Course Type | Postgraduate Award |
Qualification (post nominal) | GradCertClinUS |
AQF Level | Level 8: Graduate Certificate |
Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
The COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory to be eligible to attend a WIL placement for this course. Students will be required to provide evidence of having completed a COVID-19 vaccination schedule by the closing date prior to a WIL placement. The vaccine received must be a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.
Entry Requirements:
To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must demonstrate they meet the below criteria:
· A completed Bachelor Degree in any science or health-related area, or equivalent;
OR
· Applicants who have not successfully completed a Bachelor Degree, can be admitted based on the following study:
o One year full time equivalent Bachelor degree study in first year level units, in any science or health-related area; AND
o One year full time equivalent Bachelor degree study in second year level or third year level units (or combination), in any science or health-related area. English Language Requirements If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University. Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of:
• a secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
• bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0 completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United states of America, which will meet the English proficiency.
If you do not satisfy any of the above you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test, achieving the following scores:
• an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) test result of at least 6.0 or better overall and a minimum 5.5 in each subtest; or
• an Occupational English Test achieving Grades A or B only in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.
Each student will be assessed individually.
N/A
Interim Awards | Not applicable |
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Exit Awards | Not applicable |
Professional Accreditation | Not applicable |
Learned Society Accreditation | Not applicable |
Compulsory Residential School | Some units in this course contain short compulsory residential schools. Delivery of residential schools will be on suitably equipped campus locations, such as Sydney, Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne and Perth. Delivery location will depend on staff availability and the number and location of students. |
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Click here to view all Residential Schools |
Not applicable |
Year | Number of Students |
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2022 | 1 |
2021 | 2 |
2020 | 8 |
2019 | 16 |
2018 | 19 |
Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.
If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.
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Course Learning Outcomes | |||
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Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 |
1. KNOWLEDGE Have specialised knowledge within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge that may include the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in a new or existing discipline or professional area | |||
2. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to review,analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and identify and provide solutions to complex problems | |||
3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to think critically and to generate and evaluate complex ideas | |||
4. SKILLS Have specialised technical and creative skills in a field of highly skilled and/or professional practice | |||
5. SKILLS Have communication skills to demonstrate an understanding of theoretical concepts | |||
6. SKILLS Have communication skills to transfer complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences | |||
7. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to make high level, independent judgements in a range of technical or management functions in varied specialised contexts | |||
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to initiate, plan, implement and evaluate broad functions within varied specialised technical and/or creative contexts | |||
9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILL Be responsible and accountable for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters | |||
10. FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE sufficient to undertake qualifications | |||
11. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of knowledge in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | |||
12. FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS sufficient to undertake qualifications | |||
13. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of skills in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | |||
14. Course content drawn from higher education units |
Number of units: 4 | Total credit points: 24 |
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All units will be offered during Term 3, so students are encouraged to enrol full-time. Part-time studies will be possible for students wishing to study in a fractional load specifically during Term 3.
The Graduate Certificate of Clinical Ultrasound provides the opportunity for qualified healthcare professionals in general medicine, emergency medicine and paramedic science to acquire knowledge and skills in the use of ultrasound as a focused diagnostic tool at the point of care. It will be of value to emergency doctors and paramedics engaged in managing emergency situations, assisting in bedside care, diagnosing cardiac pathology and guiding interventional procedures. You will develop knowledge of ultrasound with emphasis on interpretation of anatomical structures and ruling out pathology. You will learn transducer manipulation techniques and skills to optimise ultrasound images for documentation. You will learn to use point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) dynamically in an emergency medicine context. You will interpret the sonographic appearance of pathology. You will evaluate clinical knowledge and ultrasound findings to make appropriate decisions according to the clinical situation, including the requirements for a comprehensive scan and expert input as appropriate. Some units include residential schools to enable you to gain the skills of transducer manipulation, ultrasound scanning techniques, ultrasound acquisition, optimisation and image interpretation.
Available units | ||
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Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
MEDS20009 | Science and Instrumentation of Ultrasound | |
MEDS20013 | Diagnostic Ultrasound for Point of Care (PoCUS) | |
MEDS20014 | Bedside Cardiac Ultrasound for Point of Care (PoCUS) | |
MEDS20015 | Procedural Ultrasound for Point of Care (PoCUS) |
Students in the CH86 course are required to complete one of three majors:
· Basic Soft Tissue Ultrasound Imaging
· Emergency Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS)
· General Point of Care Ultrasound
Upon admission into the CH86 course, students are to nominate which major they would like to complete in order to ensure the correct units and major conditions are met. Just note however that due to the pre-requisites placed on the units completed under the Emergency Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) major, only those students who have qualifications as medical doctors, nurses and paramedics are able to complete this major. If students do not have one of the aforementioned qualifications, students must select an alternative major.