Ultrasound Unit
Cognizant of the importance of innovations in medical education, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Santo Tomas (USTFMS), ¬embarked on integrating ultrasound in its medical curriculum in 2011. This pioneering program was brought about by advances in ultrasound technology which has its value in point-of-care health delivery and potential for its use as a teaching tool for different medical courses. As such, the USTFMS Ultrasound Laboratory Skills Unit was established in 2011 through the generous donations of alumni benefactors, with acquisition of the first ultrasound machines by virtue of an educational grant from Sonosite USA.
Ultrasound has since then been integrated in varying degrees in subjects as an instructional tool and for clinical skills development, enhancing students’ learning experiences, equipping these future physicians with relevant skills to respond to the evolving health care needs of the global community.
Currently, the unit houses a total of 21 state-of-the-art, ultrasound machines, and an ultrasound simulator and software (SonoSim) with internet support, fully accessible to student and faculty for the implementation of the integrated Ultrasound Medical Curriculum (iUSC). It is equipped with several multi-media devices to support learning of the subject. Various ultrasound skills workshops have continuously been initiated and held in the Ultrasound Skills Laboratory Unit to develop, sustain and improve student and faculty competency in ultrasound.
The Ultrasound Laboratory is a unit under the Dean of the USTFMS. It is supervised by a Section Head who works hand-in-hand with the Department of Medical Education coordinating with the different sections such as Anatomy, Anesthesia, Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, Rehab Medicine and Surgery for the different ultrasound teaching-learning activities in the curriculum.
