Teaching Philosophy

“We call you the physics guy”, a student said about her and her class. “What?” I responded confused. “Yeah, because you go over the ultrasound physics with us unlike the other rotations”. The ‘physics guy’ nickname isn’t likely becoming a trendy hashtag or username handle anytime soon, but it was one I was extremely proud of.

That is when I knew my approach to teaching ultrasound had made a difference in these students’ education and outcomes. I’ve precepted students for most of my 13 years scanning cardiac ultrasound. Early on during that time, it was just a matter of making a student capable of performing an echocardiogram with the bare minimum requirements. Now, I challenge their understanding deeper into anatomy, pathologies, patient care, and of course ultrasound physics. Why? Because I want my students to become better than me.

Performing echocardiograms is no simple task. Even most new grads will admit that their first year as a professional is challenging and uneasy. That was my experience. It took me a long time to master my craft. I found ways to break down and simplify the material to make it easier to digest. I pass that information down to my students. First, I show them my technique and make them aware of my principles. Then when it’s their turn to scan, I offer advice to help find the most adequate image. And lastly, when I felt they had had enough practice, I challenged them to find the best picture using the tips I had offered previously.

This usually comes in the form of, “What don’t you like about that picture?”, “What can you do to make the image more parallel?”, and “That is a good picture, but what could make it better?”.

When we are not scanning, it is an opportunity to go over the other many aspects of ultrasound. Discussing and reviewing case studies on significant cardiac pathologies, reviewing settings and functions of the equipment, and using illustrations to demonstrate scanning techniques. The ultimate reward is once you see a student put all these elements together in a scan consistently without assistance or directions. My students are no longer bare minimum scanners. They have extensive knowledge of diagnosing pathology, scanning tactics, equipment manipulation, and patient experiences.

I continuously look for ways to continue to improve my scanning. I have never settled on my skillset and still pursue new ways to diagnose and evaluate cardiac pathologies. Technology in healthcare rapidly grows our ability to diagnose with applications such as 3D and strain. Continuing to develop these skills and finding ways to translate them to our students is essential to the future of our patient care.