Upon completion of the program, attendees will be able to:

•  Discuss physical characteristics of ultrasound and imaging fundamentals
• Establish basic skills in the use of laptop and handheld ultrasound units
• Utilize ultrasound machine features for image optimization
• Acquire images of the heart including PLAX, Apical 4-chamber, and Subcostal views
• Perform an ultrasound exam of the abdominal aorta with focus on aneurysm detection
• Scan the inferior vena cava and use findings in the assessment of intravascular volume status
• Perform basic musculoskeletal ultrasound scans on large joints
• Perform lung/pleural ultrasound and interpret patterns seen
• Practice ultrasound guided procedures (paracentesis, thoracentesis, and central line placement)
• Combine imaging of heart, lungs, pleura, and IVC to perform a limited cardiopulmonary exam
• Recognize an abscess on soft tissue ultrasound
• Perform a two-zone exam for deep venous thrombosis
• Perform basic scans of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and urinary bladder

Location

University of South Carolina School of Medicine Ultrasound Institute Building 28, 2nd Floor
6311 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209

Schedule

Thursday and Friday begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. Light breakfast and lunch are included both days.

Physician: $1,600.00 ($1,500 with early bird discount)

NP: $1,200.00 ($1,100 with early bird discount)

PA: $1,200.00 ($1,100 with early bird discount)

Resident: $900.00 ($800 with early bird discount)

Early Bird Registration: You must register at least 21 days prior to the event to receive the $100 off the tuition.

Society of Ultrasound in Medical Education (SUSME) Members: $100 discount

NOTE: If you are a SUSME member, enter the promo code "SUSME" on the Payment Methods page, and click to receive a $100 discount. This step happens before the final review of the registration.

Rural Health Providers:

The Ultrasound Institute is collaborating with the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare to increase access to POCUS training for rural health providers in South Carolina. As part of the initiative, a limited number of tuition free registrations will be granted to individuals practicing in a rural or underserved setting in SC.  Please contact Dina Brown at 803-216-3354  or at Dina.Brown@uscmed.sc.edu, to see if you are eligible.

• May 14-15, 2026
• July 23 - 24, 2026
• Sept. 24 - 25, 2026
• Nov. 12 - 13, 2026
• Jan. 14-15, 2027
• March 11-12, 2027
• May 13-14, 2027 

Use our online CME registration form. If the registration page fails to load, clear out your browser's cache and history and then try again. 

Continuing Education Credits

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Prisma Health–Midlands Continuing Medical Education Organization is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Prisma Health–Midlands Continuing Medical Education Organization designates this live activity for a maximum of 15.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Richard A. Hoppmann M.D., FACP, FAIUM is Professor of Medicine and Past Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He is Founder of the Society of Ultrasound in Medical Education and the University of South Carolina Ultrasound Institute. He has served as President of WINFOCUS and now serves as Past President of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. He has received many teaching awards, has over 50 scientific publications, has edited two books, has received over $2M in ultrasound education grants, and has been issued four ultrasound related patents.     

 

Floyd E. Bell, M.D., “Tripp”  is the Director of the Ultrasound Institute.  He is Associate Professor and Chair of Radiology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. A graduate of the USC School of Medicine Columbia, he completed a transitional year internship at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in South Carolina and a diagnostic radiology residency at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Before joining the School of Medicine, he worked in private practice for a radiology group in Columbia, S.C.  His interests include ultrasound in healthcare education and expanding the use of point of care ultrasound in rural settings.

Mary Elizabeth Poston, M.D. joined the Division of Internal Medicine in 2004 where she is currently Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine. She graduated medical school from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in 1999 where she also completed her residency in 2002. She completed an Academic Generalist and MS Clinical Research Fellowship in 2004. Academically, Dr. Poston is interested in medical student and resident education, was a prior Director of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine curriculum and the Internal Medicine residency program, and now serves as Academic Vice Chair for the Dept of Medicine. Additional interests include ultrasound in medical education and increasing physical activity in primary care.

Keith Reeves Barron, Jr., MD, FACP, FAIUM, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He holds several key leadership positions, including serving as the Director of Internal Medicine Ultrasound at Prisma Health Midlands and as the Program Director for the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fellowship (Internal Medicine Track). Dr. Barron earned his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine before completing his internal medicine residency and serving as Chief Resident at Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina. He further specialized by completing a fellowship in Primary Care Ultrasound at the same institution.

Dr. Barron is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and in 2026, he was selected to serve on the AIUM Board of Governors. His editorial contributions to the medical community include serving as the Deputy Editor for the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine and as a former Associate Editor for The Ultrasound Journal. As a dedicated educator, he instructs medical students, residents, and practicing physicians on ultrasound techniques through regional, national, and international workshops. Additionally, his scholarly work focuses on clinical ultrasound applications and education.

David C. Giovannini, MD, is a clinical associate professor and is Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia. He teaches Point of Care Ultrasound locally, as well as regionally and nationally through the Society of General Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians, and incorporates ultrasound clinically in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. He also has an interest in medical student and resident education and development. Prior to medical school, he earned a degree in Textile Engineering from North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC and worked as a process improvement engineer in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Duncan L. Norton, M.D., MS is currently an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Prisma Health Children's Hospital – Midlands and board certified in Pediatric Hospital Medicine. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in 2014. He completed his pediatric residency at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital in 2017. After residency, he completed the Primary Care Ultrasound Fellowship in 2018. He is currently the Medical Director of Pediatric POCUS Prisma Health Children's Hospital - Midlands. Current interests are in lung ultrasound and the use of POCUS to facilitate communication between physician and parents. 

Dina Brown, BS, RDMS, is a registered diagnostic medical sonographer at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Ultrasound Institute.  For several years she served as the clinical coordinator and scan lab instructor for the general sonography program at Midlands Technical College.  Before joining the Ultrasound Institute Dina focused primarily on women’s health scanning OB/Gyn.

Kevin Weinberger, DO, FAAP is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Prisma Health Children's Hospital - Midlands and credentialed in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). He completed his medical degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and pediatric residency at the University of Arizona, followed by a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. His clinical and academic interests focus on expanding the use of POCUS in pediatric hospital medicine, particularly in enhancing procedural outcomes—such as improving success during lumbar punctures.

Cheryl Blanks, BS, RDMS, is a registered diagnostic medical sonographer at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Ultrasound Institute.  Her career has been committed to serving a variety of patient populations at a Level I adult and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center.  From this experience she brings expertise in a range of studies from abdominal to pediatric to ultrasound guided procedures.  She spent many years at a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Center providing imaging for our smallest and most critically ill patients. 

Kelsey Marl, BS, RDCS, RVT, is a registered diagnostic cardiac and vascular sonographer at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Ultrasound Institute.  She is also the Sonography Programs Director at Midlands Technical College. Before joining the School of Medicine, Kelsey worked at Prisma Health Midlands and Medical University of South Carolina Columbia Medical Center. She is passionate about training sonographers, as well as medical students, PA students, and physicians, to expand the use of ultrasound across the healthcare setting.

Speakers will disclose any relevant commercial relationships prior to the start of the educational activity.

In addition to the faculty listed, Adrienne C. Ross (CME Manager, Office of Continuous Professional Development & Strategic Affairs) is recognized by USCSOM Ultrasound Institute as being in control of content of this program.