POCUS Family Medicine Education Summit

The STFM POCUS Family Medicine Task Force held a summit on August 8–9, 2025. See the goals and results of the summit.

The STFM POCUS Family Medicine Task Force held a summit on August 8-9, 2025. Funding for this Summit was provided by the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation.The objectives of this summit were to:

  • Define a vision for POCUS training in family medicine graduate medical education.
  • Foster collaboration among family medicine organizations for POCUS
  • Create a scalable and progressive approach to integrating POCUS training into family medicine residencies.
  • Finalize competencies for POCUS training in family medicine graduate medical education
  • Advance the discussion on building consensus on competency-based assessments in POCUS

Outcomes of the STFM POCUS Family Medicine Task Force Summit

Through a rigorous, evidence-based approach using the Delphi methodology and nominal group technique the STFM POCUS Take Force identified 52 core POCUS applications that every family medicine resident should demonstrate competence by 2035. For this exercise the term application means individual POCUS images/scans for making diagnoses (i.e. pneumonia, cellulitis, etc.). To support implementation, the Task Force developed a stepwise approach, organizing these applications into five tiers based on:

  • Benefit to patient management
  • Relative ease of learning and achieving proficiency
  • Relative ease of teaching
  • Applicability across the broad scope of family medicine
  • Prevalence in continuity of care settings

Tier 1 represents the starting point and should be adopted by family medicine residency programs beginning in 2027.

STFM POCUS Summit Participants

STFM FM POCUS Education Task Force

  • Ryan Paulus, DO, University of North Carolina Family Medicine Residency Program, Task Force Chair
  • Puja Dalal, MD, Novant Health Family Medicine Residency Program, Summit Planning Work Group Lead
  • Hiten Patel, MD, Ohio State University, Competency Assessment Work Group Lead
  • Juana Nicoll Capizzano, MD, University of Michigan, Curriculum Work Group Lead and Assessment Work Group
  • Nicholas LeFevre, MD, MS, University of Missouri, Research Work Group Lead
  • William Hui, MD, Stanford University, Research Work Group
  • Natalie Nguyen, DO, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Assessment & Curriculum Work Groups
  • Anthony Recidoro, DO, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton Family Medicine Residency, Curriculum Work Group
  • Joy Shen-Wagner, MD, University of South Carolina, Summit Planning Work Group
  • Varshaben Songara, MD, Harnett Health, Curriculum & Research Work Groups, Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors Representative
  • Johnny Tenegra, MD, Southern Illinois University, Summit Planning & Curriculum Work Groups
  • Ryan Trantham, MD, Waco Family Medicine, Curriculum Work Group

Speakers

  • E. Liang Liu, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, Emergency Medicine
  • Irene Ma, MD, PhD, RDMS, RDCS, FAIUM, American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, Internal Medicine
  • Warren Newton, MD, MPH, ABFM President and CEO
  • Nilam J. Soni, MD, MS, University of Texas Health San Antonio, Veteran Health, Critical Care
  • David Tierney, MD, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Internal Medicine

Family Medicine Leaders

  • Nils Brolis, DO, FACOFP, CHSE, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOPF) Representative, Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences of Rowan University
  • Jay Fetter, MSA, American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Representative
  • Karl "Bert" Fields, MD, CAQSM, Cone Health
  • Masahito Jimbo, MD, PhD, MPH, Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) Building Research Capacity Program Vice Chair
  • Amy Mulligan Kennedy, MSA, MIHE, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Manager, Resident Initiatives
  • Richelle Koopman, MD, MS, North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Representative, University of Missouri
  • Karen Mitchell, MD, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Vice President Medical Education
  • Donald Raj Woolever, MD, Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD), Board Member
  • Velyn Wu, MD, MACM, CAQSM, University of Florida Health

POCUS Experts

  • Paul H. Bornemann, MD, University of South Carolina, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine
  • Benjamin Bryden, MD, MPH, University of Montana
  • Rachel E. Carter, MD, MAS, RDMS, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine
  • Matt Chan, MD, Oregon Health Sciences University
  • John Doughton, MD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
  • Kyle Flattery, MD, Brown University
  • Bradley Green, MD, Gadsen Regional Medical Center
  • Jerica Johnson, MD, University of New Mexico Health Sciences
  • Andrea Lewis, DO, Southern Colorado Family Medicine
  • Daniela Lobo, MD, Indiana University Health, Family Medicine
  • Alex McDonald, MD, CAQSM, Kaiser Permanente, Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
  • Summer Scavone, MD, University of Virginia Family Medicine Residency
  • Michael Wagner, MD, Prisma Health, University of South Carolina
  • Nicholas Weida, MD, Lawrence Family Medicine Residency Program

Resident Leaders

  • Brooke Hess, MD, University of North Carolina Family Medicine Residency Program
  • Rosa E. Reyes, DO, MS, Michigan Medicine Department of Family Medicine Residency program
  • Justin Siu, MD, MS, Keck Medicine of USC Family Medicine Residency
  • Khawla Suhaila, MD, Cahaba-UAB Family Medicine residency - Highlands Track
  • Michael J. Taylor, MD, Novant Health Family Medicine Residency Program

Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Staff

  • April Davies, MPH (project lead), Director of Strategic Priorities and Programs
  • Mary Theobald, MBA, Chief of Strategy and Innovation
  • Jenni Minor, MEd, Project Manager

University of North Carolina Staff

  • Philip D. Sloane, MD, MPH, Director of Academic Advancement
  • Sally Bobbitt, Research Coordinator
  • Sheryl Zimmerman, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development

Post-Summit Resources

Residency Related Guidelines and References
Fellowship-Specific
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Policy Statements
Additional Admin References
Textbooks
iBooks
Clinical Online Resources
Focused Practice Designation (FPD) Exam Prep
Education-Specific

Residency Related Guidelines and References

Fellowship-Specific

American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Policy Statements

Additional Admin References

Textbooks

iBooks

Clinical Online Resources

Focused Practice Designation (FPD) Exam Prep

Education-Specific

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Events

May 2–6, 2026: STFM Annual Spring Conference

May 13, 2026, 1 pm Eastern: GME Leadership Webinar Series: "Defining Success on Your Own Terms"

June 10, 2026, 1 pm Eastern: Webinar: "Staying at the Table: Leading for Health Equity While Protecting Your Peace"

August 31–September 2, 2026: STFM Conference on Practice & Quality Improvement

Deadlines

May 4, 2026: STFM Foundation Online Auction Closes

May 15, 2026: Apply to Be Faculty for STFM Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship

May 22, 2026: Apply for the STFM Leadership through Scholarship Fellowship

June 17, 2026: Submit to Present at 2027 STFM Conference on Medical Student Education

June 17, 2026: Apply for STFM Foundation Student Scholarship

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