Family Medicine POCUS Educator's Certificate Program

The yearlong STFM FM Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Educator's Certificate Program trains family medicine residency faculty to serve as their program’s POCUS champion with the skills to train family medicine residents how to effectively use POCUS. The program is not accepting applications at this time.

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More About POCUS in Family Medicine and the Certificate Program

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is sometimes referred to as the 21st century stethoscope. POCUS can help make decisions quickly for patients at the bedside, decrease time to diagnosis, and better triage who needs subspecialty care.Now, the updated ACGME guidelines recommend teaching this in family medicine residency education. Yet, there is a gap in trained faculty and established curriculum for teaching POCUS.The STFM Family Medicine POCUS Educator Certificate Program targets these gaps and focuses on solutions to help grow and support POCUS education in family medicine.Participants in the certificate program receive:

A POCUS curriculum tailored for family medicine faculty
Robust in-person and virtual workshops
A series of case-based online modules on targeted topics
Image review with feedback by experienced faculty
Monthly education review sessions to review POCUS cases
A final assessment with both written and in-person skills exams

How to Apply

The application window for the FM POCUS Educator's Certificate Program is currently closed. We will begin accepting applications for the next cohort in October 2027. Applicants must be STFM members. You can join STFM online at the link below).

Cost of the POCUS Educator's Certificate Program

The registration fee for the STFM FM POCUS Educator's Certificate Program is $4500. This covers the session fees for two in-person preconference workshops, a full-day virtual workshop, monthly image review, a set of 10 online modules, and more. Participants pay travel expenses. You and/or your department or institution will need support for:

Travel to the workshop at the STFM Annual Spring Conference
Travel to the Advanced Workshop
Time investment for monthly meetings and scanning to fulfill the education and image review requirements

Benefits of the Family Medicine POCUS Certificate Program

Hands-On Training

Practice POCUS techniques and image acquisition, understand clinical indications and evidence on the use of POCUS at the bedside, and learn how to communicate and document POCUS scans.

Building a POCUS Program

Receive practical guidance on how to advocate as a POCUS champion, bill for POCUS, and make financial arguments for implementing POCUS training at your institution.

Teach POCUS to Others

Learn how to implement a POCUS curriculum in your residency program and practice being an effective POCUS preceptor.

Connect With Other FM Educators

Connect with a network of FM POCUS enthusiasts around the country.

Eligibility and Schedule

Eligibility

Schedule

Eligibility

Applicants must be or have:

Current STFM members (if you're not a member and you're interested in the fellowship, you can join STFM online)
A family medicine faculty member with resources to practice POCUS regularly, including access to ultrasound equipment for both faculty and residents
A letter of support from your program director or chair stating you have the time and resources to fully participate
The ability to share deidentified ultrasound images with STFM's image review software
Committed to attend the following:
- Monthly 2-hour virtual education review meetings
- Two in-person workshops on May 1–2, 2026, and March 20–21, 2027
- Virtual full-day workshop in fall 2026
- In-person skills assessment connected to the second in-person workshop

If you have any issues with your application, contact Jenni Minor at jminor@stfm.org.

Schedule

October 2025–January 2026

Applications opened in October 2025

Deadline for certificate program applications is January 15, 2026

Program acceptance notifications sent out in February 2026

Spring 2026

Certificate program launches April 2026

May 1–2, 2026: Introductory in-person workshop at the STFM Annual Spring Conference in New Orleans, LA

May 2026–March 2027

Participate in monthly 2-hour virtual education reviews

Submit images to be reviewed by the core faculty on our image review platform

Complete online modules within the STFM Learning Management System

Fall 2026

Full day virtual POCUS Educator’s Workshop on Zoom - Date to be announced

March 2027

March 20–21, 2027: Advanced POCUS workshop held at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Workshop held on March 20

Skills assessment held on March 21

April 2027

All program requirements due, including written assessment

Related POCUS Resources

Program Graduates

POCUS Faculty

Teach POCUS Online Modules

Virtual Workshop on Implementing POCUS

Questions?

If you have questions about this conference, contact Jenni Minor at (913) 800-5651 or the email link below.

EMAIL QUESTIONS

11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway

Leawood, KS 66211

(800) 274-7928

stfmoffice@stfm.org

Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

STFM's AI Assistant is designed to help you find information and answers about Family Medicine education. While it's a powerful tool, getting the best results depends on how you phrase your questions. Here's how to make the most of your interactions:

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Be Clear and Specific: Use precise terms and avoid vague words like "it" or "that" without clear references.

Example:

Instead of: "Can you help me with that?"

Try: "Can you help me update our Family Medicine clerkship curriculum?"

Why this is important: Ambiguous language can confuse the AI, leading to irrelevant or unclear responses. Clear references help the chatbot understand exactly what you're asking.

2. Use Specific Terms

Identify the Subject Clearly: Clearly state the subject or area you need information about.

Example:

Instead of: "What resources does STFM provide?"

Try: "I'm a new program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship. What STFM resources are available to help me design or update clerkship curricula?"

Why this is better: Providing details about your role ("program coordinator") and your goal ("design or update clerkship curricula") gives the chatbot enough context to offer more targeted information.

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Provide Necessary Details:The STFM AI Assistant has been trained on STFM's business and resources. The AI can only use the information you provide or that it has been trained on.

Example:

Instead of: "How can I improve my program?"

Try: "As a program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship, what resources does STFM provide to help me improve student engagement and learning outcomes?"

Why this is important: Including relevant details helps the AI understand your specific situation, leading to more accurate and useful responses.

4. Reset if You Change Topics

Clear Chat History When Switching Topics:

If you move to a completely new topic and the chatbot doesn't recognize the change, click the Clear Chat History button and restate your question.

Note: Clearing your chat history removes all previous context from the chatbot's memory.

Why this is important: Resetting ensures the AI does not carry over irrelevant information, which could lead to confusion or inaccurate answers.

5. Provide Enough Context

Include Background Information: The more context you provide, the better the chatbot can understand and respond to your question.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the best practices?"

Try: "In the context of Family Medicine education, what are the best practices for integrating clinical simulations into the curriculum?"

Why this is important: Specific goals, constraints, or preferences allow the AI to tailor its responses to your unique needs.

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Break Down Complex Queries: If you have multiple questions, ask them separately.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the requirements for faculty development, how do I register for conferences, and what grants are available?"

Try: Start with "What are the faculty development requirements for Family Medicine educators?" Then follow up with your other questions after receiving the response.

Why this is important: This approach ensures each question gets full attention and a complete answer.

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

"What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's bad: The AI Chat Assistant has no information about your background or needs.

Good Prompt

"I'm the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at a major university, and I plan to retire next year. I'd like to stay involved with Family Medicine education. What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's good: The AI Chat Assistant knows your role, your future plans, and your interest in staying involved, enabling it to provide more relevant advice.

Double Check Important Information

While the AI Chat Assistant is a helpful tool, it can still produce inaccurate or incomplete responses. Always verify critical information with reliable sources or colleagues before taking action.

Technical Limitations

The Chat Assistant:

Cannot access external websites or open links
Cannot process or view images
Cannot make changes to STFM systems or process transactions
Cannot access real-time information (like your STFM Member Profile information)

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Family Medicine POCUS Educator's Certificate Program

More About POCUS in Family Medicine and the Certificate Program

How to Apply

Cost of the POCUS Educator's Certificate Program

Benefits of the Family Medicine POCUS Certificate Program

Hands-On Training

Building a POCUS Program

Teach POCUS to Others

Connect With Other FM Educators

Eligibility and Schedule

Eligibility

Schedule

Related POCUS Resources

Questions?

Contact Us

Events

Deadlines

Useful Links

AI Chatbot Tips

Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Example:

2. Use Specific Terms

Example:

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Example:

4. Reset if You Change Topics

5. Provide Enough Context

Example:

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Example:

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

Good Prompt

Double Check Important Information

Technical Limitations

STFM AI Assistant