Ultrasound for Musculoskeletal Practice PgCert

This is a programme for medical and allied health professionals not based in the UK.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging is a rapidly developing area within musculoskeletal medicine, with a number of allied health and medical professions utilising it in their clinical practice to assist differential diagnosis and guide procedures.

There are a lack of University accredited musculoskeletal ultrasound training programs available internationally, and this new programme at Brunel University London developed in partnership with The Ultrasound Site provides a unique opportunity for medical and allied health professionals living and working outside the UK to access our unique training team and expertise.

The Brunel University campus at Uxbridge is conveniently located, approximately 15 minutes drive from London Heathrow Airport , a major transport hub for many international flights. There is also on-site hotel accommodation at the Lancaster Hotel and Spa for those staying overnight.

Teaching Dates

2024

• 11th September (online)
• 22nd / 23rd September
• 9th / 10th November
• 4th December (exam)

2025

• 25th / 26th January
• 21st / 22nd March
• 13th May (online VIVA)

This programme comprises of two different modules. On successful completion of both modules, you'll graduate with a PgCert Ultrasound for musculoskeletal practice.

The 'Integrating Musculoskeletal Ultrasound into Practice' module also includes a work-based learning experience and assessment. Before commencing the experience, you'll be required to arrange a clinical assessor.

This course can be studied 1 year part-time, starting in September.

Year 1 - 

Compulsory

The Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

This module aims to develop the practical skill of performing a diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound examination. Core foundation topics such as science and technology including physics, knobology, image optimisation will be addressed in taught lectures and through supporting online material.

Integrating Musculoskeletal Ultrasound into Practice

This module aims to develop students ability to recognise pathology on imaging, report it accurately but also develop an understanding of the evidence base surrounding the impact that those sonographic findings have upon a patient pathways. Considering normal ageing changes and determining relevance of imaging findings.

A significant focus of the module will be clinical supervision, but taught contact days to refine skills and develop an understanding of tissue appearances will be provided. Group based working, online resources and learning materials will further supplement this.

On successful completion of this course, you'll be able to demonstrate a competency-based award in musculoskeletal ultrasound to employers. This will enable you to work autonomously as a musculoskeletal sonographer in a number of different clinical settings.

Our Musculoskeletal Ultrasound PgCert programme will equip you with the skills needed to work within focussed sonography roles in radiology settings. You’ll also be able to incorporate these skills within your current clinical practice. This could open up a new career path alongside your established clinical work.  

Watch this video to hear first-hand from our musculoskeletal ultrasound students and how this course is helping them in their field of work.

• A UK 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification in a Health Care related subject.
• Be registered with a relevant allied health profession or medical governing body in your country of residence
• It is mandatory for applicants to complete this form in full as part of their application. Once complete, please upload this to your My Applications portal

Please note that Brunel University London is not able to sponsor Student visas for this programme. International students who require a visa to enter and study in the UK will need to ensure they qualify for an alternative, appropriate visa. This may include the Standard Visitor Visa – please visit our website for further details of this: Visitor and Short-term Study Visas | Brunel University London. As outlined in Senate Regulation 15, all students must have permission to live and study in the UK for the duration of their programme at the University. If this permission is removed, action may be taken under this regulation, such as de-registration from the programme.

All applicants should be fully aware that this course requires regular trips to the UK. Whilst we do not anticipate this will be a problem, the UK Home Office does make some stipulations around ‘frequent or successive visits’ and may solicit more information from any persons they think could be ‘making the UK their main home or place of work of study’. As such, all applicants should carefully consider this if they decide to join the course including any financial risks associated with being refused the right to travel to the UK to undertake the course.

• IELTS: 7 (min 6.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 64 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 68% (63% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 98 (min 23 in all areas)

You’ll be taught by UK based clinicians working in the NHS and private sectors, in both point-of-care musculoskeletal clinics and radiology sonography roles. You’ll also benefit from guest lecturers who have expertise in a range of specialist areas including medical physicists, radiographers, consultant musculoskeletal radiologists and consultant rheumatologists.

This offers you an exciting combination of clinical expertise, bringing together the different clinical domains where musculoskeletal ultrasound is used. You'll not only learn the core skill of musculoskeletal ultrasound image generation, interpretation, and reporting but there's also a strong emphasis on clinical relevance, clinical reasoning, and you'll learn the impact this can have on patient care.

During the course you'll be assessed in a variety of ways and you'll be assessed differently for each module.

The Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound module will be assessed via:

• Completion of mandatory online lectures with multiple choice questions
• Practical exam and VIVA
• Physics multiple choice and short answer question paper.

Integrating Musculoskeletal Ultrasound into Practice will be assessed through:

• VIVA case study presentation
• Logbook submission of 250 scans, including an audit of 100 supervised scans
• Work based learning assessment
• Final assessment of work based from supervisor.

As part of the final assessment for the ‘Integrating Musculoskeletal Ultrasound into Practice' module, you'll be required to perform a practical ultrasound scan examination on three different patients. This is assessed by your supervisor, as well as an independent assessor.

The clinical assessor and supervisor are required to sign the relevant agreement prior to you starting this module.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.