Musculoskeletal Ultrasound PG (10165.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Musculoskeletal Ultrasound PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online real-time
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Medical Radiation Science Post Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
In this unit students will develop knowledge and clinical skills in the clinical practice in musculoskeletal ultrasound. This will include examinations of the abdominal wall, and upper and lower extremities. Students will use a critical analytical approach to identifying and understanding clinical questions relating to the patient's condition and to develop and demonstrate appropriate ultrasound scanning techniques, image optimisation and information acquisition. Students will develop skills in recognition of the sonographic appearances of normal anatomy, anatomical variants and disease processes affecting these areas.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Undertake ultrasound examinations of the anatomical regions covered in this unit in a safe and ethical manner, providing due care for the patient;
2. Present sonographic images demonstrating a logical and methodical approach to scanning and communicate findings clearly and accurately;
3. Recognise a range of normal and abnormal image appearances of the areas listed in the syllabus and explain the contributing role and nature of pathologic and developmental processes;
4. Explain the significance of clinical tests and complementary modalities relevant to topics within the syllabus;
5. Obtain an advanced beginner practitioner level of competence in shoulder ultrasound examinations as assessed by a UC approved Accredited Medical Sonographer; and
6. Critically evaluate their own professional practice.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

Enrolment in Graduate Diploma in Medical Ultrasound.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

Ultrasound physical principles and scanning skills that would be gained from the successful completion of the units 10159 Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation and 10160 Introduction to Ultrasound.

Students must have a clinical sonography training position or have access to a clinical sonography training site.
Availability for enrolment in 2027 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Online real-time Mr Peter Preston
2027 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 09 August 2027 Online real-time Mr Peter Preston
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Jacobson, J. A. (2026). Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (4th ed.). Elsevier - OHCE.

Submission of assessment items

Special assessment requirements

All assessment items must be attempted. Students must obtain an aggregate result from the numerically marked assessment items of 50% or greater to pass this unit. 

In addition, students must also obtain a level of at least ‘advanced beginner' in the  Clinical Skills Assessment, as this assessment is a hurdle requirement . 
The Professional Conversation Assessment is also a hurdle requirement to pass the subject. 

Referencing guidelines

Correct and consistent referencing is an important component of producing professional and credible academic work. Marks will be deducted for inadequate referencing.

Referencing should be in accordance with the APA Style Guidelines (American Psychology Association). Information to support APA style referencing is available on the UC library website at http://canberra.libguides.com/c.php?g=599301&p=4148716.

Moderation:

Assessment items will be moderated to ensure consistency and equity. Moderation of assessment items will include all failed submissions and a selection of other graded assessment items in each cohort in adherence with the Faculty of Health guidelines. 

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

  • Students are expected to actively engage in unit discussions via the unit discussion boards and online tutorials.
  • You are expected to be undertaking supervised ultrasound training no less than 3 days per week (0.6FTE) whilst enrolled.
  • In addition, students are expected to read widely and seek out peer-reviewed literature to provide informed opinions on the professional issues covered in this unit.

Participation requirements

  1. Students must have a concurrent, independent clinical training position in order to complete this unit.
  2. Students are expected to participate in ultrasound practice throughout the course. The minimum requirement is three days per week (or equivalent) of supervised, practical scanning as an ASAR ASS (Australian Sonographer Registration Registry Accredited Student Sonographer), within a clinical department over 2 years, with a suitably qualified supervisor.
  3. If there is a Conflict of Interest (CoI) with the student's supervisor, either actual, potential or perceived, then this is required to be discussed with your unit convenor. 
  4. Active engagement in all online modules enhances your learning and is strongly advised.
  5. Unless specifically stated in the unit outline, there is no mandatory attendance requirement. However, you may elect to attend timetabled activities, such as online tutorials, as they allow you to ask 'real-time' questions to develop your understanding of the unit content and the relevant assessment tasks.
  6. Students are expected to actively contribute to online, topic-based discussions throughout the semester.
  7. Online tutorials/meetings and assessments may be held out of hours to facilitate attendance.

Required IT skills

This unit involves online meetings in real-time using the Blackboard Collaborate tool, found under the "Virtual Room" tab on the UCLearn site. Blackboard Collaborate provides a virtual classroom or meeting room where you can communicate in real-time with your lecturer and other students. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, please visit the LearnOnline Student Help and click on the link to Blackboard Collaborate.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

This unit may involve a clinical placement or professional experience. Students are responsible for arranging their own clinical training positions.

Students must adhere to University policy during WIL experiences, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL Policy and WIL Procedure, and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure.

This unit may have pre-placement requirements (e.g. Working with Vulnerable People registration, immunisations, recording of relevant details in InPlace etc), which must be completed prior to commencement of your placement; refer to Placement Requirements

Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

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