Fundamentals of Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certificate
About This Programme
The Fundamentals of Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certificate is a one-year programme offered by the Postgraduate Medical Education Deanship at MBRU for healthcare providers who want to enhance their pediatric clinical practice with point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). It is a blended programme of online activities and face-to-face workshops, with clinical practice in the trainee's own workplace supported by feedback from expert faculty, and no previous ultrasound experience is needed. MBRU says it is intended for practising healthcare providers, including interns, residents, fellows, physicians, nurses and paramedics, is geared primarily towards those who care for acutely ill patients, and is not intended for radiographers or radiology technicians. The programme runs in six modules: four weeks of self-paced online units on POCUS and its applications, ultrasound physics and knobology, and lung, cardiac, trauma, soft tissue and intussusception ultrasound; a two-day skills workshop at MBRU; 14 weeks of practice in the trainee's clinical workplace; a two-day skills refresher at MBRU with standardised patients; 30 weeks completing an e-portfolio of scans reviewed by faculty; and a final competency assessment made up of a written exam and an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). After completing the programme requirements, graduates receive the MBRU Fundamentals of Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certificate. Trainees need access to an ultrasound machine with image storage in their healthcare setting, and scans uploaded to the e-portfolio must not include patient identifiers.
Course Highlights
- One-year hybrid certificate in six modules for licensed physicians, nurses and paramedics
- Five POCUS applications: lung, cardiac, trauma, soft tissue and intussusception
- Two two-day face-to-face workshops at MBRU with hands-on practice under direct faculty supervision
- An e-portfolio of workplace scans (30 cardiac scans and 25 each of lung, trauma, soft tissue and intussusception), reviewed by faculty
- Certification needs at least 70% overall and 75% of assignments completed for each POCUS application
What You'll Study
The certificate lasts one year and is delivered in a hybrid, blended format of online modules, two face-to-face courses at MBRU and self-directed practice at the trainee's clinical site. In MBRU's 2025-26 calendar the programme started on 2 January 2026, the face-to-face courses ran on 30 and 31 January and 12 and 13 June 2026, and the final assessment is on 8 January 2027. Trainees can ask to freeze the programme for up to two months, and those who do not pass the final competency assessment get up to two re-sit attempts with later cohorts.
Module 1: Theoretical Knowledge Acquisition (online, 4 weeks)
Seven self-paced online units of about three hours a week. Trainees must pass all online quizzes before Module 2; anyone who fails a quiz gets the chance to pass it before Module 4.
- 1.1 Introduction to POCUS and its applications
- 1.2 Basic ultrasound physics and knobology
- 1.3 Lung ultrasound
- 1.4 Cardiac ultrasound
- 1.5 Trauma ultrasound
- 1.6 Soft tissue
- 1.7 Intussusception
Module 2: Skill Development (face to face, 2 days)
Eight hours a day at MBRU learning to use POCUS machines and to acquire and interpret images.
Module 3: Practice in Clinical Workplace (14 weeks)
Practising the skills from Modules 1 and 2 in the trainee's own clinical workplace and uploading scans to an e-portfolio for faculty review and feedback.
Module 4: Skills Refreshment (face to face, 2 days)
Refreshing POCUS skills at MBRU on standardised patients and discussing cases from the portfolio.
Module 5: Complete e-Portfolio (30 weeks)
Completing the required scans in the trainee's workplace and submitting them for faculty review before Module 6: 30 cardiac scans and 25 each of lung, trauma, soft tissue and intussusception.
Module 6: Competency Assessment (face to face)
An eight-hour assessment of knowledge and technical and practical skills through a written exam and an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE).
Entry Requirements
Applicants submit a CV, their medical licence, a passport copy, Emirates ID and residency permit where applicable, and a two-minute video introducing themselves and explaining their interest in the programme.
Programme Details
Award
MBRU Fundamentals of Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certificate
Start Date
January (the 2025-26 cohort started on 2 January 2026)
Typical Offer
Licensed physician, nurse or paramedic with workplace access to an ultrasound machine
Duration
1 year (hybrid)
Qualification
Certificate
Subject Area
Medicine
Campus
Dubai Healthcare City
Delivery Format
Hybrid
Tuition Fee
AED 17,000 total
The latest application deadline on MBRU's page was 8 December 2025. Tuition is AED 17,000, due on accepting the admission offer, and the non-refundable application fee is AED 150 plus AED 12.50 VAT. MBRU refunds 100% of the fee for withdrawal before the programme officially begins and 50% before the end of the second week of Module 1, with no refund after that; a full refund is possible if a state-wide resolution such as visa restrictions, or a late suspension or cancellation of the programme, prevents study.