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family med & general practice

Learn Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Family Medicine

Bring the Power of POCUS to your patients.

POCUS helps family medicine and general practice providers make faster, more confident decisions at the point of care. GUSI’s specialty-focused training gives you the skills to use ultrasound in everyday practice, improving patient care and streamlining workflows.

Global Ultrasound Institute proudly works with top universities, institutions and medical facilities across the United States and around the world

Why POCUS Matters in Family Medicine

In today’s busy clinic, family medicine and general practice providers need diagnostic tools they can trust. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) gives clinicians real-time insights that support faster, more confident decisions at the bedside. From common conditions to urgent care needs, POCUS is helping family physicians and general practitioners deliver more efficient, patient-centered care.

Delayed diagnoses

Waiting on external imaging can delay treatment. POCUS lets family medicine and general practice providers make timely, on-the-spot decisions that improve patient care.

Overreliance on Imaging Referrals

POCUS reduces the need to send patients to imaging centers, helping general practitioners manage more cases in-clinic and streamline patient pathways.

Gaps in Rural and Urgent Care Access

In resource-limited or rural settings, POCUS equips providers with essential diagnostic tools, ensuring quality care even when access to imaging is limited.

Challenges in Evaluating Common Primary Care Complaints

POCUS helps family physicians quickly assess conditions like abdominal pain, joint swelling, or cardiac function, improving diagnostic accuracy in everyday practice.

Benefits of POCUS for
Family Medicine Professionals

Clinical Skills & Patient Outcomes
  • Boost diagnostic speed and confidence
  • Catch conditions earlier at the point of care
  • Improve patient satisfaction with faster answers
Professional Development
  • Earn CME credits with hands-on training
  • Build in-demand imaging skills
  • Lead the way in primary care innovation

💼

Revenue & Operational Efficiency
  • Cut down on imaging referrals
  • Streamline clinic flow and visits
  • Boost billing with accurate POCUS coding

Real-World Use Cases in Family Medicine

See how POCUS is transforming everyday care in primary care and general practice settings:
Rapid Assessment of Common Complaints

POCUS helps family physicians quickly evaluate issues like abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or joint swelling. This supports faster and more confident care decisions.

Bedside Imaging to Guide Procedures

Use ultrasound to guide joint injections, abscess drainage, or foreign body removal at the bedside. This improves accuracy and enhances patient comfort.

Real-Time Triage in Urgent or Rural Settings

POCUS supports critical triage in emergencies or remote clinics where access to imaging is limited. Providers can quickly decide when to treat, transfer, or refer.

Feature
POCUS
Traditional Imaging
Primary Care Versatility
✅ Adaptable for a wide range of common conditions
❌  Limited to specific imaging centers and appointments
Skill Ownership
✅ Empowers providers to perform and interpret scans in-office
❌  Relies on external specialists and delays
Practice Growth Potential
✅ Supports expanded services and procedures in primary care
❌  Missed opportunities for in-clinic revenue
POCUS Training Support
✅ GUSI offers hands-on, specialty-focused courses designed for family medicine
❌  Requires outside training and separate certification
Workflow Control
✅ Keeps diagnostics in-clinic and under your schedule
❌  Disrupts clinic flow with off-site referrals and delays
Feature
POCUS
Speed
✅ Immediate bedside access
Accuracy
✅ High in early condition detection
Cost
✅ Lower overall diagnostic costs
Efficiency
✅ Streamlined care workflows
Patient Experience
✅ More personal, immediate

VS

Feature
Traditional Imaging
Speed
❌  Delayed due to scheduling & transport
Accuracy
❌  May miss early-stage indicators
Cost
❌  Higher imaging fees
Efficiency
❌  Bottlenecks in imaging departments
Patient Experience
❌  Often delayed, fragmented

Learning is made easier by the support provided to each student.

Read More
Dr. Kate Feibusch, MPH
Physician
Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center
Santa Rosa, California

POCUS Has Allowed Me to Find New Excitement in Primary Care, and Reduces Burnout by Providing Quicker Answers to Medical Problems in Real Time.

Read More
Moses J. Syldcort, MD
FM Physician, Advanced OB
Fellow at Swedish First Hill FMR
Seattle, USA

It is an honour to serve with such a wonderful team of GUSI instructors in promoting POCUS in Ukraine.

Read More
Dr. Vadym Vus
Ukraine

The POCUS workshop was clinically oriented and well-taught by experienced instructors [who were patient and engaging with new learners].

Read More
Cindy Yang, MD, FAAFP
Family Medicine Residency & Sports Medicine Fellowship
Dignity Health, Northridge Hospital

Bedside ultrasound gave me greater diagnostic certainty [in minutes], which I could share with confidence with my patients.

Read More
Dr. Greg Bailey
GP
Royal College of General Practitioners
UK

It’s a solid foundation for anyone newer to OB POCUS, but still teaches plenty of advanced skills for clinicians with more experience.

Read More
Claire Thomson, MD
OB Fellowship Director
Swedish First Hill
USA

The Obstetric Essentials POCUS course gave me a clear framework for how to approach obstetric ultrasound [in real clinical settings].

Read More
Tara Ahmadi
Resident
Swedish Family Medicine
USA

GUSI provided exactly the training I needed to introduce POCUS to the community health workers I work with in rural Guatemala.

Read More
Dr. Kate Feibusch
Board Certified
Peten Health
USA

GUSI made it possible to learn ultrasound without traveling across the country [or needing a radiology background].

Read More
Dr. Glenda M. Patterson
Core Faculty
Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks
USA

Recommended POCUS Courses for Family Medicine

view all courses
    Beginner
    Point of Care Ultrasound Essentials Course
    CME: 25 hours
    The Point of Care Ultrasound Essentials course offers 25 CME hours and equips healthcare providers with essential ultrasound skills to improve real-time diagnostics and patient care in clinical settings.
    View Course
    Beginner
    Musculoskeletal POCUS Essentials Course
    CME: 10 hours
    Enhance your diagnostic skills with GUSI's Musculoskeletal POCUS Essentials. This self-paced course provides practical training in ultrasound evaluation of joints and soft tissues, improving patient assessment and care efficiency.
    View Course
    Beginner
    Pediatric POCUS Essentials Course
    CME: 12 hours
    The Pediatric POCUS Essentials course provides healthcare providers with the skills to perform ultrasound-guided assessments for common pediatric conditions, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and care.
    View Course

CME Accreditation & Certification

Many GUSI courses are accredited for continuing medical education (CME) and include a digital certificate upon completion. Gain recognized credentials that support your clinical excellence and career advancement.

POCUS and Financial Impact

POCUS isn’t just a clinical tool—it’s a smart business decision.

Lower Imaging Costs

Minimize the need for outsourced diagnostics and reduce overhead

Boost Revenue Opportunities

Add new billable services such as ultrasound-guided procedures and diagnostics

Increase Practice Profitability

Improve patient retention and speed up care delivery, keeping more services and revenue in your clinic
Integrating POCUS can improve your ROI within months.
lean more about pocus billing

FREE DOWNLOAD

[Specialty] POCUS Pocket Guide

Get your free mini-guide with key POCUS protocols and quick-reference visuals for [Specialty]. Perfect for bedside use and reinforcing your training!

Download Now

Explore Related Specialties

Interested in expanding your skillset? Check out POCUS courses for:
A man wearing protective gear holds a baby, emphasizing a caring and safe environment for the child.
internal medicine

Learn POCUS through GUSI’s award-winning Essentials Course.

learn more
obstetrics

Learn POCUS through GUSI’s award-winning Essentials Course.

learn more
A child lies on an examination table receiving an ultrasound in a hospital room, with medical staff present.
pediatrics

Learn POCUS through GUSI’s award-winning Essentials Course.

learn more
Join 18,000+ Learners

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Join thousands of clinicians transforming their practice with GUSI’s world-class training.

As a [Specialty] clinician, POCUS has completely changed how I practice. GUSI’s training gave me the confidence to make faster, more accurate decisions for my patients.

JONATHAN DOE
Private Practice Owner

Let’s help you get started.

Many GUSI courses are accredited for continuing medical education (CME) and include a digital certificate upon completion. Gain recognized credentials that support your clinical excellence and career advancement.

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“Learning is made easier by the support provided to each student.”

GUSI provided education in the areas I wanted and needed, right from my home and office environment. I recommend this curriculum highly. It’s not just the way the course material is presented—learning is made easier by the support provided to each student throughout the program.

“POCUS Has Allowed Me to Find New Excitement in Primary Care, and Reduces Burnout by Providing Quicker Answers to Medical Problems in Real Time.”

POCUS has allowed me to find new excitement in primary care, and reduces burnout by providing quicker answers to medical problems in real time. By improving my diagnostic skills, and increasing my interaction with patients, I hope to continue to have POCUS as an integral part of my practice!

“It is an honour to serve with such a wonderful team of GUSI instructors in promoting POCUS in Ukraine.
“

In the last two years, we have gone through a war with the post-Soviet academic community, which prohibits us from using ultrasound. With our FOCUS-POCUS team in Ukraine, we train family doctors, military medics, and paramedics in the basic protocols like FAST, BLUE, and RUSH [which are] needed during daily Russian bombing on the frontline. It is an honour to serve with such a wonderful team of GUSI instructors in promoting POCUS in Ukraine.

“The POCUS workshop was clinically oriented and well-taught by experienced instructors [who were patient and engaging with new learners].”

The team at GUSI was fantastic—very knowledgeable and professional. Their POCUS workshop was clinically oriented and well-organized, and well-taught by highly experienced instructors who were engaging and patient with new learners. Our residency faculty felt that the sessions really empowered and inspired us to do more ultrasound scanning and get better at it. This was the perfect introductory course that our group needed to get a head start in POCUS, and we look forward to working with GUSI more in the future doing Tele-Ultrasound mentorship sessions.

“Bedside ultrasound gave me greater diagnostic certainty [in minutes], which I could share with confidence with my patients.”

Bedside ultrasound has consistently influenced my diagnostic and management decisions. It reduces the need for “watching and waiting” or “sitting with uncertainty” by providing clear, non-invasive answers in minutes. It’s immensely rewarding for that part of me that seeks a higher level of diagnostic certainty, which I can then share with confidence with my patients. This not only builds trust and strengthens rapport but also makes me a better clinician, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. The best way to determine if bedside ultrasound is right for you is to try it—you’ll quickly see how it can greatly enhance your professional practice.

“It’s a solid foundation for anyone newer to OB POCUS, but still teaches plenty of advanced skills for clinicians with more experience.”

I highly recommend this fantastic course. It’s a solid foundation for anyone newer to OB POCUS, but still teaches plenty of advanced skills for clinicians with more experience. As someone who teaches both residents and OB Fellows, I’m impressed with the high quality educational content. Going through the curriculum myself was a great review, and has equipped me with new ways to teach OB POCUS

“The Obstetric Essentials POCUS course gave me a clear framework for how to approach obstetric ultrasound [in real clinical settings].”

The OB Essentials POCUS course gave me a clear framework for how to approach obstetric ultrasound. The videos are engaging, easy to follow, and filled with practical tips and advice on how to troubleshoot. The course helped me to understand how to approach OB ultrasound based on gestational age, and helped me build my skills in the clinical setting. Highly recommend!

“GUSI provided exactly the training I needed to introduce POCUS to the community health workers I work with in rural Guatemala.”

GUSI provided exactly the training I needed to enable me to introduce POCUS to the group of community health workers I work with in rural Guatemala. Although I hadn’t touched an OB ultrasound in 25 years, the GUSI online and in-person OB course gave me the tools I needed. I successfully replicated their “Big 5” training in Guatemala, and every community health worker learned how to scan pregnant women for these critical findings. The most thrilling moment was when we discovered that one of the CHWs herself was 13 weeks pregnant—with twins! This wouldn’t have been possible without GUSI.

“GUSI made it possible to learn ultrasound without traveling across the country [or needing a radiology background].”

The instructors are experienced and knowledgeable. The mentors are the best—patient, kind, knowledgeable, and supportive. The time spent with my mentor was always enjoyable. I couldn’t believe I used all my sessions [because each one was so valuable]. I’ve had an interest in ultrasound for a while but never thought I’d find a curriculum designed for non-radiologists that didn’t require multiple trips around the country. It’s not just the way the coursework is presented—learning is made easier by the support provided to each student. My goal for learning POCUS was to teach Internal Medicine residents Point-of-Care Ultrasound. GUSI has made that goal a reality. I’m having so much fun [and gaining confidence every step of the way]!!

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