Volume 8 Issue 3 - Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine

THE SOCIETYDiploma of Medical Ultrasonography Report2005 DMU Part I and Part II ExaminationApplicationsWhile the 2005 enrolments for the DMU are similar to thosein recent years, the numbers are slightly down and the mixof specialties and localities is changing. Eighty-nine (89)Part I Candidates and ninety-nine (99) Part II Candidatesapplied to sit the 2005 DMU Examinations.Table 1 shows the breakdowns:Tables 2 and 3 show a comparison of the 2004/2005candidate numbers by location and speciality:With the introduction of many university courses, whilethe number of General candidates in Australia is relativelystable, the number of General candidates from New Zealandis decreasing due to the fact that 2005 is the first year inwhich a new university course has been offered in Aucklandwhere most of the New Zealand candidates are located.Detailed 2005 numbers by location, speciality andexamination type are detailed on tables 4 and 5.It is expected that the New Zealand Unitec/AucklandUniversity course may have a further impact on NewZealand General numbers. The number of Cardiac candidatesis stable despite more universities offering cardiaccourses. I feel that many candidates underestimate theamount of work involved in undertaking a course of independentstudy towards a professional qualification with thehigh standards that the ASUM DMU maintains.2005 DMU Examination innovationsFrom 2005, Part I Candidates may now sit the WrittenExamination in July and/or November. This innovationTable 1 Breakdown comparisons 2004/2005 DMUapplications2004 2005Part I Part II Part I Part IICardiac 35 52 32 47General 59 41 44 38Obstetric 1 6 5 4Vascular 10 12 8 10TOTAL 105 111 89 99Table 2 Part I Candidate numbers – comparison 2004:2005Location Cardiac General Obstetric Vascular2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005NZ 6 4 25 9 0 0 2 1Qld 10 7 0 1 1 2 3 0NSW 5 4 15 23 0 1 1 3Vic 11 8 6 4 0 2 3 2Tas 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0SA 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0WA 3 7 12 4 0 0 0 2NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0ACT 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0TOTAL 35 32 59 44 1 5 10 8gives candidates and practices an increased flexibility toplan their sonographer training, as well as offering failedcandidates an early opportunity to re-sit their Part I examinationwithout having to wait a further 12 months.As in previous years, the 2005 Part II Examinationis offered annually and consists of three components:a Written Paper on Ultrasound Techniques, a PracticalExamination in Scanning Techniques and the Objectiveand Standardised Clinical Examination (OSCE) and OralExamination (Oral). The OSCE is in two sections comprisingClinical and Applied Physics answers stations; theOral Examination consists of Applied Physics and Clinicalrelated situations. Candidates must achieve satisfactorystandards in ALL sections of the examination to satisfactorilycomplete their DMU. The emphasis of the DMU PartII Examination is on the technical and practical considerationsof the profession of ultrasonography.The 2005 Written Examinations were conducted onSaturday 30th July in 26 centres throughout Australia andNew Zealand. Notwithstanding the practical examinationsthat have already been concluded, over the next threemonths all practical examinations will be conducted. TheOSCE/Oral Examinations will be held in early October,with the Cardiac and Vascular being held on Saturday8th October and the General and Obstetric being held onSaturday 15th October. It is intended to have all 2005 PartII examinations completed by the end of October. This year,the November sitting of the Part I Written Examination willbe Saturday 5th November. Applications are now open andwill close on Friday 30th September 2005.Practical examiners for the DMU are currently undergoingaccreditation training to help standardise the PracticalExaminations throughout Australia and New Zealand. Thisaccreditation process was introduced in 2004 and, by 2006,it is intended that all existing DMU practical examinersand additional, suitable, interested sonographers are fullyaccreditated by ASUM to conduct practical examinations.The ASUM DMU Board of Examiners continues toexchange New Zealand and Australian practical examinerson selected rotation by speciality so that both groups have achance to assess overall standards in each other’s countries.In addition, practical examinations, at the ASUM DMUTable 3 Part II Candidates numbers – comparison 2004:2005Location Cardiac General Obstetric Vascular2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005NZ 8 4 22 16 1 1 3 3QLD 10 14 3 1 0 0 1 3NSW 9 6 8 10 4 3 3 2Vic 13 9 2 4 1 0 3 1Tas 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0SA 5 6 0 0 0 0 0 0WA 5 5 6 7 0 1 0 0NT 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0ACT 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1TOTAL 52 47 41 38 6 4 12 1042 ASUM Ultrasound Bulletin 2005 August; 8 (3)