Recently, the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Council awarded the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Emergency Medicine a five-year accreditation for its Advanced Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship. This fellowship is now accredited until January 14, 2029, becoming one of only three programs in the country at this time to be accredited into 2029, along with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“It means that we run a tight ship, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards,” said Srikar Adhikari, MD, MS, FACEP, professor of emergency medicine and director of the emergency ultrasound fellowship. “It starts with me and goes to our faculty, and I also give credit goes to our leadership, Samuel Keim, MD, MSc, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, who provides all the resources and all the personnel that help me with this program. So, it's a great deal of teamwork, essentially. I think the key is our team has always been one to hold ourselves to the highest standards and function at the highest level when it comes to training.”
Dr. Adhikari says schools can be accredited for one, three or five years. The schools that meet a majority of the criteria will earn the three-year accreditation, and programs that are nearly perfect in all areas will get the five-year accreditation.
“We don't compromise anything. We aim for perfection, or as close to it as possible., and provide the best training that's available out there,” said Dr. Adhikari. “Any applicant who looks at our program will see that this is their desired place to be because we operate at a higher level and provide the best training.”
Critically, beginning January 1, 2026, fellows must matriculate into an EUFAC-accredited program in order to take their focused practiced designation exams. By earning the five-year accreditation, the College of Medicine – Tucson will be able to continue to qualify fellows for their exams upon completion of the program.
“The reputation of the program is elevated by the five-year reaccreditation. Overall, we enjoy a good national reputation,” Dr. Adhikari said. “We've been awarded with the Stellar Clinical Ultrasound Fellowship honor in 2022 by the Society of Clinical Ultrasound Fellowships. This reaccreditation likely enhances our standing, adding even more credibility to our operations and the standards to which we hold ourselves.”