AN OUTSTANDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR VETERINARIANS

ULTRASOUND

ACADEMY PORTUGAL

Develop your confidence with small animal abdominal ultrasound in this incredibly supportive tutored course in Europe.

5 days of 100% ultrasound practice.
Fully supported with the presence of a dedicated tutor on site throughout the entire course.
Access to different ultrasound machines so you can obtain different images and interpret results from different equipment.
Approved by VetCEE to provide 1.5 ECTS credits.

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BRINGING CONFIDENCE TO ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND

Abdominal ultrasound is an incredible diagnostic tool that can be difficult to master.

Why We Struggle

Lack of Exposure Time using the Ultrasound
To become good at abdominal ultrasound, you need to practise how to obtain the right images and then interpret them, which involves you actually performing ultrasounds instead of just learning from books.
Lack of Support and Feedback
Even if you do get cases, you may not have anyone more experienced to confirm with you that you are on the right track for the correct interpretation and diagnosis. This makes you feel like you’ve done the ultrasound but you can’t trust your findings, so you are in the same place where you were before you did the ultrasound.
Not Enough Opportunities
When you are working, full abdominal ultrasounds are not that common and the learning opportunities in clinical practice are not many, since your most experienced colleagues will usually perform the ultrasound and you don’t get a chance to get your hands on as you’ll be busy doing something else.

The “No Experience Cycle”

In a busy practice, there is usually someone more familiar and comfortable with ultrasound, or even someone specifically dedicated to it. This means you are usually busy doing something else and you may not even have the cases or opportunity to be present during ultrasounds. This perpetuates the cycle where the less experienced vets don't have the chance of practising ultrasound and improve their skills.

Lack of practice leads to

lack of confidence in you and your diagnosis.

Ultrasound is such an important diagnostic tool that missing the skills to perform a basic abdominal ultrasound makes you lose confidence in your competence as a veterinarian. It leads to you being unsure about the diagnosis you are making, missing important changes or even providing wrong diagnoses. Being able to perform a basic abdominal ultrasound increases the standard of care you are able to provide for your patients and can save their lives.

A TRAINING COURSE FOR PROFICIENCY

Our Ultrasound Academy offers you five stepping stones to become completely comfortable with abdominal ultrasound:

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FOCUS

5-day Academy

We provide an intense focus on developing your skills for 5 days. Our Academy runs from Monday to Friday, morning and evening.

PRACTICE

It's all hands-on

You are the one performing ultrasound. You will also be able to watch how to perform it and interpret images obtained by others.

SUPPORT

An experienced tutor for you

You will be followed by an experienced tutor that will provide you with feedback on your technique, images and help you improve during the entire course.

ENVIRONMENT

Dedicated to learning and teaching

Our dedicated learning environment allows you to move away from the expectations of clients and also use your time to visit Portugal.

ALL-IN-ONE

Hassle-free stay

Accommodation and meals are all sorted by us and we help you plan your journey to Portugal.

FOCUS

5-day Academy

We provide an intense focus on developing your skills for 5 days. Our Academy runs from Monday to Friday, morning and evening.

SUPPORT

An experienced tutor for you

You will be followed by an experienced tutor that will provide you with feedback on your technique, images and help you improve during the entire course.

ALL-IN-ONE

Hassle-free stay

Accommodation and meals are all sorted by us and we help you plan your journey to Portugal.

Ligne verticale avec cercles espacés

PRACTICE

It's all hands-on

You are the one performing ultrasound. You will also be able to watch how to perform it and interpret images obtained by others.

ENVIRONMENT

Dedicated to learning and teaching

Our dedicated learning environment allows you to move away from the expectations of clients and also use your time to visit Portugal.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Preparation

We provide you with theoretical reviews on our online platform to help you prepare for the practical week. You have lifetime access to this content. We will focus on all abdominal organs, including pancreas, adrenals, lymph nodes and vasculature, so your time in Portugal is fully used for practising.

Equipment

You will perform ultrasound on healthy dogs using two to three different ultrasound machines. This way, you can assess different quality images and interpret them. You can also repeat ultrasounds on the same dog so you can see what the images look like with different machines. We strive to give you the opportunity of assessing dogs with suspect or known pathologies.

Learn and Pause

Your result

By the end of this Academy, you should be able to perform an abdominal ultrasound from beginning to end, to obtain the required views for all major abdominal organs and, whenever possible, the pancreas, adrenals, lymph nodes and vasculature.

LIMITED VACANCIES

Dates for the next Courses

We accept veterinary graduates as well as final year veterinary students in our courses.

September 2025 - 8th to 12th
Suggested arrival on the 7th of September and departure on the 13th of September.
FULL
November 2025 - 3rd to 7th
Suggested arrival on the 2nd of November and departure on the 8th of November.
FULL

TRAVEL, STAY AND MEALS

The Ultrasound Academy takes place at our training centre in Vila Franca de Xira. This is a small city that is located 20 minutes away from Lisbon airport and has a well-connected train station.

We book your accommodation in Vila Franca de Xira at the guesthouse O Maioral. You get your own private bedroom and bathroom, which can be converted into a double bedroom if you travel with your partner or a friend. The guesthouse is a 5-minute walk from the training centre and from the train station.

All your meals are included. Breakfast is provided at the training centre. Lunch and dinner take place in varied restaurants in the area, so you can have a taste for the local gastronomy. We will bring you to those locations.

We will finish each day in time for you to have a stroll around the city and enjoy the river views, or relax in your room.

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How to Book a Course

Each Ultrasound Academy edition has a limit of 6 vacancies. We usually only have one or two courses open for registration at one given point and run about 6 courses per year.

Pre-Registration

Fill out the pre-registration form to let us know what Academy you’d like to join.

Q&A Session

Once we know when you’d like to join, we’ll get in touch with you by email or phone to explain to you how the course works and look at suitable dates, making sure you have no questions.

Booking confirmation

After speaking to you we can confirm if there is a vacancy for the date that suits you and will start your registration if you want to join in by sending you an invitation letter with our full terms and conditions.

Deposit and reservation

We will raise the invoice for your deposit. Once your deposit is paid, your reservation is complete and we’ll start enrolling you on the online course, process your accommodation and help you plan your travel.

REGISTRATION FORM

Dr. Ana Mafalda Dordio MRCVS DVM CertAVP

Your Course Tutor

We are thrilled to introduce Dr. Ana Mafalda Dordio, your dedicated course tutor for the Ultrasound Academy. With an impressive academic journey and hands-on experience, Dr. Ana is committed to enhancing your learning experience.

Academic Excellence: Ana earned her veterinary degree from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, an EAEVE-accredited University.
International Exposure: Ana gained practical insights through externships and internships at prestigious veterinary hospitals affiliated with the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College.
Rotating Internship Expertise: Ana furthered her skills with a rotating internship at Davies Veterinary Specialists.
Focus on Abdominal Ultrasound: Ana is passionate about abdominal ultrasound, having completed training at ESAVS (European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies).
Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Studies: Ana holds a postgraduate degree in Imaging Diagnosis from the University of Liverpool.

Ana is dedicated to providing you with the knowledge and skills you need to excel in the field of veterinary ultrasound. Get ready for an educational journey guided by her expertise!

JOIN US

Three Good Reasons to Join

Ultrasound Academy offers you a unique and unforgettable experience that goes beyond learning skills.

40h of CPD / 1.5 ECTS credits

40 hours of certified CPD with a proficiency diploma at the end, certified in Europe by VetCEE.

Practise, practise, practise

Our Academy is the most practical Academy you will find.

Mentoring and support

We pride ourselves in bringing you tutors that are incredible and passionate about teaching you for life.

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Request a Q&A Session

A fantastic course which I would recommend to anyone in need of improving their sonography.

Nigel Smith

I did not expect that I would leave knowing how to ultrasound the pancreas, adrenals, lymph nodes and blood vessels.

Catarina Silva

I gained more confidence and skills to perform abdominal ultrasound. We spent good time with colleagues and had quiet patients for the ultrasounds.

Ana Maria

Frequently asked question

Here are a few answers to our most common questions

I'm a veterinary student, can I join?

Yes, this course is for veterinary graduates and final year veterinary students who want to develop their skills with abdominal ultrasound and become confident with the procedure. If you are still not in your final year, you will need to wait a bit longer ;)

I don't have experience with ultrasound, can I join?

Yes you can! We don't require any previous experience, also we'll make sure you also get access to our online course before the in-person Academy so you can review all the principles of ultrasound and use all of your time in Portugal scanning :)

Where does it take place?

The course takes place in our partner training centre, in a city called Vila Franca de Xira. This location is 20 minutes away from Lisbon airport and can also be reached in 30-40 minutes by public transport.

How many ultrasounds can I do?

More than the number, we care about your confidence with the procedure. You'll have other colleagues and we want you to do at least one full abominal scan in the morning and one in the afternoon, but want you to assist with at least two more for each period.

What sort of help will I have?

During this course, you will be grouped with one or two more vets and assigned an ultrasound machine for the day. You will then swap between assisting with image interpretation while restraining the patients (they are not sedated, unless really necessary) and performing the ultrasound yourself.

Does this count as CPD / CE?

Yes, this course counts for a minimum of 40 hours of practical CPD and several more of theoretical content. We have also received VetCEE accreditation to provide 1.5 ECTS credits to other EU vets to comply with CE requirements.

Are you RACE-accredited?

We are currently waiting for our RACE accreditation to come through. Once it does, we will be able to provide 46 RACE credits.

What are the course fees?

The fee for the 5-day course with accommodation and meals included is £3500. This value can be paid in two installments and converted into other currencies, such as USD.

What accommodation is available?

We will organise accommodation for you at the local guesthouse O Maioral, where you will get your own bedroom and bathroom. The cost of the accommodation is already included in the course fees.

Are meals included?

Yes, we will offer you breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday. We will also accommodate your preferences and limitations.

What about travel?

We will help you organise your travel and provide you with information to comply with COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, you will have to make travel arrangements to travel to Vila Franca de Xira from the airport, which we'll help you. The training centre is walking distance from your accommodation.

What do I need to bring?

We only ask that you bring scrubs to wear during the course, you can also bring your own stethoscope if you want. And we advise you bring comfy shoes! ;)

What conditions can I expect at the training center?

At the training center we have a dedicated space for the dogs to rest while we're doing scans and a separate area for us to perform the ultrasound. Of course, you will also have a bathroom available, but there is not a specific space to have meals - we'll be going out for that :D