About Us

The beginning ...........

We started performing echocardiography for cardiac anaesthesia in the mid-1990s. At that stage, there were very few educational opportunities or even textbooks for anaesthetists and other critical care specialists wishing to embrace echocardiography.

As a group, we collaborated with each other to provide educational short courses and manuals, but we felt there was a distinct need for a comprehensive education package in order to give people the knowledge-base sufficient to become experts in echocardiography. We also felt that it was important to offer a qualification for that knowledge. In doing so, we put together a steering committee of anaesthetists, surgeons, and intensive care physicians who are not only experts in their field, but passionate about education in echocardiography. As subject coordinators, they drew upon a wide pool of expertise within Australia, New Zealand, and Europe to engage colleagues to produce tutorials.

We aimed to set a very high standard of education in this area, and we firmly believe that we have done so. Over the last few years, we have continually evolved the course to improve the content and quality, to add interactive media, and to continually add to the course when new knowledge becomes available.

The diploma course is supported by a steering committee, a large number of contributors, and our administrative and technical staff who are responsible for the efficient co-ordination and administration of the course.

Steering Committee Faculty

Associate Professor Colin Royse MBBS, MD (Melb), FANZCA Executive, Cardiovascular Therapeutics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne; Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Associate Professor Alistair Royse MBBS, MD (Melb), FRACS Executive, Cardiovascular Therapeutics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne; Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr John Faris DAvMed, FAFOM, FFOM, FANZCA, BA
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia

Dr Lenore George MBBS, FANZCA
Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Dr Roman Kluger MBBS, FANZCA
St Vincent's Hospital, Victoria, Australia

Dr Ajay Kumar MBBS, FANZCA
Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Dr David Sidebotham MBBS, FANZCA
Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand

Dr Michael Veltman MBBS, FANZCA
Royal Perth Hospital, Perth,Australia

Dr Konstantin Yastrebov MD, PhD
Mersey Campus, Northwest Regional Hospital, Tasmania