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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.

BRINGING CONFIDENCE TO ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND

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:

LIMITED VACANCIES

Dates for the next Courses

From 08 to 12 September 2025

Suggested arrival on the 07th and departure on the 13th. LAST SPOT LEFT

From 03 to 07 November 2025

Suggested arrival on the 2nd and departure on the 08th.

AVAILABLE VACANCIES

TRAVEL, STAY AND MEALS

The Ultrasound Academy takes place at our partner 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.

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.

Course Fees

The total cost for the Ultrasound Academy is £3500, with accommodation and meals included. We can convert this into other currencies.

Here's how to book a course:

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.

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

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.

Variety and support

We offer different patients and ongoing support.

Pre-Register

Request a Q&A Session

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?

There will be one experienced tutor available all the time to help you with image interpretation, little tricks and tips, repositioning the probe and obtaining the right images.

What am I expected to do during the course?

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

Still have questions?

Book a free Q&A session.

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UniVets Global

UniVets Global Training Centre

Rua José Falcão nº 9 - 11

2600-172 Vila Franca de Xira

Lisbon, Portugal

+351 924 951 900

UniVets Global UK Hub Office 272 Bath Street Glasgow G2 4JR +44 07918796877

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