• Sonographers who are beginning or extending their career skills into this area, and who will be working under the direct supervision of qualified and experienced staff.
• Nurses already working in cardiovascular medicine that are implementing ultrasound into their clinical service.
• Resident physicians in training who will be beginning their cardiology service rotation.
• Emergency physicians and hospitalists who will be using targeted echocardiography to answer urgent questions at the bedside.
• Primary care practitioners in underserved areas who will be working in colleague with cardiology constituents.
• Veterinary physicians contemplating use of ultrasound in their practice.
• Engineering and Marketing professionals who want to understand completely the clinical goals of the cardiology- product end user.
• Any professional, regardless of training, contemplating sitting for the ARDMS or CCI registry certification exam.

Upon successful completion of this course the learner should be able to:

• Define the major structural components of cerebral anatomy and differentiate them by neurological function.
• Chart the vascular anatomy of the brain, from aorta to the Circle of Willis.
• Describe the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and relate it to the ultrasonic findings and terminology used to describe it.
• Discuss the significance of potential cerebral embolization from cardiac emboli due to anatomical and physiologic factors in the carotid system.
• Define the three principal layers of the arterial wall; discuss the role of each in the genesis and evolution of atherosclerrosis.
• Demonstrate proper application of the standard examination protocol for a four-vessel image study, using proper bedside manner and body mechanics.
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of system controls to optimize the acquired image data.
• Discuss the fundamental relationship of hemodynamics to Doppler ultrasound assessment of cerebrovascular disease. 
• Discuss the role of, and demonstrate the ability to optimize use of the following equipment controls, regardless of brand of instrumentation used:
        • pulsed achromatic Doppler
        • pulsed Color Doppler sample gate/region size
        • angle correct factor
        • beam steering
        • wall filter
        • Doppler gain and scale (and specifically for optimization of color Doppler)
        • baseline
        • sector width (where applicable)
• Demonstrate appropriate technique in obtaining a contiguous achromatic Doppler study of the entire cervical carotid arterial system, and identify the separate and combined characteristics of high and low resistance, laminar, and turbulent flow.
• Discuss the basis for the limited role of duplex ultrasound in differentiating absolutely the finding of total vessel occlusion; list the four predominant duplex criteria which suggest urgent patient management in the case of suspected total vessel occlusion.
• Discuss the fallacy of using echogenicity to gauge the chronological age of thrombus as imaged with ultrasound.