Ultrasound Imaging and Education (UIE) offers POCUS ultrasound courses for doctors, emergency physicians, and nurse practitioners in New Zealand
The goal of UIE is to support healthcare professionals with hands-on, practical training designed to improve patient care with POCUS training workshops throughout New Zealand.
Our story
UIE was founded in 2013 by Michelle Muir, Wendy Finnie, and Jill Muirhead. From humble beginnings, we have successfully conducted workshops in most centres across New Zealand, including onsite sessions in major hospitals and remote rural locations. We’ve also had the pleasure of running three highly successful workshops in Rarotonga.
From June 2020, our wonderful friend Jill decided to cut back on her teaching commitments, but her contribution remains a valued part of our story.
Our mission and approach
Our primary goal is to deliver inclusive, hands-on training that empowers participants to confidently master the fundamentals of scanning within a safe scope of practice.
We work with a range of medical personnel including junior doctors, emergency physicians, urgent care physicians, and nurse practitioners - some are beginning their POCUS journey, others are looking to enhance their existing skills.
We pride ourselves on creating a supportive, safe learning environment where participants can refine their scanning technique while maintaining patient safety at the centre of every session.
High standards and accreditation
We have always believed that our teaching must meet or exceed industry standards. UIE is an accredited ASUM CCPU provider for AAA, eFAST, FELS, and Biliary.
Our teaching also meets the ACEM Ultrasound Foundation module criteria for AAA, eFAST, FELS, DVT, Lung, and Procedural Access.
We’re fortunate to collaborate with experienced professionals who bring diverse skills and backgrounds, enriching the learning experience and providing real-world insight over our two-day workshops.
In 2013, Michelle saw a gap in the New Zealand market for ongoing POCUS teaching, and convinced Wendy and Jill that they did in fact have time to run a business while all working full time jobs! Michelle also works as a Health and Safety Advisor with Christchurch City Council, has a very patient husband and two wonderful children, and enjoys travel and socialising.
Wendy has been a professional Cardiac Sonographer for 30+ years. Her qualifications include:
- Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer in Cardiac and Paediatric Specialities, New Zealand Certificate in Science
- Associate of the Society of Cardiopulmonary Technology and Postgraduate Paper in Research Methods in General Practice, Otago University
Wendy is the Manager of Diagnostic Services at Heartwatch Services and has previously worked as a Cardiac Technician and a Charge Cardiac Technician at Dunedin Public Hospital. She has also worked at Wellington Hospital as a Short Term Locum Echocardiography Technician at Wellington Hospital and as Quality Assurance Manager of Echocardiography at Southland Hospital.
Additional Teaching Experience:
- Echocardiography Tuition for Rural Doctors at Otago University
- Echocardiography Tuition at Southland Hospital
- Echocardiography and General Cardiac Tuition at Dunedin Public Hospital to Cardiac Registrars and Cardiac Technicians
Dan is passionate about using ultrasound to improve patient care and train the next generation of enthusiasts.
Dan is actively involved in both local and national ultrasound training and university education. His past roles include being the co-lead of the New Zealand Emergency Ultrasound Group (EMUGs), a member of the Ultrasound Committee for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM), a Director of Emergency Medical Training (DEMT), and in a past life was an advanced trainee in Radiology.
Jess is a Sonographer based in Queenstown who has been a key member of the UIE team since 2016. Jess's strengths are her ability to impart her knowledge and work alongside clinicians to gain optimum outcomes.
Dr Janet Pribble graduated from medical school in the United States in 1990 and spent 15 years working in a variety of emergency departments, from large university hospitals to smaller community settings. After immigrating to New Zealand in 2010, she joined Waitematā DHB, where she continues to practise emergency medicine.
She completed her Otago CCPU in 2016 and has been a passionate advocate for ultrasound ever since. Since 2020, Janet has been part of the UIE teaching team, sharing her enthusiasm and practical experience with clinicians around the country.