Dr. Ian Thomas is the owner of Thomas Sports and Regenerative Orthopedics (TSARO), Sports Medicine Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital, Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and Assessment Chair of the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment Council.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your work and how POCUS relates.

I practice in a variety of clinical contexts: inpatient, outpatient, and an ambulatory surgical center, in all of which ultrasound is either utilized for diagnostic or procedural purposes. In the inpatient setting, I lead inpatient POCUS rounds and perform ultrasound-guided procedures when applicable. In the oupatient setting, I receive referrals for AAA scans and curbside for POCUS for acute symptoms such as cholethiasis, DVT and musculoskeletal complaints. In the ambulatory surgical center, I perform a variety of sonosurgical procedures such as ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, tenotomy, osteoplasty, cryoneurolysis and neuromodulatory stimulator placements. Additionally in the academic context, I teach POCUS for both undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Q: Why did you pursue POCUS certification and how did you find the process to be?

I originally pursued certification due to facing institutional barriers for development of guidelines to pair with the POCUS curriculum I built as a resident for my training program. In that process, I found there were many different certifications. After exploring the available options and deciding to pursue the process I found it to be an enjoyable experience and it helped build confidence in the knowledge I already had.

Q: Share a positive message or quote with the community:

This quote underscores my POCUS journey and I’m hoping it will be the stepping stone for others beginning their journey:

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” -Isaac Newton