NAMU CMU study guide
NAMU CMU · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NAMU Certified Master of Ultrasound (CMU) is an advanced credential for sonographers, physicians, and allied health professionals who want to demonstrate mastery across the full spectrum of diagnostic ultrasound. It is intended for practitioners who already hold a foundational certification and are ready to show depth in physics, abdominal, obstetric and gynecologic, vascular, cardiac, small parts, musculoskeletal, and point-of-care applications, along with professional practice, safety, and ethics. The NAMU CMU study guide has 9 sections and about 2,875 words.
01Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation
The Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation domain tests whether you can predict image quality and artifact from machine settings, and whether you can choose parameters that answer the clinical question at the lowest output that works. Expect calculations and cause-and-effect reasoning, not slogans.
356 words, about 2 min02Abdominal Ultrasound
Abdominal Ultrasound tests systematic survey technique and the ability to separate true pathology from normal variants in the liver, biliary tree, kidneys, pancreas and aorta. Most items hinge on a measurement plus one supporting sign.
355 words, about 2 min03Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound
Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound tests dating, viability assessment, pelvic anatomy and the safe use of Doppler. The exam rewards knowing which measurement is authoritative at each gestational age and which findings are normal variants.
326 words, about 2 min04Vascular Ultrasound
Vascular Ultrasound tests hemodynamic interpretation as much as image acquisition: you must combine grayscale plaque appearance, velocity measurements and waveform shape into a stenosis or thrombosis grade. Carotid stenosis uses peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, the ICA/CCA ratio and plaque.
305 words, about 2 min05Cardiac Ultrasound (Echocardiography)
Cardiac Ultrasound tests a structured, quantitative approach: chamber size, systolic and diastolic function, valve severity, and pericardial disease. The exam expects you to know which measurement is valid in which window and how errors propagate.
329 words, about 2 min06Small Parts and Superficial Structures
Small Parts and Superficial Structures tests high-frequency imaging of the thyroid, breast, scrotum and superficial neck, where risk stratification systems and probe technique determine whether a biopsy is warranted. ACR TI-RADS scores five features: composition (cystic 0, spongiform 0, mixed 1, solid 2); echogenicity (anechoic 0, hyper/isoechoic 1, hypoechoic 2, very hypoechoic 3); shape (wider-than-tall 0, taller-than-wide 3); margin (smooth 0, ill-defined 1, lobulated 2, extrathyroidal extension 3); echogenic foci (none 0, macrocalcification 1, peripheral 2, punctate 3).
291 words, about 1 min07Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound tests whether you can obtain a diagnostic image of a tendon, ligament, nerve or muscle and then distinguish true structural failure from artifact. Dynamic assessment and contralateral comparison are central.
309 words, about 2 min08Interventional and Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Interventional and Point-of-Care Ultrasound tests procedural safety and real-time image interpretation under time pressure. You must know the pre-procedure checklist, the geometry of needle guidance, and the limits of each POCUS sign.
306 words, about 2 min09Professional Practice, Safety, and Ethics
Professional Practice, Safety, and Ethics tests whether you apply ALARA, understand output indices, work within scope, and handle consent, documentation and incidental findings honestly. ALARA: use the lowest output and shortest dwell time that yield a diagnostic study.
298 words, about 1 min