Adult Echocardiography (AE) study plan

Label all cardiac chambers, valves, and great vessels in a parasternal, apical, and subcostal orientation without reference.

Trace the coronary artery distribution and the conduction system, naming the structures supplied by each vessel.

Describe the cardiac cycle phase by phase, matching each phase to its valve position, pressure crossover, and corresponding echo/Doppler event.

Explain the piezoelectric effect and derive the inverse relationship between frequency, wavelength, and axial resolution.

Compare axial, lateral, and elevational resolution and state which machine control affects each.

Calculate Nyquist limits and predict aliasing for given PRF, depth, and velocity values.

Differentiate the physical cause of shadowing, reverberation, comet-tail, side-lobe, mirror-image, and range-ambiguity artifacts.

Adjust gain, TGC, compression, frequency, and focal zone to correct a described suboptimal image, justifying each change.

Explain how frame rate depends on sector width, depth, and line density, and predict the effect of each on temporal resolution.

Distinguish continuous-wave from pulsed-wave Doppler in terms of range resolution, maximum velocity measurable, and clinical use.

Sequence a complete transthoracic exam, naming the window, transducer position, and structure targeted in each of the standard views.

Demonstrate proper patient positioning, ECG gating, and respirometry coaching for a full study.

Select the correct M-mode cursor placement to measure LV dimensions, aortic root, and septal motion at end-diastole and end-systole.

Apply ASE measurement conventions for chamber dimensions, wall thickness, and left atrial volume.

Identify the views needed to answer a specific clinical question, such as source of embolus versus aortic stenosis severity.

Position the color box, sample volume, and Doppler cursor correctly for aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonic interrogation.

Acquire and align continuous-wave Doppler through the aortic valve from apical, right parasternal, and suprasternal windows, recognizing when alignment is inadequate.

Apply the continuity equation to calculate aortic valve area and explain each source of measurement error.

Calculate mean and peak gradients from a traced spectral envelope and relate them to severity thresholds.

Use dimensionless index and velocity ratio to grade aortic stenosis when flow is low.

Quantify mitral and aortic regurgitation using vena contracta, PISA effective regurgitant orifice, and regurgitant volume, and state the pitfalls of each.

Estimate right ventricular systolic pressure from tricuspid regurgitant velocity and add right atrial pressure using IVC size and collapsibility.

Apply pressure half-time and the continuity equation to mitral valve area and compare the two when results disagree.

Diagnose and grade pulmonary hypertension, including the caveats of contrast-enhanced Doppler envelopes.

Interpret a full hemodynamic dataset to distinguish severe from non-severe valvular disease when individual numbers conflict.

Evaluate prosthetic valves by comparing expected versus measured gradients, and identify the echo signs of obstruction versus regurgitation versus normal washout.

Classify cardiomyopathy phenotypes: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, and infiltrative, listing the defining structural and Doppler features of each.

Measure and interpret LV ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain when available, and diastolic function parameters per current guidelines.

Differentiate constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy using respiratory variation, annulus reversus, and septal bounce.

Recognize echo findings of cardiac amyloidosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with obstruction, and left ventricular noncompaction.

Detect and grade pericardial effusion, and identify the echo signs of tamponade physiology including chamber collapse and IVC plethora.

Identify common congenital lesions on echo: atrial and ventricular septal defects, bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation, and patent ductus arteriosus.

Characterize cardiac masses by location, attachment, mobility, and acoustic properties to separate thrombus, vegetation, and tumor.

Apply the modified Duke echocardiographic criteria to a suspected endocarditis case.

Recognize aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, and sinus of Valsalva findings on the suprasternal and parasternal views.

Re-audit all prior self-quizzes and error logs, and rewrite every missed concept as a correct, testable statement.

Complete two timed full-length practice exams under exam conditions and analyze misses by domain.

Drill the highest-error domain with targeted recalculation and re-derivation rather than rereading.

Rehearse rapid recall of severity thresholds, normal reference values, and guideline cutoffs without notes.