At a glance · Checked 4 October 2026
FAMUS accreditation
Who it is for
Any registered healthcare professional who looks after acutely unwell adults: doctors, nurses, advanced clinical practitioners, physician associates and allied health professionals. Run by the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM). Modular since February 2023.
Requirements at a glance
- A supervisor registered on the FAMUS database for your module, who signs your ACT.
- Mentors who supervise early scans and review later ones. They need not be registered with SAM.
- SAM registration per module: £40 for members, £80 for non-members.
- Pass the FAMUS e-learning assessment on e-LFH (mandatory).
- A FAMUS-approved course is strongly recommended, not mandatory.
Modules
| Module | Supervised (min) | Mentored | Minimum time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thoracic | 10 | 30 | 6 months |
| Abdominal/renal | 10 | 30 | 4 months |
| DVT | 5 | 5 more | 1 month |
| Ultrasound-assisted LP | 10 | Not required | 3 months |
| Peripheral access | 3 | 2 more | Not set |
Thoracic core pathology: 5 consolidation, 5 increased lung water and 20 pleural effusions, 5 of them site marked. Peripheral access is signed off locally, with no SAM registration or certificate.
Assessments and sign-off
- Supervised scans are face to face, each on a FAMUS anonymised report sheet.
- Mentored scans: report sheet and images, reviewed and countersigned by your mentor.
- Simulator scans count only when supervised and showing pathology, five at most.
- The ACT includes a witnessed scan, a logbook and report review, and a theory check.
Suggested sequence
- Find a registered supervisor before you pay.
- Agree your mentors with your supervisor.
- Register with SAM and complete the e-learning.
- Do your supervised scans face to face.
- Build your mentored scans and fill pathology gaps.
- Book the ACT once the minimum time has passed.
Final sign-off
Your supervisor completes the ACT. Send it, with no patient identifiers, to famus@acutemedicine.org.uk. Accreditation lasts three years. Thoracic training should finish within two years of your first supervised scan, and thoracic renewal needs an average of 20 scans a year.