The Department of Ultrasound of West China Hospital, SCU, was established in 1961 as one of the earliest units in China devoted to ultrasound application and research for medical purposes.  In 1986, it became an independent department of the hospital. Currently, it has developed into a department with a full set of sub-specialties, which pay due attention to both ultrasonographic diagnosis and ultrasound guided procedures, as well as medical ultrasound education, research and management. The Department is among the first batch of key disciplines of the Ministry of Education ( Imaging and Nuclear Medicine in 2007) and one of key clinical disciplines of the National Health and Family Planning Commission ( Imaging and Nuclear Medicine in 2013); during the period of 2015- 2019, it ranked the third to fifth in the Annual Medical Disciplines Ranking of Fudan University.

Highly efficient working mode: The Department of  Ultrasound has subspecialties including: abdomen ultrasound (including gastrointestinal system and urinary system), cardiovascular ultrasound, ultrasound in gynecology and obstetrics, pediatric ultrasound, interventional ultrasound, and clinical POC ultrasound (emergency, anesthesia, and intensive care , etc.), and serves more than 900,000 patients annually. A new mode for coordinated ultrasound physicians and sonographers, and graded diagnosis and treatment has been implemented in clinical practice. Sonographers perform most of the screening and routine examination works, while ultrasound physicians are responsible for general ultrasound consultation, and subspecialty cases, interventional procedures and multidisciplinary teamwork.

Frontline education and training: The ultrasound education of West China Hospital is designed for three major categories: ultrasound physician, sonographers and clinical non-ultrasound physicians, each of which includes three levels of education and training: academic education, standardized post-graduation training, and lifelong continuation of medical education. In 2003, it became one of the earliest departments in China to train resident ultrasound physicians; in 2007, West China Hospital took the lead in launching the post-graduation two-year standardized training program for sonographers. As of 2020, over 100 sonographers have been trained. In 2016, West China School of Medicine took the lead to set up a four-year undergraduate ultrasonic technology major, the courses of which have been recognized by ARDMS, and the graduates are eligible to participate in ARDMS’ corresponding qualification examinations. As for clinical POC ultrasound for non-ultrasound physicians, it has jointly provided training courses of ultrasound techniques for clinicians with relevant departments, including POC ultrasound in anesthesia and emergency since 2011.

First-rate talent team: The Department has now 16 senior professional title holders, and 12 graduate student advisors (including 4 doctoral advisors and 8 master’s advisors); the staff members of the department served as deputy chairman or vice president of three major national ultrasound societies, including the Ultrasound Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the Ultrasound Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association and the Chinese Association of Ultrasound In Medicine and Engineering and its branches) for 13 times. In addition, it has three full-time engineers in charge of equipment, network, information system and data, etc. The physicians, sonographers, nurses, engineers and assistants of the Ultrasound Department of WCH have clearly division of labor and mutual assistance to form a working mode with reasonable echelon and coordinated development.

Leading clinical and basic research platform: West China Hospital has the ultrasound imaging drug research lab, multi-modal ultrasound platform for big and small animal,  State Food and Drug Administration certified testing platform for new drugs and medical equipment , the research and application platform of ultrasound big data, and the teaching and research platform of simulation ultrasound. Recently, the Department has conducted more than 60 projects of all levels, including 19 projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 3 key special projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and over 40 projects of the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province. As of the end of 2018, it has published 120 SCI papers, including 11 with  IF≥5; and 2 referenced by international guidelines. It has also published 12 textbooks and monographs and participated in the development of 15 guidelines.

Mission and vision: The Ultrasound Department of WCH has taken a firm foothold in Sichuan, and spread its influence in Southwest China and across the country. Based on the ultrasound applications in China and by virtue of international experience, it has adhered to the culture of “improving morality and professional skills, and pursuing practical effect and innovation” to actively explore and practice new working mode for  ultrasound discipline and education system in line with the national conditions and international development, with an aim of constructing a safe, efficient and open ultrasound diagnosis and treatment system which encompasses ultrasound physicians, sonographers, non-ultrasound clinicians and nurses.