Donation and training of medical personnel in compact ultrasound in low-resource settings: how we do it.

The authors offer a concise summary of dos and don'ts for the radiologist/sonologist wishing to expand his horizons and join those physicians donating ultrasound equipment and training medical personnel in low-resource countries. Topics include choosing a site, obtaining ultrasound equipment, preparing to travel, and starting a training program. The most important points to keep in mind are: (1) be prepared for any circumstance; (2) do your homework ahead of time; (3) make sure there is a local group "on the ground" that can ensure the machine's sustainability; and (4) allow for much more time to get things accomplished than in the developed world.