The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) is the national organization that regulates and administers certification examinations for ultrasound professionals.
The designation "Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation" (RPVI) is granted exclusively to licensed medical doctors through the Physicians' Vascular Interpretation (PVI) examination.
To write the PVI examination, physicians must submit proof of current vascular ultrasound accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) or the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL). Alternatively, they may provide evidence of clinical training or completion of a fellowship or residency program that includes substantial experience in vascular laboratory and ultrasound interpretation alongside at least twelve credit hours of continuing medical education.
Residency programs that provide both theoretical and hands-on training in ultrasound technology include Baptist Health System in Alabama, Rush University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital. The University of Iowa, Denver Health Medical Center, the Stanford School of Medicine and the State University of New York at Buffalo also offer fellowship opportunities.
There are many PVI examination review courses available, such as Pegasus Lectures and the Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute. The ARDMS also provides a practice test on their official website. See Resources for links to all mentioned resources.