About PEARLS
POCUS stands for Point-of-Care Ultrasound - a revolutionary approach where clinicians assess patients using bedside ultrasound to achieve rapid and accurate diagnoses, and achieve procedural safety through ultrasound-guided needle guidance. PEARLS is POCUS for Emergency & Acute care in Resource-Limited Settings. The first PEARLS course was conducted in Vanuatu in 2022 by visiting faculty from Australia and New Zealand, and has since spread throughout the Pacific.
Our Work
We conduct annual trips to countries throughout the Pacific Islands, upskilling local clinicians bedside scanning techniques and distributing ultrasound equipment for sustainable local growth and progress.
Local Ownership
As local clinicians progress towards ultrasound expert, we progressively onboard them as faculty, meaning each country's PEARLS programs will evolve into a sustainable locally-led model over time.
Our Supporters
Over the years we have received generous supports from multiple grants, charities and NGOs to continue and expand our work. We are forever grateful for their trust in our mission to bring POCUS to those need it most. We would like to acknowledge Barrie Charitable Trust, Echo at Nepean, St Vincent's Pacific Health Fund.
Awards
PEARLS founder and faculty members have won consecutive "Humanitarian of the Year" awards with ASUM (The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine) since 2023. We are also joined by other previous ASUM award winners include Jo McCann (2016 Volunteer of the Year) and A/Prof Sam Orde (2021 Sonologist of the Year).
NZMTS: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Saves Lives
Strengthening country capacity has long been central to the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS), which has supported Pacific health systems for more than thirty years. This commitment continues today through the work of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group — including in Tonga, where the investment is evident in the growing capability of the Emergency Department at Vaiola Hospital
Media presence
PEARLS Lecture series
Since 2023 PEARLS Lecture series has grown to become monthly staple of POCUS education, featuring a wide range of relevant, fascinating and highly topical presentations on the fundamentals, daily application, impact and philosophy of POCUS. Now into its 4th iteration, we can't be more proud with what PEARLS has achieved and the calibre of global POCUS experts who have contributed to the wealth of knowledge and experience curated on our channel. You can find more videos from our previous years at our Youtube channel @PEARLS_POCUS.
PEARLS Lecture Series 2026
The Power of Purpose - Dr Sebastian Paulo | PEARLS April 2026
The Power of Purpose - Dr Sebastian Paulo | PEARLS April 2026
PEARLS - Ultrasound Training in LMIC - Tambe Global
Is My Patient Congested? - Dr Nicolas Szecket | PEARLS May 2026
Research
As part of our efforts in contributing to the sphere of medical research and education, PEARLS research team led by Professor Sam Orde and Dr Lewis McLean have diligently worked to provide evidence on the success, sustainability and challenges of our current model. Multiple articles have been published globally, and many of our posters and presentations have been presented and featured across several conferences. If you are interested in supporting us and contributing to this space, please get in touch!
Join our movement!
Vacancies
-
PEARLS Publicity, Social Media, Website & Marketing team
-
PEARLS Newsletter team members
-
PEARLS Country Lead - junior partner/assistant (multiple countries)
-
PEARLS Faculty Development - junior lead
-
PEARLS Faculty Recruitment & Onboarding
-
PEARLS Lecture Series - senior lead
-
PEARLS AI Working Group
Tech support
Our tech support team is ready to help. Please click the link below to our FAQ and technical support form to submit any technical requests you may have.
Faculty EOI
Interested in teaching on a PEARLS course? Submit an Expression of interest here.
Aus/NZ Clinicians - attend PEARLS as a Learner
Are you a clinician in a High-Income Country (HIC) such as Australia or New Zealand, interested in travelling to the Pacific to learn ultrasound? As a full fee-paying learner on a PEARLS course you could use your CME funds to cover the trip - and your course fee will be used for POCUS development in the country you visit. Submit your Expression of interest here.