Detroit SonoW.A.R. 2025

The first ray of dawn creeps over the horizon. You enter Belle Isle, a historic park nestled in international waters between Detroit and Canada, with a tingling mixture of curiosity, excitement, and trepidation.

There is an electricity in the air. You have determination in your eyes and iced coffee in your veins. It begins! You trek 4 miles around the Island - rain or shine - armed with only your wits, your teammates, and a hand-held ultrasound (provided).  You find and conquer 10 hidden stations that challenge your ultrasound skills, test your wilderness medicine knowledge, and push your boundaries of innovative concepts in Emergency Medicine.

The race is done. It's over! You have left it all on the battlefield. You leave exhausted... yet rejuvenated... and dare we say, enlightened!? 

Food, drink, and T-shirts will be provided. The sense of adventure is up to you to bring.

Follow the link below for an interactive map of last year's event (as well as each hidden station location) to get a feel for what to expect!

Every spring, the faculty from Wayne State University's Advanced Emergency Medicine Fellowship invite emergency medicine residencies and medical schools from across Michigan to come together for an annual ultrasound competition, designed to promote resident wellness, collaboration, and education.

This June 5th 2025 we are again taking the show outdoors. Armed with ultra-portable point of care ultrasound devices, our contestants will break up into small teams to brave the natural obstacles of Detroit's historic and famous Belle Isle park to accomplish a gauntlet of emergency ultrasound and wilderness medicine scenarios and board questions. May the best team win!

Please arrive by 8:00am for registration and orientation and coffee! Your team must be gathered and registered and at your assigned start station by 9 because the race clock starts ticking at 9:00am sharp.  Note: there is sometimes a delay crossing the bridge and gaining entrance in the park, so please give yourself extra time. The race will not wait for you!

The event will conclude at 12pm with lunch and awards at 1pm at the Flynn Pavilion

Per the Belle Isle official website: 

Fee: Vehicles entering the island require a recreation passport ($12 annual pass for Michigan residents grants access to all MI State Parks.) Passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders do not require a passport. 

​Bridge: The bridge to enter Belle Isle Park is located at the intersection of Jefferson Ave and East Grand Blvd. The Park's administration office is located at 99 Pleasure Drive, Detroit, MI 48207. 

Your race begins at the field adjacent to the Belle Isle Fountain, central in Belle Isle State Park.

The race will be held rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. If you die of hypothermia, the good news is that at least there will be hundreds of emergency medicine residents on the island to help resuscitate you.

Please wear comfortable shoes. To hit every station you will need to cover up to 3-5 miles of terrain.

Also please bring a compass (or compass app on your phone), and ballpoint pen (in case of emergency cricothyrotomy.) (Just kidding.) (Maybe.)

For this event you are encouraged to BYOB - Bring your own Butterfly IQ or any other handheld ultrasound device if you have one! (There is no outside alcohol allowed.) 

There will be plenty of devices from our sponsors to have one per team if you do not have your own. 

Final scores will be calculated based on a combination of speed and number of objectives correctly accomplished. The primary objective is education and fun, the secondary objective is to show which residency has what it takes to bring home the trophy!