A Near-peer Point-of-care Ultrasound Elective for Medical Students: Impact on Anatomy Knowledge, Perceptions About Ultrasound, and Self-reported Skill Level

• Published in: Academic radiology Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 772 - 779
• Main Authors: DesJardin, Jacqueline T., BS, Ricceri, Santo K., BS, Brown, Stephen D., BA, Webb, Emily M., MD, Naeger, David M., MD, Teismann, Nathan A., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01-06-2017
• Subjects: Medical student education; near-peer teaching; point-of-care ultrasound; preclinical curricula; Radiology; Medical student education; preclinical curricula; point-of-care ultrasound; near-peer teaching
• ISSN: 1076-6332; 1878-4046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2016.12.006

Rationale and Objectives We aimed to assess the impact of our institution's recently created point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) course for preclinical medical students by examining its effect on first–year-level medical knowledge, self-reported skill level, and beliefs regarding the importance of ultrasound in future clinical practice. Materials and Methods A total of 18 first-year medical students completed a 5-month near–peer-led training program in POCUS consisting of 3-hour teaching sessions (7), 4-hour clinical sessions (10–12), and an independent study. Students completed pre- and postprogram assessments examining (1) student perceptions about ultrasound and its importance to future careers, (2) students' self-reported skill level with ultrasound, and (3) performance on an anatomy and physiology knowledge quiz. Scores and responses were compared to 20 controls. Results The majority of students believed that ultrasound was useful for learning anatomy and would be important in their future clinical practice. Students who completed our training program tended to perform better than controls on a test of medical knowledge. Despite reporting far fewer hours of formal ultrasound training, control students rated their skill level comparably to POCUS-trained students. Conclusions This study provides evidence that ultrasound is well received by medical students and may be useful for teaching basic anatomy concepts.