[Undergraduate curricular training in musculoskeletal ultrasound: the impact of preexisting anatomic knowledge]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of students preexisting anatomic proficiency to address the fundamental problems related to musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) training by assessing the peer-assisted learning (PAL) system.

Students without anatomic knowledge (first semester, n = 38) and students in their fourth semester of medical school (n = 49) were randomly assigned to two groups: 1) The PAL group - teaching by a group of three minimally trained student-teachers and 2) the Staff group - students were taught by a group of three ultrasound-experienced operators. Sessions included both a theoretical and a praxis component (DEGUM/EULAR, Toshiba Nemio™ XG, 10 MHz). A multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) were performed. Qualitative differences were evaluated by the Likert scale.

Exposure included three separate lessons (each 120 minutes, 65 minutes of active scanning). The results of the MCQ were better among the fourth semester students than among those without anatomic knowledge (p < 0.001). Among first semester students, the MCQ results were better for those who had been taught by medical staff than for those who had been instructed by means of PAL (4.3 vs. 3.1; p = 0.045). At no point during the practical evaluation did significant differences arise between students of fourth and first semesters after medical staff tutoring (19.6 vs. 19.7 points; p = 0.978). PAL did result in worse results with regard to practical MSUS competence levels in the students possessing no previous knowledge (OSCE score 16.1; p = 0.042).

Although deficits in theoretical knowledge cannot be compensated for, basic MSUS content appears to be adequately transferable to students with limited anatomic knowledge. Thus, an early implementation of MSUS during medical school education would be prudent, provided that the training is performed by an experienced MSUS operator.