A Prospective Evaluation of Point of Care Ultrasound Teaching in Switzerland

As the utility of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) continues to expand in the medical field, there is a need for effective educational methods. In Switzerland, medical education follows the European model and lasts 6 years, focusing on preclinical training during the first 2 years. No previous studies have evaluated the optimal time for teaching ultrasound in European medical education.

The aim of this study is to provide ultrasound training to medical students in Switzerland at varying times during their clinical training to determine if the level of training plays a role in their ability to comprehend and to apply basic POCUS skills.

We performed an observational study utilizing a convenience sample of Swiss medical students between July 11, 2016 and August 6, 2016. They were taught a 2-day POCUS course by five American-trained 1^st-year medical students. Following this course, students were evaluated with written and clinical examination.

100 Swiss medical students were enrolled in the study. A total of 59 of these students were early clinical students, and 41 students were late clinical students. A two-tailed t-test was performed and demonstrated that the late clinical students performed better than the early clinical students on the written assessment; however, no difference was found in clinical skill.

Our data suggest that Swiss medical students can learn and perform POCUS after a 2-day instructional taught by trained 1^st-year American medical students. No difference was found between students in early clinical training and late clinical training for the ability to perform POCUS.