Preclerkship Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Image Acquisition and Clinical Transferability

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
• Diagnostic Skills Training

Background:

• Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) integration in preclerkship medical education is gaining traction, with the assumption it enhances student diagnostic and procedural skills.
• Empirical evidence supporting POCUS's benefit on preclerkship students' clinical skills has been limited.
• This study aimed to assess anatomical sonographic knowledge and ultrasound image generation capabilities following a POCUS echocardiography training camp.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 3-hour echocardiography training camp on preclerkship medical students' anatomical sonographic knowledge.
• To assess the students' ability to generate standard cardiac ultrasound views and understand ultrasound controls (knobology).
• To determine the retention of these skills three weeks post-training.

Main Methods:

• A flipped classroom model was used, with students preparing using a validated ultrasound manual prior to a 3-hour hands-on workshop.
• Pre- and post-tests assessed sonographic anatomical identification and student perception of POCUS.
• An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) evaluated the generation of four key cardiac views (parasternal long, parasternal short, subxiphoid, apical 4-chamber) and structural labeling.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement in sonographic anatomy scores was observed, with post-test averages increasing from 12.12 to 18.85 (P < .001).
• The OSCE revealed that 81% of students could perfectly generate all four required cardiac views.
• The apical 4-chamber view was identified as the most difficult to acquire.

Conclusions:

• The study's positive results support the formal integration of POCUS into preclerkship medical curricula.
• Implementing POCUS training at the early stages of medical education provides measurable benefits to students' skills.
• This approach can enhance diagnostic capabilities and prepare students for clinical practice.