A Focus on Point of Care Ultrasonography in Physician Assistant Programs: Increasing the Applicant Pool

The aim of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) and the decision to apply to a physician assistant (PA) program. First-year students from a single PA program were asked to complete a confidential online survey regarding their perception of POCUS and PA program admission applications. A total of 57 students were invited, of whom 53 (96%) completed the survey. Of the 53 students who completed the survey, 51 (96%) agreed that POCUS would be a useful tool in their education, while 45 (85%) of students agreed that the PA program would attract more applicants if POCUS was incorporated into the curriculum. Incorporating POCUS in the PA curriculum could be an added benefit that has the potential to attract a higher number of PA applicants.