Implementation of Ultrasound in Preclinical Education at Osteopathic Medical Schools: A Scoping Review

Ultrasound (US) is recognized as a practical and safe form of medical imaging that utilizes ultrasound waves to develop images for diagnostic and procedural purposes. The clinical use of US has dramatically increased over recent years, secondary to the ease of use, portability, and functionality of US. The success of point-of-care ultrasound implementation into residency curricula has further underscored the importance of US education and its potential for use earlier in medical instruction. Osteopathic medical education places a significant emphasis on anatomy, thus a scoping review of the literature regarding the use of US in osteopathic preclinical years is warranted. The goal of this scoping study is to assess the current literature regarding the implementation and benefit of US instruction in preclinical osteopathic medical curricula. Four resources were utilized for the review, including PubMed, Google Scholar, JOM (formerly JAOA), and AMED, each with contiguous criteria for applicable literature. The searches were performed before the end of January 2023. Inclusion criteria for researched literature focused on osteopathic preclinical utilization of US technologies. Articles were subsequently evaluated using thematic and contextual analysis. Of the 2,968 articles evaluated, 22 articles met the inclusion criteria. There were several themes associated with the implementation of US within osteopathic curricula, including positive student perceptions of the modality, improved learning outcomes, and adaptations of US instruction into anatomical sciences courses. There is a need for continued research regarding US implementation in preclinical osteopathic medical school education, including within anatomical sciences. A minority of osteopathic schools have published details regarding how US has been applied in their curriculum.