Using Ultrasound to Augment Exam Skills Among Clerkship Students

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is becoming more common as a diagnostic and clinical tool. Some medical schools have incorporated POCUS training in their curriculum. A family medicine clerkship during the third year of undergraduate medical education is appropriate for incorporating musculoskeletal (MSK) education. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) is a potential tool for augmenting this teaching.

Third-year undergraduate family medicine clerkship students were given prework related to ultrasound physics, terminology, and sonographic appearance of MSK structures. This was followed by a 2-hour session in the first week of their clerkship covering the shoulder and knee MSK exams, and incorporated hands-on scanning. Students practiced MSK exams during their 8-week clerkship and POCUS was available in clinic. They were administered a postsession survey to rate the MSKUS curriculum. Objective, structured clinical exam (OSCE) testing, including performance evaluation of the knee examination during the final clerkship week, was compared to prior-year OSCE scores.

Third-year medical students felt the use of MSKUS was helpful and enhanced overall understanding of MSK exams. We did not see an improvement in OSCE scores. Students reported a desire for more POCUS training.

POCUS is a powerful tool within the clinical and academic setting. We were able to develop a curriculum using MSKUS to augment teaching the shoulder and knee exams to third-year family medicine clerkship students. While we did not see an improvement in OSCE scores evaluating the performance of a knee exam, students reported greater understanding of the exams with the MSKUS instruction added. Students desire more POCUS training in the undergraduate medical curriculum.