Cardiac Ultrasound Training for Medical Students Utilizing Drawing and Ward-Based Instruction

In this report, we present a cardiac ultrasound training module for medical student learners. The module assists medical students in developing foundational skills in image acquisition, identification of normal cardiac ultrasound anatomy, and demonstration of professionalism when performing the associated OSCE exam.

We delivered the module across a 2-week cardiology rotation. On the first day, participants completed a pretest, a 1-hour introductory tutorial including a drawing exercise, and 1-hour of supervised practice with ward patients. Following supervised practice, participants were provided with an ultrasound machine for self-directed practice over the remainder of the clinical rotation. On the final day, participants completed a posttest and module evaluation. Pre- and posttest OSCE scores were compared to assess participants' cardiac ultrasound skills.

A total of 121 students completed the module, of whom 116 completed the pre- and posttest. Median OSCE scores improved from 6 to 24 out of 39 (p < .001). Before the module, 9% of participants agreed or strongly agreed they were able to identify cardiac anatomy on an ultrasound of the heart, which increased to 98% after the module. Following the module, 92% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that ultrasound training helped with other learning on the cardiology rotation.

We demonstrated that a brief training session followed by self-directed ward-based practice improved cardiac ultrasound skills in undergraduate medical students. Participants felt more confident identifying cardiac anatomy, and a large proportion felt the ultrasound training helped with other learning objectives on the cardiology rotation.