Handheld Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Training in Internal Medicine Curriculum

To explore medical students' perceptions of integrating handheld focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) into the internal medicine curriculum and identify factors influencing learning outcomes.

A cross-sectional pilot survey was conducted among 145 fourth-year medical students at "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania, during the 2024-2025 academic year. During their internal medicine rotation, students performed FoCUS echocardiography at the bedside, using a handheld ultrasound device. A structured online questionnaire assessed perceptions of training quality, usefulness in curriculum, impact on understanding cardiac anatomy and physiology, improvement in echocardiographic skills, and interest in integrating ultrasound more broadly into the curriculum.

Among 145 participants (mean age 23.4 ± 2.1 years, 67.6% female), 130 (89.6%) reported using the handheld devices, with a mean frequency of 1.66 ± 0.73 times per semester. Students rated FoCUS as highly useful for bedside learning (3.92 ± 1.25/4), for understanding cardiac anatomy and physiology (4.02 ± 1.29/5), and for enhancing echocardiographic skills (3.75 ± 1.35/5). Higher usage frequency corresponded with increased perceived learning efficacy. Training quality (β = 0.461, 95% CI: 0.216-0.706) and practical demonstrations (β = 0.607, 95% CI: 0.040-1.175) were significant predictors of educational outcomes. Strong support was expressed for formal ultrasound curriculum inclusion (97.6%) and interdisciplinary expansion (99.2%).

Integrating handheld FoCUS into the internal medicine curriculum is associated with substantial perceived educational benefits. Training quality and hands-on demonstrations are key determinants of successful learning outcomes, supporting the systematic inclusion of FoCUS as a core component of medical education.