Learning from experience: cadaveric simulation of CT- and ultrasound-guided procedures in radiology fellowship...

Early hands-on training in image-guided procedures is limited during radiology training. We described our institutional experience implementing cadaveric simulation for CT- and ultrasound (US)-guided procedures to address limited procedural exposure and trainee anxiety early in fellowship. A single-day cadaveric simulation program was implemented for incoming abdominal and musculoskeletal imaging fellows, providing supervised hands-on practice in multiple CT- and US-guided procedures using clinical equipment. Cadaveric simulation was feasible and associated with significant reductions in trainee-reported anxiety and significant improvements in procedural familiarity and confidence across all assessed domains (all p < 0.05). Cadaveric simulation may serve as a valuable adjunct to early procedural training, with future work needed to evaluate objective clinical performance outcomes.