Enhancing medical students' point-of-care ultrasound confidence and competence

Abstract

Aim: Undergraduate medical education in point-of-care ultrasound remains limited. Common barriers to implementation include limited curricular space, financial constraints, and lack of instructors. This pilot study aims to assess the efficacy of a one-day symposium on medical students' point-of-care ultrasound skills, knowledge, and confidence. Material and methods: The Philadelphia Ultrafest was a single-day educational symposium held in April 2023 for students attending one of seven Philadelphia-area medical schools. Utilizing pre- and post-conference assessments, instructors evaluated background attitudes towards ultrasound, experience level, self-reported confidence, and knowledge of ultrasonography. Pre- and post-test results were compared using McNemar's or Symmetry Chi Squared analysis. Results: Sixty-six students completed the pre- and post- conference surveys. Before the conference, 62% of students correctly localized abdominal free fluid compared to 89% following the conference (p = 0.02). In identifying transducer type, the correct response rate increased from 78% to 98% (p = 0.004). Before the instruction, students had an average confidence rating of 5.4 out of 10 in their ability to identify organs on exam, compared to 7.7 after Ultrafest (p <0.001). Confidence levels in performing the focused assessment with sonography for trauma examination (3.3 pre vs. 6.7 post; p <0.001) and ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheterization (3.4 pre vs. 6.5 post; p <0.001) also increased after Ultrafest as well. Conclusions: The results demonstrate enhanced sonographic knowledge and confidence following this one-day point-of-care ultrasound symposium. Future studies should evaluate the long-term outcomes of similar educational formats.