Is basic emergency ultrasound training feasible as part of standard undergraduate medical education?

Ultrasound interest group: a novel method of expanding ultrasound education in medical school

Purpose

Ultrasound technology and clinical applications are advancing across many medical specialties and there exists an increasing need for ultrasound education in medical school. Few institutions, however, have incorporated this into the 4-year curriculum and barriers to curricular change remain. The Ultrasound Interest Group (USIG) is an alternative, extracurricular way for future operators to gain ultrasound exposure throughout all four years of medical school and develop the skill sets necessary to emerge as leaders in sonography.

Methods

The USIG was designed using a student organization infrastructure. The mission is to promote ultrasound education and student leadership across the medical school, outside the required curriculum. Participation is voluntary and open to all medical students. Leadership consists of defined positions held by junior and senior medical students. The USIG holds four meetings per year, organizes clinical and scanning opportunities for students, sponsors ultrasound events, and distributes a newsletter.

Results

The USIG has been an active student interest group for three academic years and had three sets of student leaders. Participants in USIG activities included first through fourth-year medical students each year. To date, the USIG had 12 meetings including 2 national and 4 local guest speakers. The USIG has organized scanning opportunities for students, sponsored events, and established a vertical model of structured mentorship.

Conclusion

The USIG is a feasible method of promoting ultrasound education and student leadership among medical students. This model may be implemented at other medical schools as a centralized, organizing body for extracurricular ultrasound education.

An integrated ultrasound curriculum (iUSC) for medical students: 4-year experience

A review of the development and implementation of a 4-year medical student integrated ultrasound curriculum is presented. Multiple teaching and assessment modalities are discussed as well as results from testing and student surveys. Lessons learned while establishing the curriculum are summarized. It is concluded that ultrasound is a well received, valuable teaching tool across all 4 years of medical school, and students learn ultrasound well, and they feel their ultrasound experience enhances their medical education.