Prospective Analysis of Short- and Mid-term Knowledge Retention after a Brief Ultrasound Course for Undergraduate Medical Students

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:The benefits of implementing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the emergency department are well established. Ideally, physicians should be taught POCUS during medical school. Several different courses have been designed for that purpose and have yielded good results. However, medical students need specifically designed courses that address the main objectives of knowledge acquisition and retention. Despite that, there is limited evidence to support knowledge retention, especially in the mid-term. The purpose of this study is to evaluate short- and mid-term knowledge retention after a student-aimed ultrasound course.METHODS:Medical students participating in a medical student trauma symposium (SIMPALT) in 2017 were included. Their profiles and baseline ultrasound knowledge were assessed by a precourse questionnaire (PRT). The same questionnaire was used one week (1POT) and three months (3POT) after the course.RESULTS:Most of the participants were 1st- to 4th- year medical students. None had prior ultrasound knowledge. They reported costs as the major barrier (65%) to enrollment in an ultrasound course. A comparison between the PRT and 1POT results showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.02), while no difference was found between 1POT and 3POT (p>0.09).CONCLUSION:Our findings support the use of a tailored ultrasound course for medical students. Knowledge acquisition and mid-term retention may be achieved by this specific population.

Can Medical Students Learn and Perform POCUS in the Pediatric Emergency Department? Implementation of a Short Curriculum

“…This study shows that a good measure of competency can be achieved after a short course in POCUS. Extrapolating from the previous studies mentioned above [37][38][39][40][41][42], it would be expected that the image acquisition ability and diagnostic accuracy demonstrated by the medical students on a wide range of POCUS scans in this study would only improve with continued education and practice, supporting the incorporation of formal POCUS education into medical school curricula.…”

“…It has been previously demonstrated that incorporation POCUS education into existing medical student education improves knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and physical exam skills [37,38]. The knowledge is retained [39]. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that increased POCUS use leads to increased proficiency [40][41][42].…”

Effectiveness of Ultrasound Cardiovascular Images in Teaching Anatomy: A Pilot Study of an Eight-Hour Training Exposure

“…Mid- and long-term retention of information is a matter of continuous interest. Menegozzo et al demonstrated on medical students no significant difference between post-training taken at one month and three months after training, with only a mild decrease in correct answers over time [ 24 ]. Mizubuti et al demonstrated in a study conducted on residents a negligible reduction in the exam scores 6 months after completing a cardiac US training program, despite personal perception on decreased knowledge after six months [ 25 ].…”

Ultrasonography in undergraduate medical education: a comprehensive review and the education program implemented at Jichi Medical University

“…An initial study conducted in the UK suggested that, in the absence of any prior experience, most medical students achieved basic competency in FAST scanning after a 5-h training course based on a comprehensive curriculum [64]. Several studies subsequently demonstrated that various training courses in FAST or EFAST with human models increased the knowledge and skills in undergraduate medical education [40,[65][66][67][68][69]. Supervised FAST and EFAST examinations in patients in addition to a brief didactic presentation and one hour of hands-on practice on normal models was effective in teaching medical students basic skills [70,71].…”