Soundwave Symposium: A Model for Impactful Point-of-care Ultrasound Training in Undergraduate Medical Education

Background The bedside ultrasound examination is quickly becoming standard in both the inpatient and outpatient care settings. The development of this skill poses new challenges to educators of health providers as there is no standard method of teaching ultrasound exams in the preclinical and clinical years. The predominant ultrasound education model, in schools that have pioneered instruction, is based on longitudinal (1-2 years, bimonthly or quarterly) but brief periods (2-5 minutes) of individual scanning per session. While this instruction has improved understanding amongst recent graduates, there remains an opportunity for growth in the development of this skill. This style of teaching point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) results in fragmented and brief time manipulating probes and is fraught with logistical challenges. Methods Our team developed a day-long module to provide high-quality, efficient, and effective POCUS instruction on an institutional scale to further the development of both medical and physician assistant students in our region. Through the creative recruitment of instructors, body models, acquisition of machines, and the development of curriculum, our team demonstrated the utility of short-term elongated instruction in maximizing the “probe in hand” time of learners. Results Our program more than doubled most participant’s lifetime hours of ultrasound training and led to an increase in confidence in performing ultrasounds. Conclusions Through our method, we demonstrate the development of comfort performing a variety of ultrasound exams and highlight the benefits of this cost-effective alternative model of POCUS instruction. Trial registration: Not applicable.