Active Learning of the Floor of Mouth Anatomy with Ultrasound

: More emphasis is now being placed on active learning in medical education. Ultrasound is an active learning tool that can be used to supplement didactic instruction. This study describes a self-guided activity for learning floor of mouth ultrasound. Thirty-three first year medical students learned floor of mouth scan technique and ultrasound anatomy through a brief PowerPoint module. They subsequently performed the scan on a standardized patient. Each student was asked to label the floor of mouth muscles on the image he or she acquired. After the activity, the students were given a quiz on anatomic relationships of the floor of mouth. Perceptions about the activity were collected through a survey. All 33 students obtained a floor of mouth image within a three minute time limit. Twenty-four (73%) students were able to completely and accurately label the image in time. The mean score on the muscle relationships quiz was 93%. Overall perceptions were very positive with most students expressing a "high" or "very high" level of interest in incorporating similar self-guided activities within the curriculum. This study showed that it is feasible for students to learn scan technique and recognize relevant ultrasound anatomy in an independent fashion through a brief active learning module. Furthermore, the students found the activity enjoyable. The implication is that similar activities could be developed which would provide additional ways to incorporate active learning strategies.