Integration of Peer- and Faculty-Taught Point of Care Ultrasonography Curriculum in an Internal Medicine Residency Program

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POC-US) has yet to reach its potential in general internal medicine. At present, there are no standardized curricula for integrating POC-US training into internal medicine residency programs. The expected impact of POC-US education is improved accuracy and timeliness of clinical decision-making and care. The design of this study was multi-staged. Educational modules, created by faculty and resident course directors, were piloted and refined with resident volunteers prior to being incorporated into the formal curriculum. Each educational module consisted of a 30-min lecture on theory, technique, and image review, followed by a 90-min hands-on session practicing image acquisition on healthy peer volunteers. Residents’ baseline attitudes towards and knowledge of POC-US were assessed with pre- and post-test surveys. Pre- and post-test surveys were obtained from 19 residents. Prior to the educational modules, all residents believed that POC-US was an important skillset to acquire during their residency training. Less than half of residents (43%) reported prior POC-US training. Only a quarter (26%) stated that they regularly utilized POC-US in their clinical practice. Resident knowledge of POC-US improved between pre- and post-testing from 63% correctly answered questions to 81% (p < 0.01). Trainees are enthusiastic about the clinical role of POC-US in their future practice and wish to gain further knowledge and training. Integration of a peer and faculty-led POC-US curriculum in an internal medicine residency program can improve knowledge of POC-US and provide a medium for hands-on clinical skills acquisition.