Medical student Ultra Sound Training – a MUST

Background Use of ultrasound (US) to guide invasive procedures is steadily growing. The increased accuracy, decreased complications and overall patient and clinician satisfaction of ultrasound-guided procedures makes it a useful skill to acquire. In this study, we explored whether basic procedural ultrasound training, specifically addressing vascular access, can be taught to medical students by focusing on generic skills that could be individually assessed. Methods 215 5th year medical students were enrolled in the session. The session involved 70 minutes of didactic teaching and 140 minutes of supervised scanning followed by an assessment. The training was on ultrasound compatible phantoms and simulated human patients using a linear transducer. Results 93% (n=199) of students were able to optimize the image and visualize the relevant structures independently. 86% (n = 184) were able to insert the needle into the vessel of the training block independently using transverse view while 89% (n=198) were able perform the same independently with longitudinal view. Discussion The majority of students were able to demonstrate this skill with limited training. This study suggests that ultrasound skills requiring hand-eye co-ordination such as probe stabilization and real time needle insertion can be more intensively targeted in procedural ultrasound training programs designed for all medical students.