Acquisition and Long‐term Retention of Bedside Ultrasound Skills in First‐Year Medical Students

<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives</jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this study was to assess bedside ultrasound skill acquisition and retention in medical students after completion of the first year of a new undergraduate bedside ultrasound curriculum at McGill University.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Skill acquisition was assessed in first‐year medical students (n = 195) on completion of their bedside ultrasound instruction. Instruction included 6 clinically based 60‐minute practical teaching sessions evenly spaced throughout the academic year. Students' ability to meet course objectives was measured according to a 4‐point Likert rating scale. Evaluations were performed by both instructors and the students themselves. Retention of skill acquisition was evaluated 8 months later on a year‐end practical examination.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>The mean percentage ± SD of students assigned a rating of “strongly agree” or “agree” by instructors was 98% ± 0.4% for all 6 teaching sessions (strongly agree, 52% ± 3%; agree, 46% ± 3%). According to student self‐evaluations, the mean percentage of students assigned a rating of strongly agree was significantly greater than the percentage assigned by instructors for all teaching sessions (86% ± 2% versus 52% ± 3%; <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .0005). Evaluation of skill retention on the year‐end examination showed that 91% ± 2% of students were assigned a rating of strongly agree or agree for their ability to demonstrate skills learned 8 months previously. Ninety‐five percent of students reported that bedside ultrasound improved their understanding of anatomy for all 6 teaching sessions (mean, 95% ± 0.01%).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>These results demonstrate that first‐year medical students show acquisition and long‐term retention of basic ultrasound skills on completion of newly implemented bedside ultrasound instruction.</jats:p></jats:sec>