title: Acquisition and Long-term Retention of Bedside Ultrasound Skills in First-Year Medical Students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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%; P < .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%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Arnold and Blema Steinberg Medical Simulation Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, St Mary's Research Center, St Mary's Hospital Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada peter.steinmetz@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, St Mary's Research Center, St Mary's Hospital Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oleskevich
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, St Mary's Hospital Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011792:Quebec; D013337:Students, Medical; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000193:education*
keywords: bedside ultrasound; medical education; medical student; ultrasound education; undergraduate education