Teaching the basics of echocardiography in the undergraduate: Students as mentors.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the ability of medical students to incorporate the practical teaching of basic echocardiography planes using a peer mentoring design.


METHODS
Thirty-six medical students previously trained in obtaining echocardiography planes (mentors) taught the other 5th-year students (n=126). The teaching methodology included three stages: theory (online course), basic training (three 15h sessions of practical experience in ultrasound and at least 20 echocardiographic studies per mentor) and objective structured clinical assessment (OSCA), which scored the appropriateness of the basic ultrasound planes and the correct identification of 16 cardiac structures.


RESULTS
The students' weighted mean score in the OSCA was 8.66±1.98 points (out of 10). Only 10 students (8.4%) scored less than 5, and 15 (12.6%) scored less than 7. Fifty students (42%) scored 10 points. The most easily identified structure was the left ventricle in the short-axis parasternal plane, with 89.9% of correct answers. The most poorly identified structure was the mitral valve in the subxiphoid plane, with 69.7% of correct answers.


CONCLUSIONS
Peer mentoring-based teaching achieves an appropriate level of training in obtaining basic echocardiography planes. The training period is relatively short. The peer mentoring system can facilitate the implementation of teaching on basic aspects of ultrasound to a large number of undergraduate students.
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España.
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Arias Felipe
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España.
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Doménech García
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España.
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Sánchez Los Arcos
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España.
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Luordo
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España.
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García Sánchez
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España.
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Villanueva Martínez
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España.
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Forero de la Sotilla
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; CIBERES, España.
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Villena Garrido
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España.
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Torres Macho
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España; Grupo de Trabajo de Ecografía Clínica de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Parla, Madrid, España. Electronic address: ggcasasolaster@gmail.com.
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García de Casasola Sánchez
Echocardiography; Ecocardioscopia; Educación médica; Estudiantes como mentores; Medical education; Mentoría paritaria; Peer mentoring; Students as mentors