3-Year Longitudinal Ultrasound Curriculum in Internal Medicine Residency

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 3-year longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum in an internal medicine residency program. POCUS is increasingly used in critical care and has shown promise in enhancing traditional diagnostic skills for internal medicine (IM) physicians. The curriculum included a combination of pre-workshop self-study materials, short didactic sessions, and hands-on scanning of healthy male volunteers at 10-week intervals. A total of 62 residents from various stages of training (PGY1, PGY2, and PGY3) participated in the year-long program. The focus was on acquiring ultrasound images of cardiac, lung, pleural, abdominal, and vascular regions. Pre-test and post-test assessments measured residents’ abilities to acquire accurate ultrasound images. The results showed significant improvement in the acquisition of several ultrasound views, including para-sternal short, inferior vena cava (IVC), and bladder images, with odds ratios indicating better performance after the curriculum. For example, the odds ratio for acquiring a correct para-sternal short image increased by 7.7, with a p-value of less than 0.001. Although non-significant improvements were observed in other areas, such as the apical 4-chamber and internal jugular vein images, the curriculum proved effective in improving residents’ POCUS skills. This study concludes that a longitudinal POCUS curriculum can significantly enhance internal medicine residents’ ability to acquire essential bedside ultrasound images. Future directions involve expanding the echocardiography training for advanced residents and incorporating case-based pathological image review to further refine diagnostic skills.