First Implementation of a Point Of Care Ultrasound Course In Undergraduate Medical Students In Peru: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a study performed by any physician, as an adjunct to a physical examination, to identify the presence or absence of specific findings in medical pathologies. This skill is not yet taught in undergraduate medical studies in Peru. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe and evaluate the implementation of a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) course in undergraduate medical students. METHODS Pre-experimental study. A theoretical and practical POCUS course was designed and implemented for fifth year medical students at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima Peru in late 2019 and early 2020. Prior knowledge was assessed through a pretest. At the end of the course, a posttest was administered to quantify learning achievement, and satisfaction was assessed with a survey. RESULTS Twenty-six students (57.7% women) participated in the course, although only 19 took the posttest. The average scores in the pretest (at the beginning of the course), posttest, and pretest (at the end of the course) were 4.3, 12.2, and 18.5 points, respectively (p < 0.001). Only 15 students responded to the satisfaction survey, where more than 50% of them reported having fully acquired the skill of evaluating the inferior vena cava, bladder, free thoracic and abdominal fluid, and the right kidney. They also reported that they met 97.5% of their previous expectations. CONCLUSIONS A short theoretical-practical POCUS course for undergraduate medical students was able to achieve a significant improvement in the recognition of some abdominal and pelvic organs and anatomical structures using ultrasound.