Effectiveness of an Early Ultrasound Training Curriculum for General Surgery Residents

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) is fast becoming an extension of the physical examination in most surgical settings. Unfortunately, few residency programs offer a formal US training curriculum to their general surgical residents. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a formal US training module for general surgery residents. We studied the degree of improvement observed between junior and senior residents. A training-based study was conducted to evaluate baseline knowledge and skills. Subsequently, a formal didactic and practical training program for our surgery residents was instituted. Residents were then scored in various categories. A total of 18 surgical residents comprising 10 junior and 8 senior residents completed our US training module. There was no significant improvement in the scores of the senior resident group. In the junior group, the written test, image detection, optimization, and interpretation categories improved significantly after completion of the training module. Comparison of improvement in scores between junior and senior residents revealed a significantly better improvement in the junior group than in the senior group. Early training of surgical residents can significantly improve US performance in junior residents. This early training has the benefit of increased utilization of bedside US for diagnostic and procedural purposes. Interestingly, even without formal training, skill acquisition of senior residents is noted to occur during modern surgical training.