The development of a pragmatic, clinically driven ultrasound curriculum in a UK medical school

Abstract

Whether ultrasound (US) should be incorporated into a medical undergraduate curriculum remains a matter of debate within the medical education arena. There are clear potential benefits to its early introduction particularly with respect to the study of living anatomy and physiology in addition to the learning of clinical skills and procedures required for the graduate clinical practice. However, this needs to be balanced against what is perceived as an added value in addition to financial and time constraints which may potentially lead to the sacrifice of other aspects of the curriculum. Several medical schools have already reported their experiences of teaching US either as a standalone course or as a fully integrated vertical curriculum. This article describes and discusses the initial experience of a UK medical school that has taken the steps to develop its own pragmatic vertical US curriculum based on clinical endpoints with the intent of using US to enhance the learning experience of students and equipping them with the skills required for the safe practice as a junior doctor.

Acknowledgments

Authors thank Dr James Bernard, Dr Eleanor Owens, and Dr Alexander Sharpe (formally medical students at the University of Leeds) for their educational project work. GE Healthcare (UK) for educational partnership and loan of machines.

Disclosure statement

AW and PT have been loaned ultrasound machines for teaching by Sonosite and GE. RW has been loaned machines for teaching by GE.

Notes on contributors

Dr Richard J. Wakefield, BM, MD, PGCE, FRCP (UK), is a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Rheumatology, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr Asoka Weerasinghe, MBBS, MRCS, MSc (Medical Ultrasound) FRCEM, Department of Emergency Medicine Dewsbury and District Hospital, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Dr Patrick Tung, MBChB, FRCEM, PGCert (Medical Ultrasound), is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine Dewsbury and District Hospital, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Ms Laura Smith, RN, is Head of Clinical Skills Education, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr James Pickering, BSc (Hons), PhD, PGCLTHE, SFHEA, NTF, is Associate Professor of Anatomy in the Division of Anatomy, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr Tendekayi Msimanga, MBChB, MRCP, BSE(Transthoracic), is a Consultant in Acute and General Medicine, Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust, Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr Mohit Arora, MBBS, MRCEM, FRCEM, PG Cert Medical Ultrasound Consultant Emergency Medicine, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Dr Karen Flood, MBBS, FRCR, is a Consultant Vascular Interventional Radiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK

Dr Pawan Gupta, MD, FRCA, is a Consultant and Honorary Associate Professor in Anaesthesia, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Dr Suzanne Bickerdike, PhD, Chemical Engineering is eLearning Project Manager, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr James McLaughlan, MPhys PhD, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering/Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr Ashley Uttley, MBBS, BSc, FRCR, is a Radiology Registrar, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Mrs Jean Wilson, is a Senior Ultrasound Lecturer (retd.), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.

Dr Tony Evans, BSc, MSc, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Physics (retd.) Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.

Mr Stephen Wolstenhulme, MHSc, FHEA, DMU, DCR, is an Advanced Practitioner Radiographer (Sonographer), the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Lecturer/Clinical Educator, the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta.

Professor Trudie E. Roberts, BSc, MB ChB, PhD, FRCP, FHEA, FAoME, is Director of the Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds, UK.

Additional information

Funding

Authors thank Health Education England (Yorkshire and Humber) and the Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME), University of Leeds, for funding the purchase of the machines and other equipment. Ethical Committee approval was granted by the School of Medicine ethics committee.