Ultrasound Curricula of Student Education in Europe: Summary of the
                    Experience

Helmut Prosch; Maija Radzina; Christoph F. Dietrich; Michael Bachmann Nielsen; Sven Baumann; Caroline Ewertsen; Christian Jenssen; Adnan Kabaalioğlu; Wojciech Kosiak; Wolfgang Kratzer; Adrian Lim; Alina Popescu; Vladimir Mitkov; Cosima Schiavone; Martin Wohlin; Matthias Wüstner; Vito Cantisani

doi:10.1055/a-1183-3009

Ultrasound International Open, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Ultrasound Int Open 2020; 06(01): E25-E33
DOI: 10.1055/a-1183-3009

Original Article

Ultrasound Curricula of Student Education in Europe: Summary of the Experience

Authors

Helmut Prosch

¹Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
Maija Radzina

²Riga Stradins University, Radiology department, Riga, Latvia

³University of Latvia, Medical Faculty, Paula Stradina clinical university hospital, Diagnostic Radiology Institute Riga, Latvia
Christoph F. Dietrich

⁴Department Allgemeine Innere Medizin, Kliniken Hirslanden Beau Site, Salem und Permanence, Bern, Switzerland
Michael Bachmann Nielsen

⁵Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

⁶Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Sven Baumann

⁷Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
Caroline Ewertsen

⁵Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Christian Jenssen

⁸Department of Internal Medicine, Krankenhaus Märkisch-Oderland, Strausberg, and Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Neuruppin, Germany
Adnan Kabaalioğlu

⁹Department of Radiology, Koç University Hospital-İstanbul, Turkey
Wojciech Kosiak

¹⁰Department of Paediatrics, Haematology and Oncology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
Wolfgang Kratzer

⁷Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
Adrian Lim

¹¹Department of Imaging, Imperial College London and Healthcare Trust, UK
Alina Popescu

¹²Department of Gastroenterology, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Timișoara, Romania
Vladimir Mitkov

¹³Diagnostic Ultrasound Department, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russian Federation)
Cosima Schiavone

¹⁴Unit of Internistic Ultrasound, Department of Medicine and Science of Aging, „G. d’Annunzio“ University, Chieti, Italy
Martin Wohlin

¹⁵Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden
Matthias Wüstner

¹⁶Central Interdisciplinary Sonography, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Trier, Germany
Vito Cantisani

¹⁷Department of Radiological, Oncologic and Anatomo-pathologic Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, Italy

Abstract

Background Despite the increasing role of ultrasound, structured ultrasound teaching is only slowly being integrated into the curricula of medical schools and universities all over Europe.

Aim To survey the current situation at European universities regarding the integration of ultrasound in student medical education and to report on models of student ultrasound training from selected European universities.

Methods A questionnaire survey focusing on the implementation of curricular ultrasound education was sent out to the 28 presidents of the national ultrasound societies of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), who were asked to distribute the questionnaires to the medical universities of their countries.

Results Overall, 53 questionnaires were returned from 46 universities in 17 European countries. In most of the universities (40/46 universities, 87%), the theoretical background of ultrasound is taught. However, in only a minority of universities is ultrasound integrated in anatomy courses (8/46 universities, 17%) or basic science courses (16/46 universities, 35%). Practical skills in ultrasound are taught in 56% of the universities (26/46 universities) and tested in a practical exam in seven of the responding universities (15%). The number of hours in which ultrasound was taught ranged from one to 58 (mean, seven). The respondents reported that lack of time and limited faculty funding were major hurdles.

Conclusion According to our survey, only a minority of European universities has integrated ultrasound into the preclinical curriculum thus far. Future EFSUMB initiatives will continue to promote the introduction of ultrasound as an integrative part of the core curriculum of student medical education, and the preparation of proper teaching material.

Key words

ultrasound - methods & techniques - guideline - teaching

Full Text

References

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