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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

Helmut Prosch 
1   Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
,
Maija Radzina
2   Riga Stradins University, Radiology department, Riga, Latvia
3   University of Latvia, Medical Faculty, Paula Stradina clinical university hospital, Diagnostic Radiology Institute Riga, Latvia
,
Christoph F. Dietrich 
4   Department Allgemeine Innere Medizin, Kliniken Hirslanden Beau Site, Salem und Permanence, Bern, Switzerland
,
Michael Bachmann Nielsen
5   Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
6   Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Sven Baumann
7   Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
,
Caroline Ewertsen
5   Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Christian Jenssen
8   Department of Internal Medicine, Krankenhaus Märkisch-Oderland, Strausberg, and Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Neuruppin, Germany
,
Adnan Kabaalioğlu
9   Department of Radiology, Koç University Hospital-İstanbul, Turkey
,
Wojciech Kosiak
10   Department of Paediatrics, Haematology and Oncology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
,
Wolfgang Kratzer
7   Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
,
Adrian Lim
11   Department of Imaging, Imperial College London and Healthcare Trust, UK
,
Alina Popescu
12   Department of Gastroenterology, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Timișoara, Romania
,
Vladimir Mitkov
13   Diagnostic Ultrasound Department, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russian Federation)
,
Cosima Schiavone
14   Unit of Internistic Ultrasound, Department of Medicine and Science of Aging, „G. d’Annunzio“ University, Chieti, Italy
,
Martin Wohlin
15   Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden
,
Matthias Wüstner
16   Central Interdisciplinary Sonography, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Trier, Germany
,
Vito Cantisani
17   Department of Radiological, Oncologic and Anatomo-pathologic Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
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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


Publication History

Received: 03 January 2020
Received: 11 May 2020

Accepted: 13 May 2020

Article published online:
31 August 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York

 

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