137 - A Randomized Controlled Study on Medical Students Learning Anatomy Through Hands-on Ultrasound

Poster Board Number: 137
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Micah Grubert Van Iderstine - University of Manitoba; Jake Jensen - University of Manitoba; Tomislav Jelic, MD - Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba

Abstract Body : Introduction
Anatomy education in undergraduate medical curriculum faces many competing interests, one of which is the increasing demand for ultrasound learning. Instead of being treated as a separate subject, ultrasound can offer a unique lens to visualize anatomy without using cadaveric materials, while familiarizing medical students with an important clinical skill.





Objective




In this study, we used a randomized controlled design to directly compare learning anatomy with hands-on ultrasound to learning anatomy on cadavers.





Methods




Forty pre-clinical medical students with minimal experience in anatomy and ultrasound participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either an experiment group (n=20) or a control group (n=20). Each group attended a two-hour learning session that covered structures in the neck, upper limb, and abdomen. The experiment group explored these regions through hands-on ultrasound imaging, while the control group identified same structures on a dissected cadaver. Participants completed tests composed of multiple-choice questions on anatomical relationships and structure identification at four time points: pre-session, post-session, one-week follow-up, and one-month follow-up.





Results




There was no statistical difference between test scores of the two groups. The ultrasound-facilitated group learned anatomy as effectively as the cadaver-based group. The post-session average score (54% for cadaver group, 57% for ultrasound group) more than doubled the pre-session average score (20% for cadaver group, 25% for ultrasound group) (p< 0.001). One-week follow-up and one-month follow-up scores (40-44%) significantly decreased from immediate post-session for both groups, demonstrating the same pattern in knowledge retention. Eighteen of the 20 ultrasound-facilitated participants felt more confident in operating an ultrasound device compared to before the session. Three quarters of all participants agreed that hands-on ultrasound should be part of their anatomy education.





Conclusion



The study proved that hands-on ultrasound imaging can effectively substitute cadaver-based learning of certain anatomy topics at the introductory level. Ultrasound integration highlights the clinical relevance of anatomy and provides an innovative tool for anatomical education.