Investigating medical students’ perceptions of point-of-care ultrasound integration into preclinical education

A total of 229 students participated (response rate 76%; male 134/200; female 95/100). Our survey demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: learning basic sciences 0.81, need for curriculum integration 0.83). The vast agreed that learning PoCUS would enhance their understanding of anatomy (95%) and pathology (75%). While only 52% agreed that learning PoCUS would improve their understanding of physiology, a substantial majority (80%) agreed that all medical schools should incorporate PoCUS into their undergraduate curricula. Furthermore, 62% agreed that offering PoCUS training would make the medical school more attractive to prospective applicants. No significant differences were observed between the responses of male and female students. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis provide strong support for the hypothesized three-factor model. All factor loadings are significant (P < 0.001), CONCLUSIONS: Medical students in Saudi Arabia perceive that PoCUS would be a valuable tool to learn anatomy and pathology, aligning with the recommendations of the consensus conference on PoCUS integration in undergraduate medical education organized by the World Interactive Network Focused on Critical Ultrasound (WINFOCUS) and the Society of Ultrasound in Medical Education (SUSME). Introducing PoCUS training into preclinical medical curricula may also enhance the attractiveness of medical schools to potential applicants.