Impact of Ultrasound Education Following Neuroanatomy Class for First-Year Medical Students: A Survey-Based Study

Background: Although ultrasound is widely used in clinical practice, educational opportunities for medical students, particularly those in neurology, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of neurological US education on first-year medical students and provide insights for future curriculum development.Methods: A prospective, single-center study was conducted from 2022 to 2023 involving 231 first-year medical students over two years at the Chungnam National University College of Medicine. The sessions on Transcranial Doppler and carotid Doppler included a 30 minutes lecture, a 30 minutes demonstration by a neurology specialist, and optional hands-on practice, respectively. A post-session survey assessed students’ feedback, preferences, and willingness to engage in US education. For the analysis, the Likert-scale responses were dichotomized into positive and negative responses, and comparisons between years were conducted using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests.Results: Over 80% of students found the sessions helpful in understanding anatomy and physiology. Student interest in US education significantly increases from 2022 to 2023 (80.5% vs. 92.4%, <i>p</i>=0.013), along with overall satisfaction (82.5% vs. 96.2%, <i>p</i><0.001). Students preferred optional programs and instructions from specialists or residents. The demand for expanded US education showed an increasing trend (68.0–78.1%), although the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Neurological US education positively affects student learning and motivates students to use US in future practice. This study highlights the importance of neurological US education and provides insights for the development of future specialized curricula in neurology.