258 Assessment of perceived knowledge gain on bovine reproductive ultrasonography among veterinarians and students following hands-on training.

Abstract Adoption of pregnancy diagnosis is essential for the economic viability of beef cow-calf operations. However, only 30% of U.S. cow-calf operations conduct pregnancy diagnosis annually. The University of Georgia (UGA) Bovine Ultrasound Training program was developed to enhance the adoption of ultrasound-based pregnancy diagnosis. This training is provided to veterinarians and veterinary students over the course of two days, integrating theoretical lectures and experiential learning in bovine reproductive ultrasonography. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the UGA Bovine Ultrasound Training on attendees’ perceived knowledge gain. A survey was administered post-training to assess the perceived knowledge and confidence gained by participants enrolled in the training between 2022 and 2025. The survey consisted of a description of the attendee demographics, previous experience with bovine reproductive ultrasonography, and a rating of their pre- and post-program perceived knowledge of pregnancy diagnosis, fetal aging, fetal sexing, embryo donor and recipient management, heifer pre-breeding evaluation, and female reproductive pathologies. Responses from the survey were anonymous and confidential. Participants rated their pre- and post-training knowledge on a scale from 1 (no prior knowledge) to 5 (expert-level proficiency). Training program’s content was also rated on a 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) scale. Individual perceptions of how the workshop changed their knowledge, confidence, and interest in the topic were also rated on a 1 (no change) to 5 (greatly improved) scale. Responses were obtained from 56 attendees and results are reported as mean and standard deviation. Veterinarians comprised 41.1% of the attendees, whereas the remaining 59.9% were veterinary students. Overall knowledge level for pregnancy diagnosis, fetal aging, fetal sexing, embryo donor and recipient management, heifer pre-breeding evaluation, and female reproductive pathologies increased (P< 0.001) by 73.21% (pre-training: 2.69 ± 0.97 and post-training: 3.42 ± 0.63), 103.57% (pre-training: 1.98 ± 0.70 and post-training: 3.02 ± 0.70), 120.83% (pre-training: 1.83 ± 0.64 and post-training: 3.04 ± 0.75), 86.04% (pre-training: 1.82 ± 0.75 and post-training: 2.67 ± 0.74), 93.48% (pre-training: 1.80 ± 0.69 and post-training: 2.74 ± 0.71), and 78.57% (pre-training: 1.91 ± 0.69 and post-training: 2.69 ± 0.71), respectively. Course quality rating relative to attendee prior training quality expectation was 4.61 ± 0.65. Furthermore, the average rating for course delivery and organization were 4.80 ± 0.40 and 4.86 ± 0.35, respectively. On average, participants rated their knowledge change and interest in the topic at 4.63 ± 0.52 and 4.5 ± 0.85, respectively. Notably, the rating for confidence in using ultrasonography was 4.26 ± 0.77. In conclusion, these results indicate that attending ultrasound training increased veterinarian and veterinary student perceived knowledge of bovine reproductive ultrasonography.