Longitudinal Simulator-Enhanced Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training for First-Year Medical Students

Abstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is increasingly integrated into undergraduate medical education, but scalable approaches for reinforcing early skill acquisition remain limited. High-fidelity simulation may support distributed, self-directed practice while reducing dependence on faculty availability and patient models. Methods We conducted a prospective randomized controlled quality-improvement study of 46 first-year medical students at McGill University over six months. We randomized 23 students to the standard PoCUS curriculum plus six facilitator-supported, learner-directed CAE Vimedix simulator sessions and 23 to the standard curriculum alone. Outcome-specific available-case analyses included 22 simulator-enhanced and 16 standard-curriculum participants for practical performance, 23 and 19 for visual ultrasound knowledge, and 16 and 13 group-linked respondents for learner perceptions. Results In the practical analysis (22 simulator-enhanced and 16 standard curriculum), simulator-enhanced students achieved higher scores across assessed scan types (F(1,101) = 6.17, p = 0.0146). The estimated marginal mean difference was 15.21 percentage points (95% CI, 1.95 to 28.48, Hedges’ g = 0.72). Visual examination scores were higher among simulator-enhanced students (n = 23 vs 19, 65.67% vs 53.36%, mean difference 12.31 percentage points, 95% CI, 3.97 to 20.65, t(40) = 2.98, p = 0.0048, Hedges’ g = 0.91). Learner data suggested higher confidence and perceived retention among simulator-trained students. Conclusions Supplemental high-fidelity PoCUS simulation was associated with higher end-of-year practical performance, visual ultrasound knowledge, and learner confidence among first-year medical students. These findings support further evaluation of distributed, simulator-enhanced PoCUS training as a scalable adjunct to undergraduate curricula.