Enhancing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) utilization in primary care: A thyroid POCUS training course for internal medicine residents

Background: POCUS is valuable in primary care, yet outpatient-specific point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum integration into internal medicine (IM) residency is limited. We addressed this gap by developing a thyroid POCUS workshop for IM residents.

Aim: Develop and implement an educational curriculum to integrate thyroid POCUS into an IM residency program and evaluate the impact on resident knowledge, perceived skills, and attitudes.

Setting: The study was conducted in a resident primary care clinic at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Residency Program in Internal Medicine at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Participants: All 108 IM residents (PGY1-3) in one program participated in the study during their ambulatory clinic block.

Program description: Residents participated in a 1-hour workshop involving a didactic session and two breakout groups: one for hands-on practice and another for case-based discussions with image review.

Program evaluation: Residents completed pre- and post-session surveys assessing knowledge, perceived skills, and attitudes toward thyroid POCUS. These data showed statistically significant increases in all assessed areas.

Discussion: Integrating thyroid POCUS into an IM residency curriculum significantly improved resident knowledge, attitudes, and perceived skills related to these exams. Residents valued this learning experience and expressed intentions to incorporate it into their future practice.