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Teaching POCUS in General Practice: Results from a Resident Training Initiative

Sébastien BRUEL, Maëlys TIZGHAT and Dragos-Paul HAGIU

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly used in general practice, yet formal training during GP residency remains limited in many countries. Since 2022, the Department of General Medicine at XXX (France) has developed a structured ultrasound training program combining instruction from experts and training provided by GP trained in ultrasound to promote the long-term integration of POCUS into primary care.To describe the implementation of an introductory ultrasound course for GP residents and to evaluate its short-term impact on residents’ satisfaction and motivation to pursue further training.We conducted a pre–post evaluation among GP residents attending an introductory POCUS course at XXX during the 2024–2025 academic year. The course was delivered by a recognised ultrasound expert or training provided by GP trained in ultrasound, and covered basic image interpretation, probe handling, spatial orientation and standard ultrasound views. Residents completed self-administered questionnaires before and immediately after the course assessing: overall satisfaction (post only), perceived usefulness of the training self-reported confidence in basic ultrasound skills, perceived needs for further training.A total of 88 residents completed the pre-course questionnaire and 82 completed the post-course questionnaire. Most respondents had already used an ultrasound machine (77/88; 87.5%), but only 10.2% (9/88) reported having previously received any ultrasound training. Prior use mainly occurred during rotations in the emergency department (n=48), gynecology department (n=13) and general practice (n=10). Satisfaction with the course was very high: 78/82 (95.1%) reported being “very satisfied” and 4/82 “rather satisfied”. Almost all participants (81/82; 98.8%) stated that the course met or exceeded their expectations. One participant expressed a desire for more hands-on practice. All respondents indicated that they would recommend the course to a colleague. Residents unanimously expressed interest in further ultrasound training, and all agreed that ultrasound education has a place within the third cycle of medical studies in general practice.This faculty-based introductory POCUS course for GP residents was very well received. Combining expert-led teaching and the involvement of trained GP supervisors appears to be a promising strategy for integrating POCUS into general practice training.Further evaluations will explore its longer-term impact and the development of additional advanced modules.