Table 1 Proposed compulsory longitudinal ultrasonography curriculum

Entire study period

• Spiral curriculum: revisiting topics of increasing difficulty

• Knowledge

Summative and formative

• Content synchronized across disciplines

• Skills

• Flexibility built-in

• Attitude

Preclinical (US training level 1)

US courses in conjunction with anatomy dissection and physiology courses (2 teaching units* per topic)

Topics:

DOPS (1 per topic)

• Shoulder girdle, rotator cuff

• Students prepare themselves with learning videos

• Thoracic image acquisition

• “Probe-in-the-hand”

• Abdominal image acquisition

• Small groups (students examine each other)

• Carotid artery, jugular vein, thyroid gland, neck muscles

• Opportunity of unscheduled courses

• Doppler sonography: echocardiography, carotid artery

Clinical, third year (US training level 2)

POCUS, small groups (1 teaching unit per EPA)

EPAs:

DOPS (1 per EPA)

Skills laboratory, simulation (1/2 teaching unit* per EPA, peer-to-peer)

• Sonography for trauma

OSCE

• Students prepare themselves with learning videos

• Echocardiography

• “Probe-in-the-hand”

• Thoracic ultrasonography

• Small groups (students examine each other/simulation)

• Abdominal ultrasonography

• Opportunity of unscheduled courses

• Lower extremity deep veins

• US-guided central venous access

Clinical, advanced (US training level 3)

Elective compulsory course (10 teaching units* distributed to 5 dates)

Options (one of the following):

DOPS (at least 2 per EPA)

• Students prepare themselves with learning videos

Radiology, gastroenterology, cardiology, general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, pediatrics, urology, otolaryngology

• Small groups (US scanning on patients)

Sub-internship, final year (US training level 4)

Work-based learning (supervised “on-field” experience)

Broad range of clinical settings (in- and outpatient care)

DOPS

Logbook