Physician Assistant Students' Perspective on Ultrasound as an Educational Technology. 2022

Michael Breunig, and Corbin Plooster, and Michael Huckabee
Michael Breunig, MPAS, PA-C, is clinical skills co-director of the Mayo Physician Assistant Program and hospitalist for Mayo Clinic, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine, in Rochester, Minnesota.

BACKGROUND The use of ultrasound as an educational technology in medical education to teach basic sciences, including anatomy and physical examination techniques, has become common. Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefits of using ultrasound to teach anatomy and physical examination skills; however, this has not been studied in physician assistant (PA) students. METHODS This qualitative phenomenological research used 5 semi-structured interviews of first semester PA students to obtain a deeper understanding of students' perspectives. Dominant coding categories were identified through open coding, and thematic analysis was completed to identify emerging themes of participants' perspectives. RESULTS Overall, the students positively perceived this use of ultrasound. Four themes emerged regarding PA students' perspectives of ultrasound as an educational technology within their Clinical Anatomy and History and Physical Examination classes: solidifying the curriculum, desiring more, looking ahead, and burden of curriculum. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the use of ultrasound as an educational technology to solidify prior learning; however, steps to ensure student commitment to the technology should be taken. Careful consideration for curricular sequencing and allocation of time should be utilized by programs attempting to integrate ultrasound in this manner. Hands-on experiences, rather than faculty demonstrations, and clinical correlation should be utilized whenever possible.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010823 Physician Assistants Health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. They deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. Duties may include physical exams, diagnosis and treatment of disease, interpretation of tests, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications. (from http://www.aapa.orglabout-pas accessed 2114/2011) Doctor's Assistant,Feldsher,Feldshers,Physician Assistant,Physicians' Assistants,Physicians' Extender,Physicians' Extenders,Doctor's Assistants,Assistant, Doctor's,Assistant, Physicians',Assistants, Doctor's,Assistants, Physician,Assistants, Physicians',Doctor Assistant,Doctor Assistants,Doctors Assistant,Extender, Physicians',Extenders, Physicians',Physician Extender,Physician Extenders,Physician's Assistants,Physician's Extender,Physician's Extenders,Physicians Assistants,Physicians Extender,Physicians' Assistant
D003479 Curriculum A course of study offered by an educational institution. Curricula,Short-Term Courses,Course, Short-Term,Courses, Short-Term,Short Term Courses,Short-Term Course
D004501 Education, Medical Use for general articles concerning medical education. Medical Education
D004504 Education, Medical, Undergraduate The period of medical education in a medical school. In the United States it follows the baccalaureate degree and precedes the granting of the M.D. Medical Education, Undergraduate,Education, Undergraduate Medical,Undergraduate Medical Education
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013334 Students Individuals enrolled in a school or formal educational program. School Enrollment,Enrollment, School,Enrollments, School,School Enrollments,Student
D013337 Students, Medical Individuals enrolled in a school of medicine or a formal educational program in medicine. Medical Student,Medical Students,Student, Medical
D018961 Educational Technology Systematic identification, development, organization, or utilization of educational resources and the management of these processes. It is occasionally used also in a more limited sense to describe the use of equipment-oriented techniques or audiovisual aids in educational settings. (Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors, December 1993, p132) Instructional Technology,Technology, Educational,Technology, Instructional,Educational Technologies,Instructional Technologies,Technologies, Educational,Technologies, Instructional

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