An in-Depth Examination of the Characteristics of Pre-Hospital Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training Among Emergency Medicine Residents in Laos as Part of an Overseas Elective Rotation

INTRODUCTION: Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training has been offering invaluable guidance in the diagnostic process and treatment strategies, particularly in resource-limited settings. The purpose of this study was to determine participant satisfaction with the structure and scope of POCUS training in overseas elective rotation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational analytical study was undertaken. The study focused on EM residents from Laos who participated in the international elective rotation at the Khon Kaen University during the academic years 2020–2021 and 2022–2023. The research involved an exploration of training data related to this course, encompassing participant characteristics, the structure and scope of POCUS training, the training assessments, and post completion surveys of participants. RESULTS: The study involved 24 participants. The course was characterized by its status as an international elective program prehospital POCUS training for post graduate year 3 students. The duration of the rotation ranged from 2 to 4 weeks. Interestingly, in the academic year 2022–2023, the duration of POCUS training was notably extended to 8 hours, accounting for 4.76% of the total time. The training encompassed peer-to-peer didactic lectures, bedside teaching, and observational case studies at the Emergency Department (ED). The results of our survey, boasting a 100% response rate, indicated participants’ contentment with the academic performance, the abundance of learning resources, and the knowledge gained from this rotation that would aid their future careers. The overall satisfaction with this course was highly rated, falling into the “satisfy” and “highly satisfy” categories. However, certain challenges were reported, including feelings of isolation due to the distance from relatives, concerns related to interpersonal relationships with colleagues, and a sense of being isolated. CONCLUSION: The participants were highly satisfied to the structure and scope of this course. The overseas elective rotation significantly enhanced the knowledge of Laos EM residents’ in POCUS and underscored the crucial importance of this course in EM training.