METHODS: For the initial session, the lead instructor conducted a focused two-hour course with the novice instructors. A subsequent four-hour session was then repeated for EM residents whereby the aforementioned novice instructors provided the hands-on instruction. The residents were given 10-item pre- and 20-item post-course knowledge tests to gauge the effectiveness of the instruction model. After the course, a satisfaction survey was administered to the resident participants and a qualitative open-ended survey to the volunteer EM physicians who served as instructors.
RESULTS: Forty-two EM residents from 11 different residency programs attended at one of the three courses that were offered. After adjustments for size differences in the pre- and post-training tests, 35 (87.5%) of total sample resident learners\' scores proportionately increased from pre- to post-test scores, with five (11.9%) other residents maintaining their pre-course score levels and only two (4.8%) residents experienced a post-score decline. In addition, resident participants responded favorably to a post-course summary evaluation with an average response of 4.8 (0-5 Likert scale) demonstrating overall satisfaction with the course. In the separate qualitative survey given to instructors, comments consistently conveyed a perceived benefit for the volunteer EM physicians.
CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of this novel model supports the feasibility of the \'train the trainer\' program. It provides a proof of principle that train the trainer model can be implemented for POCUS training courses. Despite the small sample size, our results show an increase in the pre- to post-test scores among most participating residents. This model provides an additional option for EM residency program educators to consider when developing their POCUS training courses across multiple GME settings.