Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the General Pediatric Resident: A Needs Assessment.

This article focuses on pediatric residents' attitudes toward point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education within pediatric residency programs. A survey of 97 residents from 48 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited programs in the mid-Atlantic region revealed that 60% had not performed any ultrasound scans during residency, yet 92% expressed interest in formal POCUS training and believed it would enhance their residency programs' attractiveness to applicants. Residents reported low confidence in their ultrasound skills regardless of training level but prioritized ultrasound-guided procedures, trauma evaluations (eFAST scans), and soft tissue ultrasound as the most important applications. The study highlights a gap between the recognized utility and resident demand for POCUS education and the limited availability of formal curricula in pediatric residency training.