Incorporating Ultrasonography into the Health Science Classroom

Abstract

Ultrasonography provides visualization of organ form and function in situ, this technology until recently required large, cumbersome high priced units that were impractical for undergraduate health science teaching. Highly portable ultrasound systems have been developed which allow for convenient handing and versatile application in physiology course demonstrations. In addition to visualization of body fluids and organ morphology, students are able to visualize in vivo active processes like intestinal peristalsis, blood flow and cardiac function. Ultrasound live action imagery of cardiac contractions and valve activity is particularly useful when demonstrating these dynamic processes. Physiology and pre‐health students with interest in medical and veterinary career paths are especially engaged, and enthusiastic about this technology. The clinical use of ultrasonography has increased in recent years, this offers additional incentive for health science students to familiarize themselves with the technology, its applications and the interpretation of ultrasound images. Incorporating ultrasonography into the anatomy and physiology classroom therefore provides not only an additional medium with which to demonstrate physiologic principals, it provides an opportunity for students to gain practical exposure to a medically relevant diagnostic modality.Support or Funding InformationCal Poly Pomona Institutional Grant: Special Projects for Intellectual Community Environment (SPICE) Grant: Innovative approaches to Instruction Program.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.