What do medical students think are characteristics of a good ultrasound tutor? A qualitative study

TL;DR

Medical students share what makes a good ultrasound tutor, helping educators improve teaching and training.

Contribution

Identifies specific characteristics of effective ultrasound tutors based on medical students' perspectives.

Findings

Good tutors need strong teaching skills like course structure and feedback.

Creating a supportive atmosphere and showing empathy are important for students.

Ultrasound-specific knowledge and time management are crucial for effective tutoring.

Abstract

This study was designed to elicit medical students’ opinions on the characteristics of a good ultrasound tutor. The results should help educators to create an optimal teaching environment and inform tutor training.

The qualitative study recruited 15 participants from a larger mixed-methods study of 64 medical students who underwent a basic course on abdominal ultrasound taught by faculty and near-peer tutors. During semi-structured interviews, they were asked which characteristics make a good ultrasound tutor. We used inductive thematic analysis to identify the most important categories.

Medical students identified teaching themes and subthemes relating to teaching skills (e.g., course structure, repetition, vocabulary, feedback, guidance of participants), tutors’ attitudes (e.g., atmosphere creation, empathy) and knowledge as the crucial components of being a good ultrasound tutor.

While some of the themes that students identified are generic to medical education, others are specific to ultrasound teaching. Tutors can use our results to assess their own teaching. They should aim to address learning needs, optimise understanding, give adequate feedback, and create a non-threatening atmosphere with empathic interactions. Accounting for the ultrasound-specific setting they should possess the necessary knowledge, provide verbal guidance to their students, and distribute examination time wisely.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-024-05789-1.