Current Status and Prospects of Simulation-based Medical Education in Ultrasound

Simulation-based ultrasound education (SBUE) is an important component of ultrasound education and prepares learners before they begin clinical practice. It has gradually evolved from single-skill training centered on phantoms and task trainers into an educational system that emphasizes clinical contexts, continuous assessment, and the development of clinical competence. This review summarizes the developmental history, major modalities, educational implementation and evaluation, current limitations, and future directions of SBUE. Major SBUE modalities include physical models, virtual simulation, standardized patients (SPs), scenario-based simulation, and telesimulation. Courses should be designed around clinical tasks, competency objectives, and available resources, with staged feedback and continuous assessment to improve performance on specific tasks over both the short and long term. Evidence that these gains translate into clinical performance and patient outcomes remains limited. Future studies should focus on developing a competency-based system with refined tiered frameworks and longitudinal assessment pathways, as well as exploring applications of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in ultrasound simulation education.