Appraising surgeons learning sonography: measuring measurement variability.

Purpose: Sonography is increasingly used by various clinicians in several task-specific situations. We present a method of assessing 1 aspect of a nonspecialist's ability in performing sonography, measurement variability.

Methods: An experienced radiologist and a surgeon who had received 4 weeks of sonography training each made triplicate measurements of gallbladder dimensions in 19 adult patients undergoing abdominal sonography.