Virtual medical student radiology clerkships during the COVID-19 pandemic: Distancing is not a barrier

Radiology education for medical students: a qualitative exploration of educational topics, teaching methods and future strategies

BACKGROUND

Imaging techniques play a central role in modern medicine and therefore it would be beneficial for all medical students to incorporate radiology education in medical school curricula. However, a formal undergraduate radiology curriculum with well-defined learning objectives remains lacking in The Netherlands. This study aims to qualitatively ascertain opinions from clinicians (radiologists and non-radiologists) with regard to radiology education in the medical school curricula, including topics, teaching methods and strategies.

METHODS

A qualitative study with in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted. Inclusion was carried out until saturation was achieved, after which 2 additional interviews were held. Interviews were conducted using open-ended questions, following a predefined topic list. The constant comparative method was applied in order to include new questions when unexpected topics arose during the interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using a thematic analysis approach. Codes were organized into categories and themes by discussion between the researchers.

RESULTS

Forty-four clinicians were interviewed (8 radiologists, 36 non-radiologists). The three main themes that were derived from the interviews were: (1) expectations of indispensable knowledge and skills on radiology, (2) organization of radiology education within the medical curriculum and (3) promising educational innovations for the radiology curriculum. The qualitative study design provides more in-depth knowledge on clinicians' views on educational topics.

CONCLUSIONS

The themes and statements of this study provided new insights into educational methods, timing of radiology education and new topics to teach. More research is needed to gain consensus on these subjects and inclusion of the opinion of medical students with regard to radiology education is needed.

COVID-Necessitated Online Radiology Elective Improves Student Imaging Appropriateness in Clinical Case Vignettes

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The use of imaging in medicine has increased considerably over the previous decades, contributing to significant inefficiency of use. Radiology education varies amongst institutions without standardized learning objectives. Consequently, many physicians and student doctors are unprepared to make appropriate choices regarding imaging. In response to COVID-19-engendered restrictions, we created a fully online, image-intensive radiology curriculum to introduce students to clinical radiology and appropriate imaging usage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 2-week radiology elective curriculum was created that adopted accessible, free, online-based learning to foster student education and patient safety while upholding academic standards. Each unit included an emphasis on imaging appropriateness. Students assembled an elective portfolio including self-assessments and prepared a clinical radiology conference to present as a radiologist in training. Two final assessments were required. One consisted of clinical vignettes based on American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria (AC). The second was an MRI safety quiz.

RESULTS

Third and fourth year students at five institutions (N = 97) completed the elective. Examination scores on an assessment adapted from the ACR AC were significantly improved compared to previously published scores of medical students who took ACR AC-based assessments without taking a radiology course. The course was published and shared with medical schools worldwide.

CONCLUSION

The elective successfully educated students in radiology through a virtual platform and introduced them to the concept of appropriateness in medical imaging. These goals were accomplished using a free, online, easily accessible curriculum. Incorporation of additional topics within the discipline of radiology should be included in the curriculum in the future.

Augmented Web-based applicant experiences for anesthesiology away audition rotations: A systematic review of the current literature

Objective

The objective of this paper is to evaluate Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences in the field of Anesthesiology. We hope to advocate for Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences rotations and address their limitations in case in-person rotations become restricted again.

Methods

A thorough search of articles from the years 1978 to 2023 was completed using the search phrases "Away Rotations Anesthesiology," "Away Rotations Anesthesia," "Audition Rotation Anesthesia" and "Audition Rotation Anesthesiology." These search phrases were used on both the PubMed (Medline) and Excerpta medica database (EMBASE) databases, and the number of total articles that appeared was 73. These articles were then filtered to gather relevant articles for our study.

Results

After the articles were filtered, there was one remaining article that was used for our study. To supplement this article, 29 additional sources were added using the worldwide web. However, these did not address rotations in Anesthesiology. Although these other sources did not involve Anesthesiology residencies, they still provide significant perspectives that can be applied to online rotations. A total of 30 sources were used for our manuscript.

Conclusion

Although in-person rotations are preferred, Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences rotations are valuable as they give residency programs an opportunity to evaluate students. Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences rotations also provide students with learning opportunities and also help familiarize them with the residency programs. There are limitations that come with Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences rotations. However, addressing these shortcomings can help Augmented Web-based Applicant Experiences rotations become a proper substitution for in-person rotations if they become restricted again.

Return to the Reading Room: Implementation of a Hybrid Radiology Clerkship Model after Emergent Conversion to Remote Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the virtualization of historically in-person radiology rotations for medical students. As students return to in-person clinical education, there is an opportunity to reevaluate teaching strategies and incorporate best practices from the pandemic. We describe our experience with the conversion of a four-week radiology clerkship from an in-person (IP) to remote learning (RL) to hybrid model (HM) and its impact on student performance and satisfaction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Stratified by curriculum (Group 1 IP, Group 2 RL, Group 3 HM), student standardized final examination scores, final grades, lecture evaluation scores, and satisfaction scores were compared. Additional analysis was performed for Group 3 clinical divisions in which IP or RL models predominated.

RESULTS

A significant decrease in mean final exam score was noted in Group 2 (p < 0.0001). Average lecture rating decreased in Group 3 compared to Group 1 (p < 0.001). Group 3 students reported improved faculty (Group 1: 59, Group 2: 61, Group 3: 82; p < 0.001) and resident (Group 1: 76.5, Group 2: 68, Group 3: 90; p < 0.001) teaching effectiveness. Student-reported quantity and quality of formative feedback were also highest for Group 3 (Quantity; Group 1: 60.6, Group 2: 74, Group 3: 93; p < 0.001) (Quality; Group 1: 59.1, Group 2: 77, Group 3: 97; p < 0.001). Group 3 subanalysis demonstrated increased student-perceived usefulness of activities within IP divisions (p < 0.01) and a decrease for RL divisions (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A hybrid curriculum resulted in improved student satisfaction and preserved student performance after an emergent conversion to remote learning.

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): Main aspects and the role of imaging

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a format of examination that enables students to be evaluated in a uniform, standardized, reliable, and objective way. It is carried out in different clinical stations that simulate real clinical situations and scenarios. Numerous universities in Spain and other countries employ this approach for the final examination for medical school students. This update describes the organization, design, and fundamentals for the OSCE, proposing that radiology should form part of multidisciplinary OSCEs to the extent that it forms part of clinical practice. Moreover, it is interesting and opportune to introduce the OSCE in undergraduate and postgraduate training in radiology. Online platforms enable bidimensional OSCEs that are cost-effective in terms of staff, resources, and physical space, although this approach has certain limitations. Virtual world technologies make it possible to reproduce OSCE stations in three-dimensional scenarios; recent experiences in radiology have shown that this approach interests and motivates students and is widely accepted by them.

A Review of Virtual Medical Student Rotations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Their Role, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Future Prospects

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the pause of medical clinical rotations. As a result, virtual rotations were implemented. These are a form of remote learning that seeks to mimic the clinical learning environment that students were already accustomed to. This article seeks to review the published literature to explore which specialties adapted this format, what are the advantages and disadvantages observed, determine what were the responsibilities and involvements of students participating in these rotations, how well these rotations substituted for in-person rotations, and to evaluate if there is a continued role for them after, outside of COVID-19. Virtual rotations have been developed in almost every specialty. These rotations have been developed from small centers to large universities, and are widespread throughout the United States, and in other countries as well. These rotations are targeted toward medical students, medical residents, and physician assistants and range in length from one to four weeks. Responsibilities and scope of interaction varied according to rotation; some rotations allowed patient interaction, and observation of procedures and surgeries, whereas some were purely didactic. A mixture of inpatient and outpatient involvements was seen. Advantages included saving money and time, more flexibility, increased diversity, and participation of international medical graduates. Virtual rotations participants have been invited for interviews at the participating institution's residency programs and have matched there. Disadvantages included lack of assessment of practical skills, inability to receive credit, and inability to obtain a letter of recommendation. Virtual rotations have proven to be a good substitute for in-person rotations, with most medical students seeing a need for the rotations in the future. Due to widespread development and acceptance of these rotations, it is likely that these rotations will continue.