The value of good medical student teaching: increasing the number of radiology residency applicants

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Diagnostic Radiology Among Clinical Year Medical Students

Background Nowadays, radiology is considered one of the most important disciplines of medicine as it guides physicians to reach the proper diagnosis by using many types of medical imaging modalities, such as x-ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These modalities are used to create dynamic images of different parts of the human body, which are being used to accurately diagnose and follow up on a variety of medical conditions. Moreover, in recent decades, radiology has experienced substantial growth and transformation, establishing itself not just in diagnostics but also in the domain of medical interventions, which includes the increasingly recognized discipline of interventional radiology. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Makkah from October 2022 to April 2023. The population size of medical students from the fourth to sixth year at Umm Al-Qura University is about 820 students. Results The total number of participants was 359, but two did not fill out properly. Hence, data was analyzed for (n=357), whereas more than half of them were female, 195 (54.6%). About 133 (37%) of the students were in their sixth year, while 106 (29%) were in their fourth year. Regarding their grade point average (GPA), 209 (58%) had >3.5, and 119 (33%) had 3.0-3.5. The maximum number of females 77 (57.9%) students were in the sixth year. Regarding knowledge, 291 (81.5%) had heard about interventional radiology before, while 66 (18.5%) had never heard about interventional radiology before. Moreover, 270 (75.6%) believe that the years in radiology residency are the same as other specialties. Regarding perceived knowledge about radiology, 183 (51.3%) said it is adequate. Conclusion This study showed that medical students at Umm Al-Qura University have a positive attitude towards radiology. However, the majority of the students do not have adequate knowledge regarding radiology as well as radiation hazards. We can improve this by increasing radiology experience in our institutions. Also, courses should be designed and incorporated into the curriculum to increase the knowledge of medical students about ionizing radiation.

Knowing the ABCs: teaching the principles of radiology to medical students in Turkey

BACKGROUND

Radiology education in Turkey is mainly taught during clinical years of medical school and often lacks main principles. Exposure to the fundamentals of radiology at an early stage of medical education may drastically help students generate a better understanding of radiology and expand their interest in the specialty. With the Principles of Radiology Course that we provided, pre- and post-session tests, and assessment survey at the end of the course, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of such an online course among Turkish medical students.

METHODS

A total of nine online sessions on imaging modalities principles was developed by radiology professors. Each session was given through Zoom by radiologists from different U.S.-institutions to Turkish medical students from state (n = 33) and private (n = 8) universities. Pretests and post-tests were given to participants via Qualtrics before and after each session, respectively. Paired two-sample t-tests were conducted to detect the variance and p=-.05 was used as the significance level. An evaluation survey was distributed at the end of the course to collect their feedback through SurveyMonkey.

RESULTS

A total of 1,438 predominantly Turkish (99.32%) medical students engaged with this course. An average of 506 students completed both pre-test and post-test. There was a statistically significant (p < .001) increase in the scores in post-test (mean[range]:7.58[5.21-8.53]) relative to pre-test (mean[range]:5.10[3.52-8.53]). Four hundred and thirty-nine participants (F/M:63.33%/35.54%) completed the end-of-course survey. A total of 71% and 69.70% of the participants strongly agreed that the course would be useful in their clinical practice and had increased their understanding of radiology. They also reported that their level of confidence in the subjects had increased 68% and reached a weighted average of 3.09/4. The survey revealed that 396 (90.21%) of the participants strongly or somewhat agree that introductory principles and concepts should be presented in earlier years of medical education. Compared to in-person education, 358 (81.55%) found the course extremely or very convenient.

CONCLUSION

Online lecture series consisting of the principles of the radiological imaging modalities can be offered to Turkish medical students to enhance their grasp of the various imaging modalities and their correct clinical application.

Teaching radiology in Egyptian medical schools: Where do we stand and how can we start?

Background

Radiology serves in the diagnosis and management of many diseases. Despite its rising importance and use, radiology is not a core component of a lot of medical school curricula. This survey aims to clarify current gaps in the radiological education in Egyptian medical schools. In February–May 2021, 5318 students enrolled in Egyptian medical schools were recruited and given a 20-multiple-choice-question survey assessing their radiology knowledge, radiograph interpretation, and encountered imaging experiences. We measured the objective parameters as a percentage. We conducted descriptive analysis and used Likert scales where values were represented as numerical values. Percentages were graphed afterwards.

Results

A total of 5318 medical students in Egypt answered our survey. Gender distribution was 45% males and 54% females. The results represented all 7 class years of medical school (six academic years and a final training year). In assessing students’ knowledge of radiology, most students (75%) reported that they received ‘too little’ education, while 20% stated the amount was ‘just right’ and only 4% reported it was ‘too much.’ Sixty-two percent of students stated they were taught radiology through medical imaging lectures. Participants’ future career plans were almost equally distributed. Near half of participants (43%) have not heard about the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria (ACR-AR), while 39% have heard about it but are not familiar with.

Conclusions

Radiology is a novel underestimated field. Therefore, medical students need more imaging exposure. To accomplish this, attention and efforts should be directed toward undergraduate radiology education to dissolve the gap between radiology and other specialties during clinical practice. A survey answered by medical students can bridge between presence of any current defect in undergraduate radiology teaching and future solutions for this topic.

A call to action; national survey of teaching radiology curriculum to medical students

Objectives:

Radiology and medical imaging are important yet often an underrepresented facet of medical education. Notably, there is concern among radiologists that students do not receive enough radiology exposure and that they struggle to interpret image findings on entering residency. Therefore, this survey aims to identify how medical students perceive the radiology curriculum and to determine gaps in delivery.

Material and Methods:

Students were recruited from United States (US) medical schools and given a 21-question survey assessing their perception of the radiology curriculum as well as asking about their confidence levels regarding medical imaging. The inclusion criteria were age >18 and enrolled in US medical school. The surveys were completed in April–July 2020 by students across the US. Objective parameters were measured as percentage correct, while subjective parameters used a 4-point Likert scale.

Results:

A total of 472 medical students across 31 medical schools completed the surveys with a response rate of 69%. Responses represented all class years within medical schools and showed equal distribution among the future career plans. Students responded that didactic lectures were the most common teaching method and that radiologists were their primary teachers during preclinical education. Students were unfamiliar with the American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria with 65% responding they had never heard of it and 33% reporting that they have heard of it but never used it. In assessing students’ perceptions of radiology education, 72% of students responded that they received too little, and 28% of students responded, “Just right.” <1% of students responded that there was “Too much” radiology in their curriculum.

Conclusion:

Radiologists are increasing their educational representation in medical school curricula. Despite this, radiology continues to be under-represented with students desiring more exposure to medical imaging. Integrating the student’s perceptions with existing curricula suggests that efforts should focus on increasing awareness of which studies are appropriate and teaching students how to systematically interpret an image.

The integration of radiology curriculum in undergraduate medical education

Knowledge of basic radiology is an essential component of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Pre-clinical education introduces medical students to essential knowledge and skills. However, the current curriculum and radiology teaching are not without inherent limitations. This article explores the essential role of radiology education for medical students and discusses the current state of affairs. It also highlights the limitations and associated challenges and proposes solutions.

•

Fulfilling the goal of integrating radiology into undergraduate medical curriculam is a real challenge due to the enduring faith assuming that traditional medical disciplines are worthy of consuming the available study time.

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Radiology is an essential division of medical science with a wide range of clinical applications in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy.

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Poor integration of the radiology curriculum in undergraduate medical education can lead to poor image interpretation skills and poor use of imaging algorithms in medical students and post-graduate doctors.

Acing the Fundamentals of Radiology: An Online Series for Medical Students and Interns

PURPOSE

The current undergraduate radiology education predominantly integrates radiology with other disciplines during preclerkship years and is often taught by nonradiologists. Early exposure to radiology and profound understanding of scientific fundamentals of imaging modalities and techniques are essential for a better understanding and interest in the specialty. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic-related impact on in-person medical education aggravated the need for alternative virtual teaching initiatives to provide essential knowledge to medical students.

METHODS

The authors designed an online 7-session course on the principles of imaging modalities for medical students and fresh graduates in the United States and abroad. The course was delivered online and taught by radiologists from different US institutions. Pretests and posttests were delivered before and after each session, respectively, to assess change in knowledge. At the end of the course, a survey was distributed among students to collect their assessment and feedback.

RESULTS

A total of 162 students and interns initially enrolled in the program by completing a sign-up interest form. An average of 65 participants attended each live session, with the highest attendance being 93 live attendees. An average of 44 attendees completed both the pretest and posttest for each session. There was a statistically significant increase in posttest scores compared with pretest scores (P < 0.01) for each session; on average, the posttest scores were 48% higher than the pretest scores. A total of 84 participants answered the end-of-course survey. A total of 11% of the respondents described themselves as first year, 17% as second year, 18% as third year, 21% as fourth year, and 33% as "other." Attendees were enrolled in medical schools across 21 different countries with 35% of the respondents studying medicine in the United States. More than 76% of the respondents stated that they "strongly agree" that the program increased their understanding of radiology, increased their interest in radiology, and would be useful in their clinical practice in the future. Eighty-three percent of the respondents stated that they "strongly agree" that "this course was a worthwhile experience." Particularly, more than 84% of the respondents stated that among the most important components in enhancing their understanding of radiology were "the interpretation of normal imaging" and "interpretation of clinical cases." Ninety-two percent of the respondents stated that "the amount of effort to complete the requirements for this program was just right." Participants were also asked to rate each of the 8 sessions using the following scale: poor = 1 point, fair = 2, good = 3, and excellent = 4. The average rating for all 8 sessions was 3.61 points (SD = 0.55), which translates to 96% of the sessions being rated good or excellent. Eighty percent of the participants reported that the topics presented in the program were "excellent and clinically important to learn," and 20% of the participants reported that the topics presented were "good and somewhat important to learn." The participants were asked to evaluate their confidence regarding basic radiology skills before and after the program using the following scale: not confident at all = 1 point, somewhat confident = 2, moderately confident = 3, and very confident = 4. Figure 2 summarizes the responses of the participants.

CONCLUSIONS

An online course to teach the fundamentals of imaging modalities could be delivered through a webinar format to medical students and interns in several countries to address the potential gaps in radiology education, therefore increasing their understanding of the different imaging modalities and their proper use in medicine.

Multidisciplinary Approach in Teaching Diagnostic Radiology to Medical Students: The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Virtual Educational Model

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of an online multidisciplinary approach for teaching diagnostic radiology to medical students.

METHODS

An online 10-session case-based learning course was designed and taught by a multidisciplinary team of radiologists, surgeons, and internists. Session topics included common clinical case scenarios for different systems and were hosted on a videoconferencing platform. Students from six medical schools across Texas enrolled in the course. The effectiveness of each session was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design. Students completed a final survey after the course to evaluate their experience.

RESULTS

An average of 108 attended the live sessions, with attendance peaking at 220. On average, 75 students completed both the pretest and posttest of each session. Posttest scores were an average of 46% higher than pretest scores. A total of 109 students completed the final survey; more than 90% of participants agreed that the program was relevant, that its multidisciplinary approach was valuable, and that it increased their knowledge of imaging as a diagnostic tool. Seventy-four percent said that the program increased their interest in radiology. Almost all participants said that the topics presented were thought to be "excellent and clinically important to learn" by most of the students (70%). Participants reported increased confidence in basic radiology skills after completion of the program.

CONCLUSIONS

An online multidisciplinary approach can be feasibly implemented to address the radiology education needs of a large number of medical students across a group of medical schools.

Medical Student Knowledge and Interest in Interventional Radiology following a Rotation Integrated into the Surgery Clerkship

Objective:

The objective of the study was to evaluate how early exposure to interventional radiology (IR) affects medical students’ knowledge and interest in IR.

Methods:

Surveys assessing students’ awareness of IR training pathways, IR services, and interest in IR were distributed in 2018. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Likert scale data were evaluated using Mann–Whitney U-test. We hypothesized that students’ interest in IR and knowledge of the specialty would increase following their rotations.

Results:

16/20 (80%) pre-rotation and 13/20 post-rotation (65%) students responded to the surveys. About 73% of pre and 85% of post students knew that IR had its own new residency program. About 50% of pre and 100% of post students knew that integrated IR residency was a new training pathway. About 38% of pre and 46% of post students knew that independent IR residency was a new training pathway. About 38% of pre and 62% of post students knew that early specialization was a new training pathway. The number of students who knew IR had admitting privileges doubled (62% post vs. 31% pre). More students knew that IR had a clinic at our hospital (85% vs. 63%). The level of interest in becoming an IR increased from 3.00 to 3.23 (P = 0.36), and the level of interest in becoming a diagnostic radiologist increased from 2.56 to 2.69 (P = 0.91).

Conclusion:

Awareness of IR as a clinical specialty and familiarity with the new training pathways increased after an IR elective integrated into a surgery rotation. Students’ interest in pursuing IR also non-significantly increased.

Designing a Comprehensive Undergraduate Medical Education Radiology Curriculum Using the 5C's of Radiology Education Framework

The 5C's of Radiology Education is a tool created from a recent qualitative study designed to explore how radiology exposures impact medical student opinions and perceptions of radiology and radiologists. It outlines the factors that the medical students identified as important for their radiology education. These factors are curriculum, coaching, collaborating, career, and commitment. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature of undergraduate medical education both broadly and more specifically to radiology education using the 5C's of Radiology Education framework.

Radiology Exposure in the Undergraduate Curriculum: A Medical Student Perspective on Quality and Opportunities for Positive Change

Purpose

This article is a continuation of a qualitative study designed to explore how radiology exposures can impact medical student opinions and perceptions of radiology and radiologists. We focused on: 1) conducting a radiology exposure inventory from the perspective of the medical student; 2) student evaluation of the quality of the radiology exposures and suggestions for positive change; and 3) development of a framework to address the needs of medical students as it relates to radiology education in the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Methods

Research methodology and design for this qualitative study were described in detail in a previous article by Visscher et al [1] .

Results

Participants included 28 medical students; 18 were in medical school years 1 and 2 (preclerkship), and 10 were in years 3 and 4 (clerkship). Specific to the focus of this article, the data revealed 3 major findings: 1) multiple exposures to radiology exist, and they are received and valued differently depending on the medical student's stage of professional development; 2) medical students value radiology education and want their radiology exposure to be comprehensive and high quality; 3) Medical students have constructive suggestions for improving the quality of both formal and informal radiology exposures.

Conclusions

Performing a radiology exposure inventory from a medical student perspective is a useful way to explore how students receive and value radiology instruction. Medical students want a more comprehensive radiology education that can be summarized using the 5 C's of Radiology Education framework. The 5 C's (curriculum, coaching, collaborating, career and commitment) reflect medical students' desires to learn content that will support them in clinical practice, be supported in their professional development, and have the necessary information to make informed career decisions.

Radiologists as Educators: A Narrative Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine literature on how radiologists are trained to be effective educators for both residents and undergraduates in the health professions.

METHODS

A review of the literature was performed using relevant key words. Articles were retrieved through from 1990 through December 2012 using PubMed, ScienceDirect, ERIC, Proquest, and ICL databases along with a manual review of references.

RESULTS

Of the 4716 unique abstracts reviewed by the author, 51 were found to be relevant to the purpose of this study. Faculty teaching skills seem to be solidified during residency. This may be due to a failure to include scholarship of teaching and learning in education and faculty development. Preliminary research shows that creating opportunity for faculty development is beneficial with much of this literature focused on explaining educational concepts to radiologists.

CONCLUSION

The literature examining faculty training in the area of radiology education is sparse. Several articles address the need for more academic radiologists and the need for better training of academic radiologists. The few articles aimed at providing insight to radiologists in this area introduce basic educational concepts such as lecture creation, examination writing, and learning styles or simply delineating what makes an effective educator.

Undergraduate radiology teaching from the student's perspective

Objectives

To obtain medical students’ evaluation of the quality of undergraduate radiology teaching received, preferred teaching methods and resources. This is a follow-up project to an earlier study of junior doctors who felt that radiology teaching left them ill prepared for medical practice.

Methods

A questionnaire to third and fifth year medical students undertaking clinical rotations at Newcastle University, UK.

Results

The questionnaire was completed by 57/60 (95 %) of third and 37/40 (93 %) of final year medical students. Students received minimal radiology teaching in pre-clinical years, feeling this was insufficient. The majority of students rated interactive case-based teaching as effective. Self-directed learning resources such as textbooks, journals and even online learning modules were perceived as less effective. Other types of web resources rated higher. Motivation for most students when studying radiology was to achieve learning objectives needed to pass their next exams and/or to improve as a doctor.

Conclusions

Medical students criticise the lack of radiology teaching in pre-clinical undergraduate years. Radiology teaching should be represented in all undergraduate years, preferably delivered via interactive teaching sessions. Currently available e-learning modules do not meet the students’ learning needs and there is a call for reliable, up-to-date open access electronic resources.

Main Messages

• Radiology teaching should be represented in all pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate years.

• Medical students rate interactive case-based teaching sessions as very effective.

• There is a call for reliable, up-to-date open access electronic resources for medical students.

What program directors think: results of the 2011 annual survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) conducts an annual survey to monitor and evaluate issues pertaining to radiology residents' educational experiences, work responsibilities, and benefits. Data are used to identify emerging trends and patterns of change to plan and provide resources that support radiology residency programs and their directors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The APDR Annual Survey Committee selected 59 items for an observational, cross-sectional study using a Web-based survey. Topics of interest included program director satisfaction, resident recruitment, social media, program requirements, curriculum, the new American Board of Radiology exam process, call, and residents-as-teachers programs. All active APDR members (n = 296) were invited to participate in survey between February 20 and March 11, 2011.

RESULTS

The response rate was 47% (140 of 296). Descriptive results were tallied using SurveyMonkey software, and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. Findings were reported during the 59th annual meeting of the Association of University Radiologists.

CONCLUSIONS

Data generated by the annual survey enable the APDR to accrue data pertaining to residents' real-time educational experiences. In 2011, program directors were satisfied with their jobs but not convinced that competency-based program requirements had positive effect on residency training. Programs plan to use the Radiological Society of North America and American Association of Physicists in Medicine Web-based physics training modules. Most radiology programs do not have residents-as-teachers programs, nor do they plan to initiate them. During recruitment, programs use an applicant's location as a proxy for true interest in the program, and interest in the program is important for granting interviews and final ranking. Qualified international medical graduate applicants have access to radiology training in the United States and Canada. Almost half of radiology programs have in-house reading by attending radiologists with residents on call. Residency programs have been slow to embrace social media.

Radiology teaching for junior doctors: their expectations, preferences and suggestions for improvement

Objectives

To evaluate radiology teaching offered to junior doctors on general medical/surgical rotations, their preferences regarding teaching methods and self-directed learning tools, and their suggestions for improvement.

Methods

An online questionnaire involving all foundation programme doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital was carried out. Quantitative analysis of preferences and free text feedback were used.

Results

There was a response rate of 88/90 doctors (98%). The radiology teaching received was mostly informal. Most junior doctors felt that their medical school radiology teaching had been inadequate. The preferred teaching techniques were interactive case-based and system-based discussions. Textbooks and journal articles were not as popular as self-directed learning tools. Online learning material was used quite frequently, with general web content being more popular. Eighty-seven percent cited their motivation for studying radiology as “to become a better doctor”. More guidance from radiologists was desired, particularly regarding the choice of examinations and discussion of cases. Twenty-two percent of doctors were considering radiology as a career.

Conclusions

Interactive elements in radiology teaching are important. Online electronic teaching modules can be integrated into the teaching curriculum, but they must be of high quality to be acceptable and face-to-face interaction is still important. Junior doctors would like more guidance from radiologists.

Radiological clerkships as a critical curriculum component in radiology education

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research was to explore the perceived value of clinical clerkships in the radiology curriculum as well as the impact of radiology clerkship on students' beliefs about the profession of radiology as a whole and as a career.

METHODS

This study is a sequel to a previous survey in which student perceptions about radiology curriculum components were investigated. The present study focuses on a further analysis of a subsection in this study, based on 14 statements about radiology clerkship and two statements about radiology as a career.

RESULTS

Perceived usefulness of the aspects of radiology clerkship as "radiology examination", "skills development" and "diagnosis focus" were awarded the highest scores. The predict value of the subscale "radiology examination" on the level of performance was very high (adjusted R(2)=0.19, p<.001).

CONCLUSION

Students expressed highly favorable evaluation of clerkship as a learning environment to learn to order and to interpret imaging studies as well as an unique possibility to attend various radiological examinations and to access to specific radiology software systems, as well as to get a better view on radiology and to improve image interpretation skills. This positive attitude towards clerkship is closely tied to students' beliefs about the profession of radiology as a whole. These aspects of dedicated radiology clerkship are crucial for effective and high-quality education as well as for the choice of radiology as a career.

A Survey of Local Preclinical and Clinical Medical Students’ Attitudes towards Radiology

Introduction: This study compares the attitudes between preclinical and clinical medical students towards radiology, following the introduction of a new radiology curriculum for 1st year students. Materials and Methods: Revision of the 1st year medical school curriculum for the academic year of 2008/9 with the inclusion of 13 one-hour formal radiology lectures integrated with each body system was done in an undergraduate Southeast Asian medical school. In the old curriculum, 1st and 2nd year medical students are not exposed to radiology. They received limited radiology teaching in their 3rd and 5th years with 2 one-hour lectures as part of their medicine and surgery rotations. In the 4th year, they have a one week non-examinable posting in radiology. A survey was administered to preclinical (new curriculum) and clinical (old curriculum) students. Survey responses were tabulated and attitudes between preclinical and clinical students were compared. Results: More than half of the preclinical students (155 out of 270 students, 59%) and 90 out of 720 clinical students (12.5%) responded. Students exposed to the new curriculum had attended one or two dedicated radiology lectures and were considering radiology as a clinical elective. Both groups of students did not feel familiar with radiology as with other specialties, were not considering radiology as a career, but felt that radiology was interesting and important to the overall practice of medicine. Conclusions: Exposure of 1st year students to radiology increases their interest in the subject. Further intervention, fi ne-tuning of the curriculum and follow-up surveys will be carried out to see if this interest persists throughout their clinical years. Keywords: Curriculum, Medical Schoo1, Undergraduate

Ensuring the radiologist workforce: opportunities during education

The authors conducted a literature review to better understand the current trends in the medical workforce and, specifically, the effect these have had in radiology. The cyclic nature of the radiology workforce supply has paralleled similar experiences in the general medical profession and other specialties. A review of proven education and training initiatives demonstrates positive workforce effects in particular circumstances. The adaptation of proven education initiatives should enhance the future radiology workforce in both private and academic settings.

Errors in radiographic interpretation made by veterinary students

As a means of identifying student weaknesses in radiographic interpretation that could be used as foci for teaching, a cohort of 96 students joining the final-year radiology rotation were randomly allocated to one of three radiographic interpretation quizzes, each based on radiographs of small-animal patients together with the signalment and a brief, relevant history. Students' quiz scores were analyzed by multiple logistic regression, using an outcome variable with the score for each item as numerator and maximum possible mark as denominator. Students' median quiz score was 49% of the maximum (range 23-80%). Students were more likely to gain a mark for items based on abnormal radiographs than for those based on normal radiographs (odds ratio 3.4, p < 0.001). Skeletal radiographs were associated with lower scores (OR 0.75, p = 0.03). The fewest marks were awarded for interpretation of a radiograph of a normal canine stifle and interpretation of a radiograph of a normal canine pelvis; these items were misinterpreted as abnormal by 86% and 80% of the students, respectively. Students' tendency to over-interpret normal radiographs may reflect a lack of knowledge of radiographic anatomy or an unrealistically high expectation that the radiographs are abnormal.

Redefining radiology education for first-year medical students: shifting from a passive to an active case-based approach

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study is to design and implement an elective course in which first-year medical students learn about radiology by actively integrating imaging with hospital records and radiology reports, rather than passively observing radiologists or images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty students enrolled in an elective entitled "Introduction to Clinical Radiology." Students were divided into groups of two or three and given a case file describing the hospital visit of a patient with a common computed tomographic (CT) diagnosis. Files contained a PowerPoint presentation with all images from the patient's CT examination (allowing students to scroll through the images as if viewed on a picture archive and communication system workstation), as well as emergency department records, admission and discharge summaries, surgical notes, pathology reports, and radiology reports. Group discussion was facilitated by radiology staff acting as consultants, rather than instructors. As a final project, each group presented its case to the students and faculty.

RESULTS

Compared with before the course, students' understanding of the role of radiologists in the clinical management of patients significantly increased, but interest in radiology as a specialty was unchanged. Students significantly preferred scrolling through images on their own, rather than being shown static images in a didactic format. Students significantly agreed that they would recommend the course to a classmate.

CONCLUSION

Case-based instruction in radiology, in which first-year medical students are actively engaged in the integration of clinical and imaging information, can affect students' views on the role of radiologists and their clinical management of patients.

Chest radiograph interpretation by medical students

AIM

To assess the ability of final year medical students to interpret conventional chest radiographs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten conventional chest radiographs were selected from a teaching hospital radiology department library that were good radiological examples of common conditions. All were conditions that a medical student should be expected to recognize by the end of their training. One normal radiograph was included. The radiographs were shown to 52 final year medical students who were asked to describe their findings.

RESULTS

The median score achieved was 12.5 out of 20 (range 6-18). There was no difference between the median scores of male and female students (12.5 and 12.3, respectively, p=0.82) but male students were more likely to be certain of their answers than female students (median certainty scores 23.0 and 14.0, respectively). The overall degree of certainty was low. On no radiograph were more than 25% of students definite about their answer. Students had received little formal radiology teaching (2-42 h, median 21) and few expressed an interest in radiology as a career. Only two (3.8%) students thought they were good at interpreting chest radiographs, 17 (32.7%) thought they were bad or awful.

CONCLUSION

Medical students reaching the end of their training do not perform well at interpreting simple chest radiographs. They lack confidence and have received little formal radiological tuition. Perhaps as a result, few are interested in radiology as a career, which is a matter for concern in view of the current shortage of radiologists in the UK.

Medical student radiology training: what are the objectives for contemporary medical practice?

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The authors attempt to provide a set of objectives for medical student training in radiology for contemporary medical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A questionnaire containing a list of educational objectives was sent to 32 radiologists in charge of medical student training in radiology at accredited residency programs in Australia and New Zealand. The importance of including each preselected objective in the curriculum was measured by respondents' agreement or disagreement on a scale of 1-6. Opportunity also was given to respondents to suggest objectives other than those presented on the questionnaire.

RESULTS

Twenty of the 32 questionnaires were returned, and a set of educational objectives was established based on the responses. The objectives were ranked in importance according to the mean score assigned to each objective by the respondents.

CONCLUSION

This new set of educational objectives for medical student radiology training reflects recent changes in radiologic and medical practice and points to potential future developments.