Implementation of a new undergraduate radiology curriculum: experience at the University of British Columbia.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to review and revise the undergraduate radiology curriculum at the University of British Columbia to improve radiology education to medical students and to meet the needs of a medical program with province-wide distribution. METHODS: We identified the radiology content of the curriculum from the Curriculum Management and Information Tool online database, from personal interviews with curriculum heads, and from published information. Undergraduates' and recent graduates' opinions were solicited by means of surveys. Information on radiology curricula at medical schools across Canada was gathered from email surveys and personal contacts with members of the Canadian Heads of Academic Radiology (CHAR). RESULTS: Review of our curriculum indicated that lack of a unified syllabus resulted in redundant content, gaps in knowledge, and lack of continuity in the curriculum. Results from the survey of programs across Canada indicated that most schools also lacked a formal radiology curriculum for medical students. By adapting the guidelines from the Association of Medical Student Education in Radiology, we revised our undergraduate radiology curriculum to emphasize integration and self-learning. The modified curriculum includes a combination of instructional technology, focused lectures in preclinical years, and in-context seminars in clerkship rotations. CONCLUSION: Most medical schools in Canada do not have a formal radiology curriculum for medical students. A structured curriculum is required to improve the quality of radiology teaching for medical students.     

Curriculum in radiology for residents: what, why, how, when, and where

Developing a curriculum in chest radiology should follow the same general principles that are used when developing a curriculum in any subspecialty area of radiology. A curriculum is more than a "list of topics" with which a resident should be familiar after 4 years of training. It includes objectives and goals, content, faculty, methods, and evaluation. Numerous resources are available for those who are charged with developing a curriculum in chest radiology. In addition to faculty members in the department, whose input during development can ensure successful implementation of the curriculum, organizations (i.e., ACR, APDR, STR) already have begun to develop "model" curricula. Attending the annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges is a way to meet and hear from professionals who develop and oversee curriculum development at their medical schools, and another important resource available at some medical schools is the Office of Medical Education. The faculty within such offices are uniquely qualified to assist with curriculum and faculty development, especially for those areas in which radiology faculty traditionally are less experienced, such as development of valid and reliable assessment forms and construction of behaviorally based objectives.     

Development and assessment of a radiology core curriculum in health care policy and practice

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a core curriculum in health policy and practice for radiology residents and fellows, to determine whether such a curriculum would be considered professionally valuable by participants, and to determine if the curriculum would influence participants' careers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A core curriculum in health policy and practice was developed, involving 19 seminars presented over 5 weeks. Twelve faculty members presented comprehensive and integrated information relevant to current and future radiology practice. Topic clusters included health care structure and payment, technology and health services, radiology practice management, and career issues. Classroom teaching was supplemented by a course syllabus and resource library. Participants were surveyed following each seminar and at the conclusion of the curriculum. RESULTS: Participants described their baseline knowledge of each topic as weak. As a result of the curriculum, self-described knowledge ratings increased considerably. Interest in curriculum topics and perception of their importance and relevance to radiology practice increased. Of respondents, 84% (26 of 31) described the curriculum as having very good or excellent educational value. All respondents indicated that the curriculum should be repeated in the future, 42% (13 of 31) indicated that the curriculum motivated them to pursue further related education, and 61% (19 of 31) developed interest in personal involvement in administrative issues and radiology organizations. CONCLUSION: A core curriculum in health policy and practice was successfully integrated into radiology training. The curriculum resulted in increased knowledge, interest, and perceived importance of medical management issues by residents and fellows and stimulated their interest in pursuing further management education and involvement in radiology administration and organizations.     

Creating an international comprehensive web-based curriculum in pediatric radiology

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the creation of a standardized comprehensive resident curriculum in pediatric radiology that uses adult learning principles authored by international experts and addresses the six general competencies required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. CONCLUSION: Web-based learning with an online curriculum has the potential to become an integral component of residency training. The use of radiology experts as authors allows compilation of an authoritative, comprehensive, and current body of knowledge that enhances the current teaching file approach to Web-based instruction in radiology. We describe the approach, design, and tools necessary for the construction of a complete Web-based curriculum in pediatric radiology that includes self-assessment through pre- and post-testing, text with interactive images, curriculum evaluation, and the ability to record trainee demographics.     

Global Radiology Training Prevalence Among Radiology Residency Programs

ObjectiveGlobal Radiology aims to enhance access to medical imaging services and education, worldwide. To date, few reports have evaluated Global Radiology Training (GRT) in radiology residency programs. Here, we examined how radiology residency programs perceive and incorporate GRT into their curriculum, and how this information is promoted online.MethodsTwo methods were used to examine the current state of GRT. First, radiology residency program directors (identified via the Association of Program Directors in Radiology) were surveyed on topics including: Electives, institutional partnerships, resident and faculty involvement, inquiry by prospective residents, and barriers to implementation. Second, radiology residency program websites (n = 193) were examined for existing GRT on the programs’ publicly available webpages.ResultsThere were 62 survey responses (response rate of 19%). Thirty-eight percent (24/62) of residency programs offered a Global Radiology elective to their residents within the past academic year and 27% (17/62) of programs have active affiliations with medical institutions outside of the United States. Eighty-four percent of program directors (52/62) received questions from residency applicants regarding opportunities to participate in Global Radiology. Furthermore, only 13% (26/193) of all radiology residency programs listed at least one GRT elective on their webpage.DiscussionGRT in radiology residency is more widely available than previously reported and has been underrepresented on residency program websites. In the present survey, the majority of radiology residency program directors reported that radiology is an important component of Global Health, one-third of whom have already incorporated the subject into their curriculum. However, most common barriers to GRT include, perceived lack of time in the curriculum and lack of faculty interest. The high prevalence of inquiry from residency program applicants about GRT suggests that it may be a notable factor for applicants during the ranking process. Programs build up GRT may choose to share related information seeking to may choose to emphasize work in Global Radiology on their program webpages.     

Clinically oriented three-year medical physics curriculum: a new design for the future

OBJECTIVE: Medical physics instruction for diagnostic radiology residency at our institution has been redesigned with an interactive and image-based approach that encourages clinical application. The new medical physics curriculum spans the first 3 years of radiology residency and is integrated with the core didactic curriculum. CONCLUSION: Salient features include clinical medical physics conferences, fundamentals of medical physics lectures, practicums, online modules, journal club, and a final review before the American Board of Radiology core examination.     

Comprehensive Health Care Economics Curriculum and Training in Radiology Residency

PurposeTo investigate the ability to successfully develop and institute a comprehensive health care economics skills curriculum in radiology residency training utilizing didactic lectures, case scenario exercises, and residency miniretreats.MethodsA comprehensive health care economics skills curriculum was developed to significantly expand upon the basic ACGME radiology residency milestone System-Based Practice, SBP2: Health Care Economics requirements and include additional education in business and contract negotiation, radiology sales and marketing, and governmental and private payers’ influence in the practice of radiology.ResultsA health care economics curriculum for radiology residents incorporating three phases of education was developed and implemented. Phase 1 of the curriculum constituted basic education through didactic lectures covering System-Based Practice, SBP2: Health Care Economics requirements. Phase 2 constituted further, more advanced didactic lectures on radiology sales and marketing techniques as well as government and private insurers’ role in the business of radiology. Phase 3 applied knowledge attained from the initial two phases to real-life case scenario exercises and radiology department business miniretreats with the remainder of the radiology department.ConclusionA health care economics skills curriculum in radiology residency is attainable and essential in the education of future radiology residents in the ever-changing climate of health care economics. Institution of more comprehensive programs will likely maximize the long-term success of radiology as a specialty by identifying and educating future leaders in the field of radiology.     

The radiology assistant: a contrarian’s view

Recent and rapid increases in the utilization of diagnostic imaging have not been matched by concomitant additions to the supply of radiologists and radiology technologists. One proposal to alleviate an expected worsening of this emerging workforce crisis is to create a new job category, the radiology assistant (RA), encompassing a roster of enhanced capabilities that would allow the radiologists to divest themselves of some of their non-interpretative duties with respect to the performance of imaging tests. Through the collaborative efforts of the American College of Radiology and the American Society of Radiology Technologists a nationally recognized, baccalaureate-level curriculum has been designed for the training of RAs. A centerpiece of the curriculum is instruction in fluoroscopy. However, examinations of the GI tract by fluoroscopy are rapidly declining in frequency, raising doubt about the enhanced value an RA would bring to a radiology practice in the near future and worries about encroachment on the range of radiologists responsibilities over the long term.     

Europäisches Curriculum für die Weiterbildung in der Radiologie

The European training curriculum for radiology of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) aims to harmonize training in radiology in Europe. Levels I and II constitute the centerpiece of the curriculum. The ESR recommends a 5-year training period in radiology with 3 years of level I and 2 years of level II training. The undergraduate (U) level curriculum is conceived as a basis for teaching radiology in medical schools and consists of a modality-oriented U1 level and an organ-based U2 level. Level III curricula provide contents for subspecialty and fellowship training after board certification in radiology. The curricular contents of all parts of the European Training Curriculum are divided into the sections knowledge, skills as well as competences and attitudes. The European training curriculum is meant to be a recommendation and a basis for the development of national curricula, but is not meant to replace existing national regulations.     

Methods and resources for physics education in radiology residency programs: survey results

Over the past 2 years, ongoing efforts have been made to reevaluate and restructure the way physics education is provided to radiology residents. Program directors and faculty from North American radiology residency programs were surveyed about how physics is being taught and what resources are currently being used for their residents. Substantial needs were identified for additional educational resources in physics, better integration of physics into clinical training, and a standardized physics curriculum closely linked to the initial certification examination of the American Board of Radiology.     

Curriculum topics in radiology education

There is a need for a standardized curriculum for medical school instruction in diagnostic radiology. A survey of clinicians, recent medical school graduates, and educators in radiology resulted in remarkable agreement as to the clinical curriculum topics considered important in a medical school course in diagnostic radiology. This report outlines these topics and discusses both their commonality and their differences.     

Limitations of student evaluations of curriculum

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Medical student surveys are used extensively in the development and modification of curriculum. The purpose of this study was to look at medical student surveys of a radiology lecture series, evaluating the accuracy of student perceptions of learning and factors affecting them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After a "Case of the Week" lecture series, 156 3rd-year medical students returned a survey evaluating the experience with 10 questions on a four-point scale (1 = disagree, 4 = agree very much) and took a clinical competency assessment (CCA) examination with a radiology substation. Survey responses were compared with actual examination performance, analyzed for how overall learning was characterized in specific educational objectives, and evaluated for factors affecting perceived learning. RESULTS: The mean response for perceived CCA examination preparedness was 1.83. The mean radiology station test score was 90.43%. Correlations between student perception of learning and the scoring of focused learning objectives ranged from 0.33 to 0.48 (P < .01). Students responding 1 to items assessing perceived lecture organization, stimulation to read, and interest in the field of radiology had mean scores for perception of overall learning of 2.09-2.44 and mean scores for recommendation of course continuation of 1.68-2.46. Students responding 4 had means of 3.25-3.81 and 3.06-4.0, respectively. CONCLUSION: Student perceptions of the value of curriculum were inaccurate compared with external measures of performance, and students poorly related their general impressions to specific learning objectives. Perceived lecture organization, stimulation to read, and interest in radiology as a specialty affected perceived overall learning and perceived value of the lecture series.     

Undergraduate radiology education in the era of dynamism in medical curriculum: An educational perspective

Radiology undergraduate curriculum has undergone a tremendous transformation in the decades reflecting a change in the structure, content and delivery of instruction. These changes are not unique to the discipline, but rather a response in the cycle of the re-engineering process in the medical curriculum in order to ensure its proper role into the ever-changing context. Radiology education is now more integrated across the curriculum than ever. The diversity of how radiology is being taught within the medical undergraduate curriculum is extensive and promising with the expanding role of the radiologist in the spectrum within the medical curriculum. A strong interface between the medical student and the clinicians must always be integrated in the learning process in order to convey the essential and practical use of the different aspects of radiology essential to the student's career as a future clinician. With the recent advancement in educational and technological innovations, radiology education is mobilized in the most pioneering ways, stimulating a rekindled interest in the field of medical imaging. This paper describes the increasing interest in current role of undergraduate radiology education in the context of constant medical curriculum innovations and in the digital age.     

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on radiology education,training, and practice: A narrative review

Radiology education and training is of paramount clinical importance given the prominence of medical imaging utilization in effective clinical practice. The incorporation of basic radiology in the medical curriculum has continued to evolve, focusing on teaching image interpretation skills, the appropriate ordering of radiological investigations, judicious use of ionizing radiation, and providing exposure to interventional radiology. Advancements in radiology have been driven by the digital revolution, which has, in turn, had a positive impact on radiology education and training. Upon the advent of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many training institutions and hospitals adhered to directives which advised rescheduling of non-urgent outpatient appointments. This inevitably impacted the workflow of the radiology department, which resulted in the reduction of clinical in-person case reviews and consultations, as well as in-person teaching sessions. Several medical schools and research centers completely suspended face-to-face academic activity. This led to challenges for medical teachers to complete the radiology syllabus while ensuring that teaching activities continued safely and effectively. As a result, online teaching platforms have virtually replaced didactic face-to-face lectures. Radiology educators also sought other strategies to incorporate interactive teaching sessions while adopting the e-learning approach, as they were cognizant of the limitations that this may have on students’ clinical expertise. Migration to online methods to review live cases, journal clubs, simulation-based training, clinical interaction, and radiology examination protocolling are a few examples of successfully addressing the limitations in reduced clinical exposure. In this review paper, we discuss (1) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology education, training, and practice; (2) Challenges and strategies involved in delivering online radiology education for undergraduates and postgraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) Difference between the implementation of radiology education during the COVID-19 pandemic and pre-COVID-19 era.     

The Short and the Long of It: Transitioning to a Blended Longitudinal Curriculum in Radiology

PurposeThe aim of this study was to demonstrate that the transition from a stand-alone radiology clerkship block to a longitudinally integrated radiology curriculum leverages newer teaching tools favored by today’s learners.MethodsIn 2013 and 2014, medical students attended a dedicated 1-week radiology clerkship course. In 2015, the block clerkship model for radiology transitioned to a vertically integrated curriculum. By 2019, radiology content was integrated into many of the health illness and disease course blocks. Pre- and postcourse multiple-choice question tests as well as anonymous surveys were administered for both clerkship and integrated curriculum blocks. The student survey questions assessed perceptions regarding interpretation skills, imaging modality knowledge, and radiologists’ roles.ResultsAmong 197 total students in the clerkship block, surveys were completed by 170 respondents, yielding a response rate of 86.3%. Among 106 students in the longitudinal course, surveys were completed by 71 respondents, yielding a response rate of 67%. For both clerkship and longitudinally integrated courses, the average number of correct responses after completion of the courses was significantly greater than the average number of correct precourse responses. Compared with students in the clerkship block curriculum, students in the longitudinal curriculum demonstrated a significantly greater frequency of agreement in response to survey questions regarding significant exposure to radiology, feeling comfortable interpreting CT images, and being familiar with how to use the ACR Appropriateness Criteria.ConclusionsTransitioning from a single clerkship block to a more integrated format allows a more effective patient-centered clinical approach to medical imaging.     

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 R² = 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.     

The Perceived long-term impact of the radiological curriculum innovation in the medical doctors training at Ghent University

Objectives

How do students experience and perceive the innovative undergraduate radiology curriculum at Ghent University, and what explains differences in student perception?

Methods

A survey was presented to the 2008 cohort of students enrolled in the undergraduate medical curriculum at Ghent University. The survey focused on their experiences and perceptions in relation to the innovative undergraduate radiology teaching.

Results and conclusion

The present research results point at a favorable perception of the innovative radiology curriculum components. The study points - both during pre-clinical and clinical years - at the appreciation for curriculum components that combine traditional curriculum components (ex-cathedra lessons with syllabus) with distance learning components such as E-learning and E-testing. In clinical years - as expected - students switch to the application of knowledge and skills and therefore heavily appreciate practice linked curriculum components.     

Resident education in the radiological sciences: what now?

OBJECTIVE: With the dizzying changes in the rapidly evolving profession of radiology, the structure of resident education in the associated sciences of imaging, physics, radiobiology, and radiation effects must be reevaluated continually. What roles do these basic radiologic sciences play in bolstering the neophyte radiologist on a career of patient care? How should we define the spectrum of material that should be learned? How should that spectrum be taught? Who decides these things? With the impending changes in the radiology board certification process, questions have been raised as to how these changes will affect education in a residency program. Should the basic science curriculum be enhanced or scaled back? With the emphasis on practical applied physics, what is considered old school and what is new school material? CONCLUSION: This article describes one approach adopted by a large residency program to address these issues.     

Evidence-based practice in radiology education: why and how should we teach it?

Evidence-based practice in radiology (EBR) is becoming firmly established as a method to enhance the knowledge and fill the need for further knowledge within the profession. It has been identified as an essential part of the training program, both at medical school and at the resident and/or fellowship level. This review aims to describe the essential components of EBR, to describe the educational theories that may be applied to developing EBR within the curriculum, and to give several models that have been shown to result in greater student and resident participation in the search and exploration of evidence-based practice.