E3417. Continuing to EMPOWER (Evaluating Medical Student Participation, Observation, and Workstation Education in Radiology): Updated Findings
Authors
Jeffrey Quezada;
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Maryam Golshan-Momeni;
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Arif Musa;
Detroit Medical Center
Peter Wang;
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Arash Anavim;
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Objective:
The past decade has seen significant progress in undergraduate radiology education centering around providing medical students an opportunity to interact with a radiology workstation during their clerkship. Central to these changes has been the view that diagnostic radiology electives should resemble clinical subinternships that promote active learning and incorporate both interaction and feedback from radiology faculty and residents.
Materials and Methods:
At the UC Irvine Medical Center Department of Radiological Sciences, we surveyed medical students upon completion of a 1-week musculoskeletal radiology elective to assess their experiences at the personal workstation, interest in radiology as a career, and the educational utility of each experience within a hybrid curriculum. Survey responses were quantified on a 5-point Likert scale including the options "not useful, somewhat not useful, neutral, somewhat useful, or very useful." For the two questions asking about student interest in radiology as a career pre- and postelective, the Likert scale options were adapted to "not interested, somewhat not interested, neutral, somewhat interested, and very interested."
Results:
As of August 2023, 37 students have completed both the musculoskeletal radiology elective and the survey. One student only completed the first half of survey questions. Of the 33 students that attempted image interpretation at their own workstation, 31 (94%) found it educationally useful and 32 (97%) students believed reviewing those interpretations with a resident or an attending radiologist was beneficial. Of the 25 students that participated in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, 19 (76%) found it useful to their education. The majority found the workstation improved their understanding of musculoskeletal pathologies (97%), radiological anatomy (94%), and the role of radiologists as consultants (92%). The percentage of students interested in radiology as a career choice significantly increased after elective completion (57%) compared to prior (27%) (<em>p</em> = 0.002).
Conclusion:
Students found the hybrid curriculum significantly beneficial in improving their understanding of radiology as a medical specialty and that the personal workstation improved their knowledge of basic radiological anatomy and principles. The hybrid learning model also significantly increased student interest in radiology as a career. Overall, our results suggest that the transformation of the radiology elective from the traditional radi-holiday stereotype to a more interactive, active experience enhances student engagement and increases the likelihood of stimulating genuine curiosity in radiology as a profession.
