The value of medical student radiology education: A comparison of 1-week, 2-week, electives, and compulsories.

BACKGROUND

Basic radiology interpretive skill is essential for all physicians. We developed a vertical type of radiology education, including basic radiology in the students' first clinical year and added the other 1-week or 2-week dedicated radiology rotation in the later clinical year. The objective of this study was to present a valuable radiology education to undergraduate medical students.

METHODS

At academic year 2014-2015, there were three different groups of the clinical-year students took a radiology rotation. All students completed the pretest of 30-image quiz at the first day of the course and the posttest of the same quiz at the last day of the course. The mean scores and the mean score changes of pretest and posttest were compared. A grade point average was used to determine the students' background characteristics. The relationships between students' background characteristics and the mean score changes were calculated.

RESULTS

There were three groups of students including; 11 sixth-year elective students, 19 fifth-year compulsory students and 39 sixth-year compulsory students. The mean posttest score of all students were statistically significant greater than the mean pretest score (p < .001). For the students' years, time space or interest level had no significant effects on the improved score.

CONCLUSION

Adding a 1-week dedicated radiology rotation to fifth- or sixth-year students after they finished the standard radiology course is beneficial to students. This type of vertical radiology curriculum is valuable and should be incorporated into formal medical school curricula.