William Louie Simpson MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Richard Hersh Stern MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jeffrey Laitman PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The online AR clerkship has been well received by the students. They greatly appreciate the ability to access the MIRC server from anywhere with an Internet connection. This allows significant flexibility with scheduling their 4th year rotations and eliminates some of the problems with the conventional clerkship.

Since 2005 the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM) has had a required Anatomic Radiology (AR) clerkship in the 4th year. Although successful in many ways, a persistent problem both from the student perspective and the clerkship administration was students’ need to be away from MSSM in the fall of Yr 4 due to residency interviews and away electives thus missing Clerkship days. To overcome this, an online AR option was created in 2009. Five cases including normal studies and pathology were grouped into stand alone modules and housed on the institutional Medical Images Resource Center (MIRC) server. There were initially 5 modules in 2009 (Abdomen, Neuro, Musculoskeletal, Chest and GU/GYN). In 2010, 2 additional modules (Cardiovascular and Pediatrics) were added. Each case includes a clinical history, images, description of the normal and abnormal findings and a discussion section which explains the pathophysiology of the disease depicted and a discussion of the imaging.

Each module also has an unknown case. Students complete the findings and impression sections of a radiology report for the unknowns which are graded. In addition, there is a MCQ online exam. The overall grade for the clerkship is 40% based on the exam and 60% based on the composite grade of the unknown cases. After the clerkship, each student is required to complete a clerkship evaluation. The evaluation questions are answered with a 5 point Likert-type scale.

The students appreciate the flexibility in scheduling an online option provides with 85% agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement. It was considered a benefit to students by 62%. The overall clerkship rating for the 2 years was 3.04 on the 5 point scale. However, since online learning is very self directed and self motivated it does not fit all types of learners. Some students complain about the lack of specific direction.

Simpson, W, Stern, R, Laitman, J, An Online Anatomic Radiology Clerkship: Two-year Experience.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11010564.html