Very few students enter medical school with much knowledge about the field of radiology, which is why thoroughly and enthusiastically portraying a radiologist's role during the first few weeks of their educational career is such an important responsibility for educators.
“It is of utmost importance that these students learn the scope of radiology and appreciate its role in the diagnosis and management of a wide array of pathologies,” authors Omar Ahmed, BS, and Omer Abdul Rehman Awan, MD, both with University of Maryland School of Medicine urged Monday.
The future of radiology depends on garnering the interest of medical students but doing so remains challenging, as most people lack a comprehensive understanding of the many hats a radiologist can wear. An article published this week in Academic Radiology offers guidance that aims to help alleviate this challenge, and proposes several suggestions on how lecturers can make a memorable first impression on students to attract them to the ever-evolving field.
Below are seven tips.
Know your audience. Establish rapport. Remind students that all providers have been in their exact shoes at some point. Address common concerns they might be feeling and reassure them in their ability to succeed in medicine.
Speak with enthusiasm. If the lecturer lacks excitement about the field of radiology, the listeners will too.
Commend their accomplishments. Getting into medical school is no easy feat. Congratulate students on their big achievement.
Engage the crowd. Pique students' interests by letting them participate via polls, questions and discussions about their knowledge of anatomy using radiographic images.
Illustrate the history and advancement of the field. Show them old radiographs when speaking about the origins of radiology and present new images that display how far the field has evolved beyond simple film X-rays.
Stress the importance of the radiologist’s role. Radiologists are an integral part of medicine. Without imaging, countless diseases and conditions go undetected and healing is unmeasured. Offer imaging examples of diseases from an array of organ systems to garner more interest.
Expound beyond image interpretation. Image interpretation is just one part of a radiologist’s role. Discuss other facets of the job, like interventional procedures that require clinical skills or consulting providers on procedures and image findings. Emphasize encounters with patients.
“The great educator can alter and influence the career trajectory of their students. one can effectively give a presentation that first year medical students continue to remember throughout their careers,” the authors concluded.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.