Core Clerkship Curriculum - General Clerkship Structure

  1. Traditional didactic lectures.
  2. Case-based group tutorials – preview cases as a group, discuss the findings, and answer case-specific questions before reviewing with an attending.
  3. Two types of observations in the reading room –
    1. Relatively unstructured time spent observing “real life” radiology “in the trenches.” These observations occur in the following divisions: chest, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal, interventional, emergency, vascular, pediatrics, breast, nuclear medicine and at Faulkner Hospital. This is frequently one of the more challenging components of the rotation but serves an important function in exposing you to how radiology is actually practiced in modern healthcare.
    2. Departmental resident conferences – 7:45-8:15 am and 12:15-1:15 pm
  4. Hands-On sessions in STRATUS simulation lab (Interventional, ultrasound and breast imaging procedures) – an opportunity to try your hand at an interventional procedure, real-time ultrasound scanning and ultrasound guided “breast” biopsies using phantoms and simulation models.
  5. Departmental resident conferences – 7:45–8:30 am and 12:15-1:00 pm weekdays in Abrams conference room (see BWH L1 map); directed primarily to a resident audience, but you are encouraged to attend on days that you are available. The titles of these conferences are listed on the on-line student course calendar. Occasionally, these conferences will cover topics that are not relevant to your medical student curriculum, and when this is the case, we have left this conference time open so that you can use this time frame for lunch or self-study.
  6. ER “on call” experience – one evening spent in the ED reading room during the first week or two of the clerkship. This is a “down in the trenches” experience where you will be able to see firsthand how radiologists and referring clinicians collaborate, often in an extremely urgent manner. You should expect the radiologists working in the ED during your shift to be very busy, which will allow you to see a multitude of cases; however, this could be more of an observational experience rather than one with direct teaching, depending on the workflow. If this type of activity inspires you, we are happy to schedule additional shadowing time for you in the ED.
  7. Use of radiology PACS workstation to view and interpret cases and create radiology reports: this will give you a real feel for the radiologist’s role in patient care.
  8. Aquifer Core Radiology on-line modules – Modules are assigned throughout the month to be completed by the student. CORE cases teach a patient-centered approach to imaging, foster self-directed and independent study, and build clinical problem-solving skills. They utilize the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness criteria to teach an evidence-based approach to imaging and also link students to additional excellent interactive on-line radiology resources.
  9. Resident mentor – a resource for general questions as well as preparation of case presentation. You will be scheduled to meet your mentor in week 1 (Tues or Thurs pm) to spend an afternoon observing in the reading room with them. Additional meetings may occur at a mutual convenient time.