Students prefer MSK, body, breast imaging during clerkship

Medical students prefer musculoskeletal, body, and breast imaging early in their clinical education, according to research published October 19 in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology. A team led by Alexis Medema from Duke University also found that for core clerkships, women are more interested in breast imaging and pediatric radiology, while men showed more interest in body imaging, neuroradiology, and nuclear medicine. “This information can inform efforts to enhance student engagement, recruit rising physicians to the field, and address the gender gap in radiology,” the Medema team wrote. While radiology’s clinical role has expanded into a variety of healthcare settings, just 16% of medical schools require students to complete a radiology clerkship during their clinical years. Previous studies also suggest that more exposure to radiology improves student impressions of the field, increases enrollment in elective radiology rotations, and increases interest in radiology residency. The researchers also noted that as radiology departments attempt to attract more medical students, department leaders can also find ways to attract more women to the field. Medema and colleagues sought to gather perspectives from medical students on radiology subspecialties and evaluate gender differences in perspectives. They performed their study at an institution with a required radiology clerkship for second-year medical students. The four-week radiology rotation involves didact...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Practice Management Careers Source Type: news