Undergraduate radiology teaching from the student’s perspective

OBJECTIVES: To obtain medical students’ evaluation of the quality of undergraduate radiology teaching received, preferred teaching methods and resources. This is a follow-up project to an earlier study of junior doctors who felt that radiology teaching left them ill prepared for medical practice. METHODS: A questionnaire to third and fifth year medical students undertaking clinical rotations at Newcastle University, UK. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 57/60 (95 %) of third and 37/40 (93 %) of final year medical students. Students received minimal radiology teaching in pre-clinical years, feeling this was insufficient. The majority of students rated interactive case-based teaching as effective. Self-directed learning resources such as textbooks, journals and even online learning modules were perceived as less effective. Other types of web resources rated higher. Motivation for most students when studying radiology was to achieve learning objectives needed to pass their next exams and/or to improve as a doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students criticise the lack of radiology teaching in pre-clinical undergraduate years. Radiology teaching should be represented in all undergraduate years, preferably delivered via interactive teaching sessions. Currently available e-learning modules do not meet the students’ learning needs and there is a call for reliable, up-to-date open access electronic resources. MAIN MESSAGES: • Radiology teaching should be represented in all pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate years. • Medical students rate interactive case-based teaching sessions as very effective. • There is a call for reliable, up-to-date open access electronic resources for medical students.