Medical students successfully acquired and independently applied EBM skills following extended, online, faculty mentored instruction. This method of instruction provided uniform instruction across geographic sites and medical specialties and permitted efficient use of faculty time.

Objective: Study the effects of multiple exercise and nutritional educational interventions on adverse body mass index (BMI) gain of BMI sub-groups of predominately Hispanic six through eight year-old children at high risk for obesity. Design and Methods: BMI and demographic data were recorded at baseline and six months later in 749 first and second grade public school children at four elementary schools. Two schools (intervention group) received 150 min of extra physical education classes, weekly cooking classes, a structured nutritional curriculum, and parental counseling. BMI changes were calculated for each student and compared by BMI percentile subgroups using the two tailed T-test. Results: No statistical BMI differences occurred between intervention and control group children below the 25th percentile. Significance differences in BMI gain were noted from the 25th to the 50th percentile (P 5 0.027), 50th-75th percentile (P 5 0.045), and 75th-95th percentile (P 5 0.00007), but not for the 95th-98th percentile (P 5 0.288), 98th and above (P 5 0.223), or both obese groups combined (P 5 0.085). Conclusions: Nutritional education and exercise can prevent but not treat obesity in predominately Hispanic first and second grade children. BMI subgroups should be studied to avoid masking differing outcomes of obese and nonobese children.

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BackgroundImaging and its optimal use are imperative to the practice of medicine, yet many students don’t receive a formal education in radiology. Concurrently, students look for ways to take time away from medical school for residency interviewing. Web-based instruction provides an opportunity to combine these imperatives using online modalities.ObjectiveA largely Web-based course in radiology during the 4th year of medical school was evaluated both for its acceptance to students who needed to be away from campus for interviews, and its effectiveness on a nationally administered standardized test.MethodsAll students were placed into a structured program utilizing online videos, online modules, online textbook assignments, and live interactive online lectures. Over half of the course could be completed away from campus. The Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology test exam bank was used as a final exam to evaluate medical knowledge.ResultsPositive student feedback included the freedom to travel for interviews, hands-on ultrasound training, interactive teaching sessions, and quality Web-based learning modules. Negative feedback included taking quizzes in-person, a perceived outdated online textbook, and physically shadowing hospital technicians. Most students elected to take the course during the interview months of October through January. The Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology final exam results (70.5%) were not significantly different than the national cohort (70%) who took the course in-person. Test scores from students taking the course during interview travel months were not significantly different from students who took the course before (P=.30) or after (P=.34) the interview season.ConclusionsStudents desire to learn radiology and often choose to do so when they need to be away from campus during the fall of their 4th year of study to accomplish their residency interviews. Web-based education in radiology allows students’ interview traveling and radiology course objectives to be successfully met without adversely affecting the outcomes on a nationally normed examination in radiology. A curriculum that includes online content and live Web-based teleconference access to faculty can accomplish both imperatives.