Musculoskeletal Radiology Teaching at a UK Medical School: Do We Need to Improve?

Abstract

The United Kingdom is currently facing crisis due to a shortage of radiology consultants despite ever‐increasing demand for medical imaging. The specifics of how best to teach radiology has generated increasing interest. This study aims to determine whether musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology teaching at the University of Nottingham (UoN) Medical School is perceived to be satisfactory by medical students, Foundation‐Year doctors, and senior medical professionals in preparing students for the demands working as Foundation‐Year doctors. Questionnaires were distributed to all medical students and Foundation‐Year doctors that graduated from UoN (n = 307). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with consultants and teaching staff (n = 13). Forty‐nine percent of preclinical medical students, 43% of clinical students and 27% of Foundation‐Year doctors thought MSK radiology teaching was not sufficient in preparing them for the radiology challenges Foundation‐Year doctors' face. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The consensus from senior medical professionals was that MSK Radiology teaching is currently adequate and producing competent students. Interestingly, only 5% of students were considering a career in radiology compared to 34% of Foundation‐Year doctors. Overall, there seems to be concern among students regarding MSK radiology teaching and students have a lack of confidence with MSK radiology. Foundation‐Year doctors and senior medical professionals do not share this view. This may be due to medical students' lack of clarity on what is required of them. Formal documentation of set learning objectives for MSK radiology throughout the curriculum may address this.

A new student-led dissection approach to the glenohumeral joint

“…At the University of Nottingham, the educational approach utilized in gross anatomy teaching is reevaluated annually. This ensures that the anatomical content and its delivery is clinically relevant and effective for teaching clinicians of the future (Leveritt et al, 2016;Marino et al, 2018). Students play an important role in this reevaluation process by identifying common anatomical difficulties before subsequently designing, implementing and evaluating new dissection protocols.…”

A Virtual Reality–Based App to Educate Health Care Professionals and Medical Students About Inflammatory Arthritis: Feasibility Study

“…Using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) can further help to characterize joint disease in IA with an in-depth 3D analysis of erosive and osteoproliferative changes, precise quantification of trabecular and cortical bone densities, and assessment of biomechanical properties [6][7][8][9]. Recent data show that there is still room for improvement in the understanding and recognition of pathologies, interpretation of image findings, as well as in the appropriate usage of proper imaging techniques [10][11][12]. Accordingly, there seems to be some concern about musculoskeletal imaging, particularly among health professionals in training [10][11][12].…”

“…Recent data show that there is still room for improvement in the understanding and recognition of pathologies, interpretation of image findings, as well as in the appropriate usage of proper imaging techniques [10][11][12]. Accordingly, there seems to be some concern about musculoskeletal imaging, particularly among health professionals in training [10][11][12]. Moreover, physicians, medical students, and health professionals explicitly state a need for more in-depth training in imaging and its interpretation regarding musculoskeletal disorders [10,[13][14][15].…”

“…Accordingly, there seems to be some concern about musculoskeletal imaging, particularly among health professionals in training [10][11][12]. Moreover, physicians, medical students, and health professionals explicitly state a need for more in-depth training in imaging and its interpretation regarding musculoskeletal disorders [10,[13][14][15].…”

Factors affecting consultant attitudes to undertaking undergraduate medical student teaching in the UK: a systematic review

“…8 Existing literature about hospital-based undergraduate medical education and clinician-led teaching tends to have a specialty or subject-specific focus. [9][10][11][12][13][14] This body of literature typically focuses on the provision of teaching, or the views of clinicians on what should be taught in a particular specialty rather than exploring the factors that lie behind senior clinicians' enthusiasm and involvement in undergraduate teaching itself. In a general practice setting, literature exists that more broadly explores the motivation for teaching, and the facilitators and barriers to general practitioners' involvement in undergraduate medical education.…”