Profile of medical student teaching in radiology: teaching methods, staff participation, and rewards

The purpose of this study was to collect demographic information about radiology departments and rewards for teaching activities, as well as the impact of new digital imaging methods on teaching.

Two surveys were conducted of directors of medical school clerkships in radiology. The initial survey focused on numbers of staff and students, courses taught, and perception of rewards for teaching. The follow-up survey more specifically addressed teaching methods.

Sixty-nine (50%) of the initial surveys sent to 139 departments and 46 (39% of a total of 119) of the follow-up surveys were returned. Clerkship directors spent an average of 9 hours per week teaching and performing administrative tasks, with most given no additional time off. Eighty-four percent of departments provide either no or insignificant rewards for teaching. Many departments have integrated the use of computers in teaching, and most have computers that students use during the radiology course. At the same time, digital imaging and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are used, or will be used within 1 year, in most departments.

Clerkship directors receive little compensation in terms of time and rewards for medical student teaching. Teaching methods are evolving in response to the increasing use of computers, digital imaging, and PACS for at least part of the workload in most radiology departments.