Preparing medical students for a filmless environment: instruction on the preparation of electronic case...

As the use of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) expands and radiology departments become increasingly filmless, it will become increasingly necessary to teach physicians how to use PACS and download diagnostic images. The authors developed an instruction method in which medical students enrolled in a radiology clerkship were taught how to use the PACS, download digital images, and incorporate them into an electronic case presentation. The feasibility and potential benefits of this instructional method were studied prospectively.

Between June and October 1999, all 36 medical students enrolled in Harvard Medical School's core radiology clerkship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, were required to give an electronic radiology case presentation with images downloaded from the departmental PACS. They were taught how to download images, edit them, and then import them into PowerPoint software. They were also given access to the hospital information system to obtain pertinent clinical information. At the formal presentations, the images were displayed with a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector. The students were surveyed on the Ist and last days of the clerkship regarding their learning experiences.

Before the radiology clerkship, 81% of the students had never given an electronic presentation with computer and LCD projector, 83% had no PACS experience, and 56% had no PowerPoint experience. All students learned to prepare and deliver electronic presentations of radiologic cases downloaded from PACS. Their presentations were informative, innovative, and entertaining, and the images were well displayed. The students praised the instruction highly and thought their new skills would serve them well.

Teaching medical students how to prepare and deliver electronic presentations of radiologic cases downloaded from PACS proved to be very feasible and well appreciated by the students.