Application of the case method in medical student radiology education

Our goal is to design, implement, and evaluate a rich educational activity to engage medical students in learning the importance of providing clinical histories when ordering radiological examinations. We adapted the format of the case method commonly used in business schools.

In the setting of a 1-week required radiology course offered during the third year of medical school, we created an unknown case assignment consisting of two chest radiographs and a concise history for three- to four-person study teams. Unknown to students, each team received the same images, but different patient histories. After turning in their written analyses, students had a classroom opportunity to discuss their conclusions. A written evaluation of the entire experience using both Likert items and unstructured response items was conducted at the end of each session.

The evaluation was conducted during a 17-month period, and 141 evaluations were received from students. The response rate was 100%. Most teams met several times and worked on the assignment for 2 or 3 hours. Students agreed that the learning experience was worthwhile (95%), content was appropriate (93%), and the activity should be continued for subsequent classes (94%). Unstructured responses indicated that students learned the importance of clinical histories in the interpretation of radiological studies.

An educational activity based on the case method was well received by students and met its educational objectives. Activities of this type have potential for widespread application in radiology education.