Impact and value of junior rotation in radiology

All junior medical students at the authors' institution are enrolled in a 2-week combined rotation in diagnostic radiology and anesthesia, with the time divided equally between the departments. The purpose of this rotation is to familiarize students with various imaging modalities and to introduce interpretation of conventional radiographs. The rotation is offered five times during the academic year, and each includes the same enrollment (about 20 students), educational structure (lectures, self-study, and case review) and method of evaluation (multiple choice examination). To assess the educational benefits of this short exposure to radiology, we gave a preexamination and postexamination at the beginning and the end of each rotation. Comparison of scores between the pretest and post-test showed a significant learning gain for all rotations (P less than 0.01). There was no difference between groups scheduled early in the academic year compared with those with more clinical experience at the end of the year. We conclude that a well-structured brief junior rotation in radiology can effectively improve students' knowledge of imaging and its role in clinical evaluation.