SCRAPS: Introducing a Student-Centered Resident-Administered PACS Simulator for Medical Student Radiology Education

Traditional medical student radiology experiences often lack interactivity and fail to replicate the clinical experience of being a radiologist. This study introduces SCRAPS, a novel simulation-based paradigm designed to improve the medical student experience and provide an active learning opportunity as part of their radiology rotation.

SCRAPS utilizes a consumer-grade laptop, common word processing software, a free to use PACS and resident instructors to place students in a simulated reading-room environment. Students interpret pre-selected cases, dictate reports, and discuss findings with resident debriefing. Sessions lasted 60 to 90 min. Feedback was collected from 120 participating students (23 third year and 97 fourth year) via an anonymous survey.

Students rated SCRAPS highly for its unique nature, enjoyability, and for providing insight into the process of performing clinical radiology tasks and endorsed it as valuable to their education.

SCRAPS demonstrates promise for medical student education. It aligns with constructivist educational principles and is relatively easy to implement and adapt to new educational challenges.