Impact of the Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Radiology: What Do Students Think?

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, and particularly in radiology, is becoming increasingly prominent. Its impact will transform the way the specialty is practiced and the current and future education model. The aim of this study is to analyze the perception that undergraduate medical students have about the current situation of AI in medicine, especially in radiology. A survey with 17 items was distributed to medical students between 3 January to 31 March 2022. Two hundred and eighty-one students correctly responded the questionnaire; 79.3% of them claimed that they knew what AI is. However, their objective knowledge about AI was low but acceptable. Only 24.9% would choose radiology as a specialty, and only 40% of them as one of their first three options. The applications of this technology were valued positively by most students, who give it an important Support Role, without fear that the radiologist will be replaced by AI (79.7%). The majority (95.7%) agreed with the need to implement well-established ethical principles in AI, and 80% valued academic training in AI positively. Surveyed medical students have a basic understanding of AI and perceive it as a useful tool that will transform radiology.

2021 Top Images in Radiology: Radiology In Training Editors' Choices.

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Radiology Training Program Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic had major effects on radiology training programs throughout the country. Many of the challenges were shared, with some variation depending on the size and geographic location of each program. While some initial modifications, such as platoon-type scheduling and redeployment, have been abandoned, other changes such as home workstations and the option of remote conferences have become more permanently incorporated. Remote learning tools and virtual teaching are much more frequently used, although there is emphasis by many programs on preserving in-person training. Programs stressed the importance of communication and adaptability, and getting resident and faculty input is key in optimizing the educational experience.

AUR Radiology Resident Core Curriculum Lecture Series - A Model for Multi-Society Collaborative Virtual Education.

To fulfill ACGME requirements, radiology residency programs are required to provide an educational experience that includes a core didactic curriculum for each subspecialty. Although developing and delivering such a core curriculum may not present a problem for large academic programs, it can present a significant challenge for smaller programs with limited faculty in each subspecialty area. Success of the core curriculum lectures series developed for cardiothoracic radiology by the Society of Thoracic Radiology and for musculoskeletal radiology by the International Skeletal Society in collaboration with the Society for Skeletal Radiology prompted the idea of creating a comprehensive core curriculum lecture series encompassing all subspecialties. This paper aims to describe the multi-society collaborative effort entailed in building a curated, on line resident focused core curriculum lecture series detailing the barriers encountered, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and impact of the finished project.

Knowing the ABCs: teaching the principles of radiology to medical students in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Radiology education in Turkey is mainly taught during clinical years of medical school and often lacks main principles. Exposure to the fundamentals of radiology at an early stage of medical education may drastically help students generate a better understanding of radiology and expand their interest in the specialty. With the Principles of Radiology Course that we provided, pre- and post-session tests, and assessment survey at the end of the course, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of such an online course among Turkish medical students. METHODS: A total of nine online sessions on imaging modalities principles was developed by radiology professors. Each session was given through Zoom by radiologists from different U.S.-institutions to Turkish medical students from state (n = 33) and private (n = 8) universities. Pretests and post-tests were given to participants via Qualtrics before and after each session, respectively. Paired two-sample t-tests were conducted to detect the variance and p=-.05 was used as the significance level. An evaluation survey was distributed at the end of the course to collect their feedback through SurveyMonkey. RESULTS: A total of 1,438 predominantly Turkish (99.32%) medical students engaged with this course. An average of 506 students completed both pre-test and post-test. There was a statistically significant (p < .001) increase in the scores in post-test (mean[range]:7.58[5.21-8.53]) relative to pre-test (mean[range]:5.10[3.52-8.53]). Four hundred and thirty-nine participants (F/M:63.33%/35.54%) completed the end-of-course survey. A total of 71% and 69.70% of the participants strongly agreed that the course would be useful in their clinical practice and had increased their understanding of radiology. They also reported that their level of confidence in the subjects had increased 68% and reached a weighted average of 3.09/4. The survey revealed that 396 (90.21%) of the participants strongly or somewhat agree that introductory principles and concepts should be presented in earlier years of medical education. Compared to in-person education, 358 (81.55%) found the course extremely or very convenient. CONCLUSION: Online lecture series consisting of the principles of the radiological imaging modalities can be offered to Turkish medical students to enhance their grasp of the various imaging modalities and their correct clinical application.

Online training in radiology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the methods used for teaching radiology in medical schools, residency programs, and continuing medical education. The need to continue training in radiology in a situation requiring physical distancing has led to the massive use of online methods, and this is where internet has provided a solution to mitigate the problem. This paper aims to present a series of useful, freely accessible resources that share the #FOAMRad philosophy for online training in radiology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conference Attendance Tracking and Evaluation in the Era of Virtual Conferences.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus pandemic upended in-person radiology education and led to a transition to virtual platforms. We needed a new method to monitor lecture attendance, previously relying on a physical badge system. Our goal was to develop and implement a virtual conference attendance system that is user-friendly, automated, useable in any virtual conference environment, and accurate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a web-based platform to serve as a virtual conference attendance tracking and evaluation platform. Daily, the application synchronizes with our lecture calendar to identify scheduled conferences and generates a unique attendance link for each event. The link is automatically posted in the conference chat and attendees must be logged in by the time it is posted to click the link, prompting single sign-on authentication. We integrated the system with resident schedules to excuse residents when appropriate. Real-time attendance reports are accessible in a user-friendly dashboard with a 5-star lecture review and comment system. We surveyed residents on satisfaction with the application after 1-year of use. RESULTS: Over the 2020-2021 academic year, we registered 376 conferences with 5,040 virtual swipes from 65 users. Once set up, virtual swipes take seconds to perform with minimal disruption to the conference. Average satisfaction for the platform was rated as 4.69 on a scale of 1 to 5. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that use of the platform should be continued for future years, with 85% strongly agreeing. CONCLUSION: We developed an online platform for radiology conference attendance logging and evaluation, designed for virtual conferences.

The effect of virtual interviews on the musculoskeletal radiology fellowship match.

OBJECTIVE: Resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual interview format was adopted in lieu of in-person interviews for fellowship recruitment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential effect that virtual interviews have on musculoskeletal radiology fellowship match results and collect opinions of the process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent to 87 listed US-based musculoskeletal radiology fellowship directors, who were asked for their 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 match data: fellowship positions, interviewees, ranked interviewees, and matched ranks. They rated effectiveness of virtual interviews on a ten-point scale (1 poor-10 excellent) and provided an ideal percentage of future interviews to be conducted virtually. RESULTS: Thirty responses were received (34.4% response rate). Primary analysis found significant increase in the mean number of candidates ranked in 2020-2021, 14.6 to 17.5 (p = 0.047). The mean rank of matched applicants increased from 6.02 to 6.43, without significance (p = 0.821). Secondary analysis, which attempted to exclude internally matched programs, found significant increases in 2020-2021 in the mean number of applicants-28.7 to 32.4 (p = 0.017), interviews conducted-17.8 to 21.3 (p = 0.007), and candidates ranked by programs-16.3 to 19.8 (p = 0.015). The mean rank of matched applicants increased from 6.39 to 7.03, without significance (p = 0.713). CONCLUSION: With results showing an increase in applications, interviews conducted, and ranked applicants while lowering the average rank of matched candidates, musculoskeletal radiology fellowship directors should consider interviewing more applicants than they usually would in the prior in-person recruitment format.

A national survey investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on core and higher breast radiology training in the UK.

AIM: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on core and higher breast radiology training in the UK from the perspective of trainees and new consultants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey comprising 25 questions was distributed to UK radiology trainees via the regional Junior Radiologists Forum representatives under the auspices of the British Society of Breast Radiology (BSBR). RESULTS: Sixty-nine eligible responses were received representing all UK training regions. Fifty-five per cent of respondents completing either a core or higher breast rotation felt that the pandemic had a negative effect on their breast training. There was an overall reduction in exposure to the key breast imaging methods when rotations took place during the pandemic. Completing a core breast rotation during the pandemic was less likely to attract trainees to higher breast training. Three out of four breast radiology consultants in their first year after receiving their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) felt the pandemic reduced their preparedness for becoming consultants. Positive outcomes included the increased use of online educational resources and remote multidisciplinary meetings. CONCLUSIONS: As well as having a negative impact on breast radiology training overall, the pandemic has had a detrimental effect on attracting trainees to breast radiology as a future career. It is of key importance that trainees have a positive core breast rotation as this experience appears central to many trainees' decisions to pursue higher breast training. Increased use of online learning resources has also been positively received and is a valuable approach to learning that can be maintained in the longer term.

Assessment of US Radiology Residency Program Websites in the COVID-19 Era.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an updated evaluation of radiology residency program websites in light of virtual interviewing during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage programs to improve the quality of their online website presence. METHODS: We evaluated the websites of 197 US radiology residency programs between November and December 2021 for the presence or absence of 30 metrics. The metrics chosen are those considered important by applicants when choosing a program and have been used in other similar papers. RESULTS: Of the 197 programs, 192 (97.5%) had working websites. The average radiology residency website had 16 of 30 (54%) metrics listed on their websites. Five programs did not have accessible websites and were not included in the analysis. The most comprehensive website had 29 of 30 (97%) of metrics listed and the least comprehensive website had 2 of 30 (7%). There is a statistically significant difference in website comprehensiveness between top 20 and non-top 20 radiology program websites. CONCLUSION: Although radiology residency program websites have generally become more comprehensive over time, there is still room for improvement, especially in times of virtual interviews when residency applicants are becoming more and more reliant on program websites to gain essential information about a program. Some key areas to include are diversity and inclusion initiatives, resident wellness, applicant information, program benefits, and showcase of people in the program.

Radiology Education and Clinical Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic - the Puerto Rico Medical Center Experience.

Residency training programs have faced the dual challenge of providing continuous and effective clinical services and graduate medical education during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This article outlines the changes incorporated by the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine Diagnostic Radiology Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, including incorporating a virtual approach for read-out sessions, didactic conferences and additional learning experiences for the radiology residents. By means of collaboration and unity in the noble goal of public service, the faculty and residents of the Diagnostic Radiology Program at UPR-SOM have shown resilience throughout the many challenges faced during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning From Experience- Confronting Challenges and Adapting to Change in a Large Academic Abdominal Radiology Practice: Insights From a Faculty Retreat.

RATIONALE: Substantial organizational changes, increasing clinical volumes, and the COVID-19 pandemic presented compound stressors to faculty radiologists in our large academic abdominal radiology division and necessitated multiple changes in our practice. METHODS: To address the challenges and establish group consensus, we conducted a virtual divisional faculty retreat centered on themes of team building, clinical work, trainee education, and faculty mentorship. A pre-retreat survey evaluated satisfaction with aspects of professional life and clinical work practices and invited personal reflections. Survey data were presented in the retreat segments focused on each theme, and subsequent discussion was facilitated in small group breakouts. RESULTS: Responses to the team-building survey revealed common values and sources of gratitude, including health, family and meaningful work and relationships. Faculty reported a strong sense of personal accomplishment, but with varied emotional exhaustion scores. Faculty were satisfied with remote work assignments but identified opportunities to improve the clinical work schedule including reversion of some remote assignments to in-person and increased interventional radiology shift staggering. Compared to pre-COVID practice, faculty respondents perceived giving lower quality and less frequent feedback to trainees; evolving educational resource needs were identified. A more formal approach to faculty mentoring was sought. A post-retreat survey revealed high participant satisfaction. OUTCOMES: In the future, we plan to continue divisional retreat activities to respond to evolving challenges and further improve team building, clinical workflow, trainee education, and faculty mentorship.

Radiology trainee and attending satisfaction with virtual readouts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: In response to COVID-19, our institution implemented three virtual readout systems: a commercial HIPAA compliant web-based video conferencing platform used for screen-sharing (Starleaf), an interactive control sharing system integrated into PACS allowing simultaneous multi-user mouse control over images (Collaborate), and the telephone. Our aim was to assess overall satisfaction with and perceived effectiveness of these virtual readout methods to optimize best practices for the future. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An IRB-exempt survey was electronically distributed to 64 trainees and 76 attendings at one tertiary-care institution via Survey Monkey. Questions focused on overall satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, technical difficulties, and continued future use of the three virtual readout strategies. Answers were collected with Likert scales, tick boxes, and open-ended questions. RESULTS: 32/64 trainees (50%) and 32/76 attendings (42%) completed the survey. Trainees and attendings were more satisfied with screen sharing (Starleaf) and perceived it more effective than control sharing (Collaborate) or the telephone (p < 0.0001). Respondents experienced more technical difficulties with control sharing versus screen sharing (p = 0.0004) with a negative correlation between level of technical difficulties and satisfaction with screen sharing (r = -0.50, p < 0.0001) and control sharing (r = -0.38, p = 0.0006). Trainees and faculty supported a combination of in-person and virtual readouts in the future (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Platforms mirroring in-person readouts, such as Starleaf, are preferred by both trainees and attendings over non-screen sharing platforms such as the telephone. However, technical stability determines satisfaction between similar platforms. Both trainees and attendings support incorporation of virtual readout methods in combination with traditional in-person readouts in the post-COVID-19 era.

Communication - a lost art?

The field of radiology has benefited greatly from the technological boom that has brought greater precision, efficiency and utilization amid an exponential growth in medical science. The downside is that the same technology that has allowed the field to grow is contributing to an erosion of interpersonal communication and connection with patients and referring physicians. Remote reading has displaced us from the communal reading room, where much interaction and teaching used to take place. The "invisible" radiologist must transcend these barriers in order to preserve and strengthen the role of radiology in medical care. With modest adaptation, radiologists can regain their identity as consultants, where they have the greatest chance to show their value and thwart the drive toward commoditization.

Acing the Fundamentals of Radiology: An Online Series for Medical Students and Interns.

PURPOSE: The current undergraduate radiology education predominantly integrates radiology with other disciplines during preclerkship years and is often taught by nonradiologists. Early exposure to radiology and profound understanding of scientific fundamentals of imaging modalities and techniques are essential for a better understanding and interest in the specialty. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic-related impact on in-person medical education aggravated the need for alternative virtual teaching initiatives to provide essential knowledge to medical students. METHODS: The authors designed an online 7-session course on the principles of imaging modalities for medical students and fresh graduates in the United States and abroad. The course was delivered online and taught by radiologists from different US institutions. Pretests and posttests were delivered before and after each session, respectively, to assess change in knowledge. At the end of the course, a survey was distributed among students to collect their assessment and feedback. RESULTS: A total of 162 students and interns initially enrolled in the program by completing a sign-up interest form. An average of 65 participants attended each live session, with the highest attendance being 93 live attendees. An average of 44 attendees completed both the pretest and posttest for each session. There was a statistically significant increase in posttest scores compared with pretest scores ( P < 0.01) for each session; on average, the posttest scores were 48% higher than the pretest scores. A total of 84 participants answered the end-of-course survey. A total of 11% of the respondents described themselves as first year, 17% as second year, 18% as third year, 21% as fourth year, and 33% as "other." Attendees were enrolled in medical schools across 21 different countries with 35% of the respondents studying medicine in the United States. More than 76% of the respondents stated that they "strongly agree" that the program increased their understanding of radiology, increased their interest in radiology, and would be useful in their clinical practice in the future. Eighty-three percent of the respondents stated that they "strongly agree" that "this course was a worthwhile experience." Particularly, more than 84% of the respondents stated that among the most important components in enhancing their understanding of radiology were "the interpretation of normal imaging" and "interpretation of clinical cases." Ninety-two percent of the respondents stated that "the amount of effort to complete the requirements for this program was just right." Participants were also asked to rate each of the 8 sessions using the following scale: poor = 1 point, fair = 2, good = 3, and excellent = 4. The average rating for all 8 sessions was 3.61 points (SD = 0.55), which translates to 96% of the sessions being rated good or excellent. Eighty percent of the participants reported that the topics presented in the program were "excellent and clinically important to learn," and 20% of the participants reported that the topics presented were "good and somewhat important to learn." The participants were asked to evaluate their confidence regarding basic radiology skills before and after the program using the following scale: not confident at all = 1 point, somewhat confident = 2, moderately confident = 3, and very confident = 4. Figure 2 summarizes the responses of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: An online course to teach the fundamentals of imaging modalities could be delivered through a webinar format to medical students and interns in several countries to address the potential gaps in radiology education, therefore increasing their understanding of the different imaging modalities and their proper use in medicine.

Adapting to the Era of Virtual Recruitment: Radiology Departmental Website Response to COVID-19 and Portrayal of the Resident Experience.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed radiology recruitment into a virtual affair and placed an even stronger emphasis on the importance of departmental websites. In this study, we evaluate residency websites in detailing the response to COVID-19 as well as initiatives which help describe the resident experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Program websites for diagnostic radiology residencies listed in the 2022 Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) program list were evaluated for 31 criteria related to departmental response to COVID-19, online outreach, and resident wellness. RESULTS: Of 184 programs, 182 had functioning websites for review. One program was excluded from analysis as the website was almost entirely video-based. In response to COVID-19, ≤1% described resident redeployment, vaccination information, departmental response to ABR Core Exam changes, or regular administration updates. Six (3.3%) described revised read-out protocols, four (2.2%) mentioned supplementary non-clinical education, and 14 (7.7%) indicated changes to educational conferences. The majority of websites (122, 67.4%) offered an informational or tour video, while 44 (24.3%) described expectations for virtual interviewing, and 20 (11.0%) had virtual "open-houses." Departmental social media, primarily Twitter, was linked for 60 (33.1%) programs. A total of 134 (74.0%) websites described community highlights. More than a quarter mentioned meal stipends (72, 39.8%), paid sick time (54, 29.8%) and healthcare resources (57, 31.5%). Although social activities were described by 44 (24.3%) programs, some specifically indicating changes to COVID-19, formal resident mentoring (25, 13.8%) and wellness committees (28, 15.5%) were less common. These criteria were found more commonly at the largest third of residency programs (chi square, p < 0.00625). CONCLUSION: Programs rarely described work flow changes to COVID-19, and websites could improve in virtual outreach. Compared with prior literature, departmental websites have improved in describing wellness initiatives and related measures.

Rethinking Clinical Trial Radiology Workflows and Student Training: Integrated Virtual Student Shadowing Experience, Education, and Evaluation.

There is consistent demand for clinical exposure from students interested in radiology; however, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in fewer available options and limited student access to radiology departments. Additionally, there is increased demand for radiologists to manage more complex quantification in reports on patients enrolled in clinical trials. We present an online educational curriculum that addresses both of these gaps by virtually immersing students (radiology preprocessors, or RPs) into radiologists' workflows where they identify and measure target lesions in advance of radiologists, streamlining report quantification. RPs switched to remote work at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in our National Institutes of Health (NIH). We accommodated them by transitioning our curriculum on cross-sectional anatomy and advanced PACS tools to a publicly available online curriculum. We describe collaborations between multiple academic research centers and industry through contributions of academic content to this curriculum. Further, we describe how we objectively assess educational effectiveness with cross-sectional anatomical quizzes and decreasing RP miss rates as they gain experience. Our RP curriculum generated significant interest evidenced by a dozen academic and research institutes providing online presentations including radiology modality basics and quantification in clinical trials. We report a decrease in RP miss rate percentage, including one virtual RP over a period of 1 year. Results reflect training effectiveness through decreased discrepancies with radiologist reports and improved tumor identification over time. We present our RP curriculum and multicenter experience as a pilot experience in a clinical trial research setting. Students are able to obtain useful clinical radiology experience in a virtual learning environment by immersing themselves into a clinical radiologist's workflow. At the same time, they help radiologists improve patient care with more valuable quantitative reports, previously shown to improve radiologist efficiency. Students identify and measure lesions in clinical trials before radiologists, and then review their reports for self-evaluation based on included measurements from the radiologists. We consider our virtual approach as a supplement to student education while providing a model for how artificial intelligence will improve patient care with more consistent quantification while improving radiologist efficiency.