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Undergraduate medical education in radiology now extends from Foundation (pre-clinical) Phase through Application and Individualization (clinical) Phases. UME in the Foundation Phase includes lectures on basic radiology (in the hematology class), chest radiology (in the cardiac and respiratory systems), and nuclear medicine (in the endocrine system). In addition, the physical examination course (known as patient-centered care, or PCC), includes sessions on interpreting chest radiographs and abdominal radiographs and CTs. Helping out with PCC are our very own Drs. Ertan Pamulkar, Leon Bacchus, Brett Murdock, and Muthu Sakthivel in Chest, and Drs. Katrina McGinty, Brian Hyslop, and Lauren Burke from Chest, as well as Dr. Sheri Jordan from Breast Imaging. New this academic year has been the School of Medicine’s first entirely “flipped classroom” Foundations course. Radiology played important roles during Reproductive Medicine’s highly subscribed normal pelvic and normal OB case-based simulation labs.

Our clinical radiology courses have expanded considerably, with nearly 200 students in our radiology selectives. We offer a survey course (RADY 401) in radiology, as well as electives in pediatric radiology (RADY 403), neuroradiology (RADY 404), vascular and interventional radiology (RADY 410), research (RADY 411), musculoskeletal radiology (RADY 412), breast imaging (RADY 413), chest radiology (RADY 416), and abdominal radiology (RADY 417). Medical students have considerable flexibility in their schedule, having an elective week for reading rooms, with the rest of their schedule tailored to their desired career plans. For  example, future pediatricians will spend time in the pediatric radiology reading room.

Grading in the survey course has also been made more objective, with much of the grade now resulting from a pair of uniform written, computer-based tests given to all students, as well as a presentation and participation in reading rooms. In addition, a ‘Radiology for Interns’ capstone course near the end of the clinical years prepares medical students for their first year of residency. Those involved with running selectives have included Drs. Lynn Fordham, Benjamin Huang, Bob Dixon, Sheri Jordan, Dan Nissman, Cherie Kuzmiak, Leon Bacchus, and Katrina McGinty. Keeping it all together and running smoothly is our new Student Services Support Coordinator, David Gerome Williams.

 

Jorge Oldan, MD
Co-Director – Radiology Coil (UNC School of Medicine Foundations Phase)