I'm in my fourth year and still feel uncomfortable reading chest x-rays and CT scans of the abdomen. I was wondering, other than spending a month doing a radiology elective, what source I can use to learn basic radiology? Does anybody recommend radiology ridiculously simple or the Wolf files which I saw an ad for on this website?
Good source for learning radiology?
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Felson's Principles of Chest Roentgenology: A Programmed Text is excellent for chest imaging. It's similar to Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKG's. At $45, it's not cheap, though.
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The best way to learn is by looking at as many films as possible. When I was a student, I tried to actually look at all the films on my pts (and not just rely on the report). I found generally that the radiologists were almost always willing to review the film with me and show me the findings. (Always ask if it's a good time, though). The best way is to look at the film yourself first without knowning the reading and then look at the report and talk to the radiologist. (in fact I still try to do this as much as possible now as an intern)
Right now I'd say you'd be doing very well if you can simply recognize that something is not normal about the film.
For chest xrays, learn to ID infiltrates, enlarged heart, widened mediastinum, broken bones, deviated tracha and tube/line placements.
CT are obviously more complex. First, make sure you can ID the major organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, kidneys...). Start paying attention to the consistency of those organs, and before you know it, liver lesions and dilated bile ducts will start to stand out for you. Also start with the big vessels (aorta, IVC etc). Then see if you can identify SMA, splenic vessels, etc. Getting a good idea for what these structures look like normally is a major step. Then when you identify something that's not right, you can go to the radologist and point to it and ask "what's that"? Dont forget to pay attention to the bony structures here too...mets in the vertbrae can be very revealing.
Don't despair, it will take you several years to get comfortable. And if you aren't going into radiology you will not ever be truly expert. (After all, that's why radiogy is it's own separate residency...if it were easy there wouldn't be a need for radiologists!)
Right now I'd say you'd be doing very well if you can simply recognize that something is not normal about the film.
For chest xrays, learn to ID infiltrates, enlarged heart, widened mediastinum, broken bones, deviated tracha and tube/line placements.
CT are obviously more complex. First, make sure you can ID the major organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, kidneys...). Start paying attention to the consistency of those organs, and before you know it, liver lesions and dilated bile ducts will start to stand out for you. Also start with the big vessels (aorta, IVC etc). Then see if you can identify SMA, splenic vessels, etc. Getting a good idea for what these structures look like normally is a major step. Then when you identify something that's not right, you can go to the radologist and point to it and ask "what's that"? Dont forget to pay attention to the bony structures here too...mets in the vertbrae can be very revealing.
Don't despair, it will take you several years to get comfortable. And if you aren't going into radiology you will not ever be truly expert. (After all, that's why radiogy is it's own separate residency...if it were easy there wouldn't be a need for radiologists!)
