How to improve my skills in reading radiologic studies?

[The Angriest Bird]

To be quite frank, I'm a 3rd year and I feel absolutely uncomfortable with reading CXR, KUB, CT scan, and MRI. I rarely know what's going on. But I think it's such an essential skill you need to require to survival in modern hospitals.

Does anyone have a really nice handy-dandy clear-cut-to-the-point (a lot of modifiers, sorry) source for improving my skills? Either a book or website are fine.

My goal is not to be like attending or radiologist, just let me know what's going and identify some pretty obvious and common abnormalities. THANK YOU!

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[lord_jeebus]

I wish I had discovered Felson's Principles of Chest Roentgenology as a 3rd year. I think CXR is the most important for a student to become confident in, and this book is great for that. It also covers some Chest CT.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Squires is a great intro radiology text. It's big, but it covers chest and abdomen well.

I'd start with chest x-ray, because that's useful all over from the clinic to the ICU. Then I'd learn CT, especially abdomen, because it's so useful for surgery .

Honestly, really understanding an MRI is beyond the level of most people so don't worry about it. Maybe learn a bit about what shows up best on T1, T2, Diffusion weighted...but that may be overkill.

The best thing you can do though, regardless of knowledge is LOOK AT EVERY FILM ORDERED. If you have a PACS system, there's really no excuse. Your interns, residents, and attendings will love you for this, even if you have no idea what you're looking at.

 

[Blade28]

The best thing you can do though, regardless of knowledge is LOOK AT EVERY FILM ORDERED. If you have a PACS system, there's really no excuse. Your interns, residents, and attendings will love you for this, even if you have no idea what you're looking at.

Agreed. Look at every film ordered on your patients (or on your service's patients). Ask the residents/fellows/attendings for help in reading them if you need it. Follow up on the Radiology resident's prelim read and the final dictated read. Try to correlate interesting findings (e.g. pneumothorax on CXR, SBO on AXR, fluid collection on CT A/P) with the patient's clinical status.

 

[deleted29780]

To be quite frank, I'm a 3rd year and I feel absolutely uncomfortable with reading CXR, KUB, CT scan, and MRI. I rarely know what's going on. But I think it's such an essential skill you need to require to survival in modern hospitals.

Does anyone have a really nice handy-dandy clear-cut-to-the-point (a lot of modifiers, sorry) source for improving my skills? Either a book or website are fine.

My goal is not to be like attending or radiologist, just let me know what's going and identify some pretty obvious and common abnormalities. THANK YOU!

the golden rule in radiography...LEARN THE NORMAL FEATURES OF A RADIOGRAPH FIRST...
that way you can easily spot abnormalities...i must say being a student, you dont need to worry your head over technicalities. Just know the simple things first, start with CXR. Its the simplest.

 

[vtucci]

To be quite frank, I'm a 3rd year and I feel absolutely uncomfortable with reading CXR, KUB, CT scan, and MRI. I rarely know what's going on. But I think it's such an essential skill you need to require to survival in modern hospitals.

Does anyone have a really nice handy-dandy clear-cut-to-the-point (a lot of modifiers, sorry) source for improving my skills? Either a book or website are fine.

My goal is not to be like attending or radiologist, just let me know what's going and identify some pretty obvious and common abnormalities. THANK YOU!

I am 4th year and do not feel particularly comfortable either with a lot of images. I do not think there is a way to shortcut things other than to practice ALOT so I always take the time to ask my residents or attendings to read images with me and let me take a stab at it first and have them interpret it. Go to the radiology reading room and listen to the discussion.

I bought Squire's radiology and then Emergency Radiology Case studies by Schwartz and think they are helpful. I have heard decent things about rads made ridiculously easy but have not used it yet myself.

Good luck.

 

[snulma1]

When I first started to look at and read films prior to transport or going over with sending and receiving physicians (I'm a flight paramedic) I was taught an acronym to remember how to look at and read all films.

Reading Books And Magazines Helps Dummies Learn Swiftly.

R-Ribs (there should be 7-9 during a good inspiration)
B-Bones (look for signs of obvious Fx)
A-Aorta (look for Aortic knob)
M-Mediastinum (should be <1/3 of chest)
H-Hilastructures (look for abnormalities)
D-Diaphragm (make sure its intact and not abdominal contents are in the chest cavity
L-Liver (normal size and orientation)
S- Spleen (same as liver)

Im not expert, but I can spot most abnormalities within 30 secs of looking at a film. And to this day, i still go over each part in my head.

Hope this helps

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Practice, identify the anatomy, and developing a routine so you don't miss things. You'll get pointers throughout the year, like for AXR while on surgery, CXR on medicine, US on OB/Gyn, and the basics of CT vs. MRI on neuro. If you have time you can do a radiology elective fourth year. Also, check out this site.

 

[roja]

Do what they said. Like Blade said: look at tons of films. Go over them with appropriate staff.

Look at normals.

Use a system (ie always look at them in the same way that way you don't miss something important by focusing on a distractor)

 

[omental caKe]

I'm in rads now as a ms3, and my attending recommended squires. the book is pretty easy to use with lots of examples. and it quizzes you.

also don't be afraid to go talk to the radiologist. at least where i'm at, they love discussing the films with the students and residents.

 

[jdh71]

To be quite frank, I'm a 3rd year and I feel absolutely uncomfortable with reading CXR, KUB, CT scan, and MRI. I rarely know what's going on. But I think it's such an essential skill you need to require to survival in modern hospitals.

Does anyone have a really nice handy-dandy clear-cut-to-the-point (a lot of modifiers, sorry) source for improving my skills? Either a book or website are fine.

My goal is not to be like attending or radiologist, just let me know what's going and identify some pretty obvious and common abnormalities. THANK YOU!

For me I do my best learning with radiological stuff when it's my own patient giving it context.

Rads has to be one of the friendliest and most benign services around - maybe because life is KICKASS for them and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, but I digress. Go find the guys in the dark rooms. Find the appropriate resident/attending - ask if you don't know - for the study you want to see, and then have them quickly tell you about it.

You know lots of services think you should be able to read your own studies, especially surgery and emergency . . . and to a point, they have a point, and one should be able to pick up obvious things . . . but a Rads residency isn't 4 years just to be mean (is it?)

 

[drdr2010]

We had a required medical imaging class in M2 and our prof suggested we look at 22 Must See Diagnoses for Medical Students. Its an online module on learningradiology.com. I thought it was pretty decent and made me look smart when I identified pneumomediastinum with a doctor I was shadowing.

http://www.learningradiology.com/medstudents/22%20Musts%20Flash/22_must_see_diagnoses.html

 

[McMD]

Look at lots of xrays, CTs, MRI's, etc. If you are allowed to take a rads or nuc. medicine elective during MS-3, this will really sharpen your skills....then, no reading is required (which is the best kind of learning for me).

 

[keats]

I'm an MS4 and I couldn't help but jump in and reply here that my school's radiology elective used "Learning Radiology: Recognizing the Basics" and those of us who have looked through some of the other basic texts found it to be much more practical and helpful, especially in everyday situations on rounds.

I agree that the Learning Radiology website is great, but the book offers more.

Nothing beats looking at your own patient's films, but you have to know something about what you're looking at first.