ADVANCING THE CAUSE OF
MEDICAL STUDENT EDUCATION:
The Henry I. Goldberg Center for Advanced Imaging Education

The Henry Goldberg Center for Advanced Imaging Education is dedicated to improving medical student education in radiology. Under the direction of Richard S. Breiman, MD, Marcia J. McCowin, MD, and program representative, Phil Reser, the center coordinates electives in radiology on the UCSF campus and at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). These electives are designed to teach future clinicians how to use medical imaging responsibly and effectively. Thanks to the center, many medical students have been inspired to choose careers in radiology.

Here are some highlights from 2005-06:

Medical Student Education and Mentoring
The Goldberg Center is very involved with the UCSF School of Medicine’s integrated curriculum. Breiman and McCowin co-direct three core courses, teaching radiology and anatomy through the use of medical imaging. Often, the classes simulate real life. One trauma simulation performed for first-year students required Breiman, in the persona of “Rex the X-ray technician,” to use a portable X-ray machine in front of the class. Breiman also runs an imaging workshop associated with the third-year surgery clerkship. McCowin serves on the Essential Core Steering Committee at the School of Medicine.

Breiman served as faculty mentor for research and curricular development to numerous UCSF and visiting medical students in 2005-06. The result was several papers and the development of multiple interactive computer-based anatomy teaching modules making use of CT datasets and often incorporating life-like three-dimensional displays. Two of these modules were funded by a Radiology Department summer medical student research grant. Two others were funded through the School of Medicine’s Curricular Ambassador program. A project created by second-year student Manisha Bahl and Breiman, won the Curricular Ambassador Showcase “Best of Show Award” in September 2006.

The Goldberg Center posts a list of research projects at
http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/research/projects4med_stud.shtml, which is available to medical students.

Involving Radiologists and Residents
The teaching commitment of our faculty and residents is greater than it has ever been and is a model for the university. Radiology faculty, residents, and practicing radiologists are crucial to the Center’s activities. For example, residents participate in the students’ radiology night call rotation, in which students take evening call with the UCSF radiology residents and share their experiences with their colleagues the next morning. A highlight of the fourth-year experience, this program demonstrates the importance of radiology in patient care and the complexity of imaging interpretation.
Many radiology residents take advantage of other teaching opportunities, including lecturing, moderating student case presentations and small group labs, and leading discussions for first- and second-year students in the core curriculum. Letizia Antonietti, MD, a senior radiology resident, has been instrumental in student teaching, as well as planning and coordinating resident involvement in Center activities. She and Brian Ching, MD, a 2005-06 abdominal imaging fellow, received certificates of appreciation for their efforts.

Full-time faculty members from the VAMC, San Francisco General Hospital and Moffitt/Long Hospital give generously of their time to teach. Radiology fellows in all sections contribute to case review sessions and lectures. The center is also supported by a talented and dedicated group of radiologists who practice outside the UCSF system. These physicians, some retired or semi-retired, others still in active practice, donate their time and energy to teaching.

Developing Advanced, Technology-Driven Educational Tools
Like many other aspects of modern life, the practice of radiology is steadily converting to the digital world. The Web-based, Radiology 100 - Introduction to Clinical Imaging syllabus remains the basic resource for student learning. Accessible through the UCSF radiology Website, it is a concise, on-line resource that highlights the indications for imaging and the basic radiographic features of common clinical problems in a short, readable form with 300 appropriate images. The center has also embarked on a project to digitize its vast film-based teaching file, converting this valuable resource to a digital TF, easily accessible and searchable by keywords.

Advanced 3-D image processing techniques available in the Goldberg Center, including life-like stereoscopic 3-D displays, have led to the development and implementation of interactive anatomy teaching modules. These techniques and their applications were demonstrated at infoRAD exhibits at the RSNA 2005 and at a recent Harvard symposium on technology in life sciences education. Ongoing projects, several in association with Apple Computer, are aimed at the creation of on-line teaching materials, such as Podcasts, lectures, and interactive teaching modules. Breiman and UCSF radiology residents, Derk Purcell, MD, and Jeremy Durack, MD will demonstrate these techniques at RSNA 2006. Click here to view the 3D Demonstration.