title: Radiological clerkships as a critical curriculum component in radiology education.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research was to explore the perceived value of clinical clerkships in the radiology curriculum as well as the impact of radiology clerkship on students' beliefs about the profession of radiology as a whole and as a career.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a sequel to a previous survey in which student perceptions about radiology curriculum components were investigated. The present study focuses on a further analysis of a subsection in this study, based on 14 statements about radiology clerkship and two statements about radiology as a career.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceived usefulness of the aspects of radiology clerkship as "radiology examination", "skills development" and "diagnosis focus" were awarded the highest scores. The predict value of the subscale "radiology examination" on the level of performance was very high (adjusted R(2)=0.19, p<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students expressed highly favorable evaluation of clerkship as a learning environment to learn to order and to interpret imaging studies as well as an unique possibility to attend various radiological examinations and to access to specific radiology software systems, as well as to get a better view on radiology and to improve image interpretation skills. This positive attitude towards clerkship is closely tied to students' beliefs about the profession of radiology as a whole. These aspects of dedicated radiology clerkship are crucial for effective and high-quality education as well as for the choice of radiology as a career.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Ghent University Hospital (UZG), MR/-1K12, De Pintelaan 185,B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. elena.kourdioukova@ugent.be
authors.forename: Elena V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Kourdioukova
authors.forename: Koenraad L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Verstraete
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valcke
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*