title: Man to man training: can it help improve the diagnostic performances and interobserver variabilities of thyroid ultrasonography in residents?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether the man to man training can improve the diagnostic performances and interobserver variabilities of residents on thyroid ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  A set of 80 quiz cases with ultrasonography images of thyroid nodules (40 benign and 40 malignant on histopathology) were shown to the residents. Residents 1, 2, and 3 had not received the man to man training while Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 had. The seven residents were asked to fill out one of the ultrasonography features (internal composition, echogenicity, margin, calcification, and shape) and the final assessment (probably benign and suspicious). Thyroid nodules with one or more ultrasonography features including marked hypoechogenicity, microlobulated or irregular margins, microcalcifications, and taller than wide shape were assessed as suspicious nodules. The diagnostic performances of US by the seven residents and interobserver variabilities between the seven residents and a faculty radiologist were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivities, negative predictive values, and accuracies of Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 were higher than those of Residents 1, 2, and 3. The final assessment between Residents 4, 5, 6, and 7 and the faculty radiologist showed almost perfect agreement but that between Residents 1, 2, and 3 and the faculty radiologist showed substantial agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The man to man training is crucial for the residents to show better diagnostic performances and improvement of interobserver variabilities for evaluating thyroid nodules with ultrasonography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, 120-752 Seoul, Republic of Korea. catharina315@yuhs.ac
authors.forename: Hyun Gi
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seon Hyeong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007396:Internship and Residency; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography