title: The value of a medical student radiology triage program in enhancing clinical education and skills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Medical Student Radiology Triage Program (MSRTP) at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center recruits third- and fourth-year medical students to streamline imaging workflow for on-call radiology residents. We sought to evaluate the benefit of this program for improving medical student education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the program were surveyed anonymously from 2010 to 2012 using a web-based survey. The survey asked the students to rate the program in several categories from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Students also indicated if they are learning any of the identified skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty of 54 (56%) former and current members responded to the survey. Support from on-call residents (mean rating 4.7) and interactions with residents (mean rating 4.7) were rated the highest of the categories. Students ranked training provided (4.2), interactions with technologists (4.2), and interactions with clinicians (4.1) the lowest. The medical training experience and overall experience were graded with means of 4.4 and 4.5, respectively. Ninety-six percent of students felt they acquired triaging skills, whereas 92% of students developed communication skills. Sixty-nine and sixty-two percent of students stated that they gained radiologic knowledge and general medical knowledge, respectively. Sixty-five and fifty percent of students developed imaging appropriateness criteria and image interpretation skills, respectively. The most popular reason for joining the program was for financial compensation (number of students = 12), followed by exposure to radiology (n = 8), radiology education (n = 8), and clinical exposure (n = 7). Major strengths of the program included interactions with residents, learning experience, and triaging of workflow. Students listed the top two problems with the program as computed tomography technologists and clinicians not wanting to speak to them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MSRTP serves as a valuable clinical learning experience as well as being highly beneficial to resident workflows on call. Participants of MSRTP gain clinical skills that they will use during residency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Jim Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH; Department of Radiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756. Electronic address: petra.j.lewis@hitchcock.org.
authors.forename: Petra J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D009513:New Hampshire; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D014218:Triage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Medical Student Radiology Triage Program