A SURVEY OF RADIOLOGY CLERKSHIPS AT TEACHING HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED-STATES

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The nature and extent of medical school radi ology clerkships were quantified. METHODS. Questionnaires were sent to 126 medical school radiology departments in the United States. Querie s were made regarding length and requirements for clerkships, methods of teaching, methods of student evaluation, and responsibility for the se functions. RESULTS. Fifty-seven responses (45%) were received. Meth ods of student teaching varied, but most departments relied on readout sessions, watching procedures, ''show-and-tell'' sessions, didactic s lide and film presentations, and various other methods. Emphasis of mo st student clerkships was placed on teaching imaging disease processes rather than on how to read x-rays. A written examination was most com monly used to evaluate student performance. Most teaching was done by full-time faculty, with lesser contributions from part-time faculty, f ellows, and residents. CONCLUSIONS. The nature and extent of medical s chool radiology clerkships in departments responding to the survey var ied, but most conformed, at least in part, to standards based on surve y results and the published literature.