Medical Student Advanced Clinical Experience Courses

The Diagnostic Radiology ACE is designed to be relevant and suitable for all medical students, regardless of their ultimate career choice or interests; this course is not designed solely for students planning to pursue a career in radiology.  The goals of the course are to acquaint medical students with the fundamentals of diagnostic imaging and to highlight optimal imaging pathways for various clinical conditions.  The course has a significant didactic component. Students will complete 10 online modules, each of which consists of a recorded lecture podcast (or podcasts) and a brief test.  Topics range from general radiology issues (strengths and limitations of the imaging modalities, ionizing radiation, contrast media) to specialty-specific topics and image interpretation skills in chest, body, musculoskeletal, neuroradiology, trauma, genitourinary, women’s imaging, and nuclear medicine.  The knowledge gained from the online modules will be further reinforced by 9 asynchronous live teaching conferences given by radiology residents on similar and related topics.  In addition, students will solve weekly unknown case challenges sent by the course director. Even though students will be exposed to a broad range of topics in medical imaging, they will have a lot of freedom in deciding what section(s) they spend most of their time in to observe and learn from live cases.  For example, a student going into obstetrics and gynecology may choose to spend most of her/his time in ultrasound while a student going into orthopaedics will likely spend most of her/ his time in musculoskeletal imaging.  The course has a pre-test and a final exam. 

Prerequisite: None

Course Director: Nicholson Chadwick, MD

Sections: 3, 5, 9 and 11

Maximum Class Size: 10

This course introduces the student to diagnostic imaging in a children's hospital setting. The course is a combination of case-based instructional materials and time in the reading room. The course covers all diagnostic imaging modalities such as radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), MRI, nuclear medicine, and subspecialities in pediatric radiology such as neuroradiology and interventional radiology. The successful student will appreciate the radiologist's role in the care of the patient and how to interact with radiologists, as well as the appropriate work up of common pediatric conditions.

Prerequisite: Permission from the Course Director to enroll

Course Director: Melissa Hilmes, MD

Sections: All sections, except 6 and 7

Maximum Class Size: 3

The month will allow a broad exposure to the field of neuroradiology with a strong focus on review of clinically relevant neuroanatomy. The primary role of the student will be as an observer, working alongside residents, fellows and faculty as imaging studies are interpreted and procedures are performed. Students will be responsible for delivering a single informal presentation during the month. 

Prerequisite: Diagnostic Radiology ACE, Medical Imaging and Anatomy ISC or permission from Course Director

Course Director: L. Taylor Davis, MD

Sections: All sections, except 7

Maximum Class Size: 2

Interventional Radiology is an exciting, fast-paced, advanced specialty performing minimally invasive procedures on virtually every organ in the body. This course provides an immediate immersion into the daily life of an IR. You will be involved in every aspect of treating patients, including outpatient clinic visits, researching and working up the patient the day of the procedure, presenting the patient in morning rounds, consenting and performing physical exams, scrubbing in on the procedure, admitting and post procedural care, inpatient rounds, and long term follow-up. You will also have the option to visit other specialty areas of IR, including Pediatric IR, the One Hundred Oaks Vein Center, and read CTA/MRA with our noninvasive vascular specialists. You will be required to research and present one case report while on the service. The typical day lasts from 7 am to 6 pm and there are no call responsibilities. Typical procedures include angioplasty and stent placement in the arteries and veins, embolization of bleeding, embolization of tumors, uterine fibroid embolization, bronchial artery embolization, gonadal vein embolization, chemo-embolization, percutaneous treatment of tumors (ablation), placement of nephrostomy, biliary, gastrostomy, venous catheters, and TIPS.

Prerequisite: Diagnostic Radiology ACE or Medical Imaging and Anatomy ISC

Course Director: Nicholas Voutsinas, MD, RPVI

Sections: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11

Maximum Class Size: 3