Category of subject: Paraclinical
Duration of posting: 2 weeks in 4th year
Final examination: None
Comments:
Radiology, an easily forgetten 2 weeks posting in 4th year, shouldn't be that neglected, for a number of reasons. Despite having no end-of-posting test or writeup, it does feature prominently in the final MBBS as 15-25% of the OSCE for both Medicine and Surgery. Apart from that, it is also useful as a houseman (more useful than say, knowing how to elict a fluid thrill, or tactile fremitus, but that's just non-clinical me speaking).
However, since you are only allocated 2 weeks, and a rather disorganized 2 weeks at that, it's hard to learn everything; anyway, nobody expects you to. Concentrate on (1)developing a system for reading XRays (even though CTs and MRIs are more exciting), (2)knowing the indications for each investigation, and (3)getting first hand info on what patients go through when you send them for a CT or MRI. A common pitfall is getting caught up in trying to see as many weird and interesting films in these 2 weeks as you can, but having no system about it.
Once you leave the posting, continue to apply what you have learnt in other posting, eg. if you suspect IO in a surgical patient, what films would you order and what would you expect to find? This is important because your exams and real-life patients will have a clinical scenario first, and an xray second. For example, you do know free gas under the diaphragm is bad right? But name 2 clinical scenarios when you would just yawn in boredom at free peritoneal gas. <Answer>
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