Medical Student Imaging Case Files In The Cloud

Background: Millennial digital learners value meaningful work, immediate feedback, collaborative communication and technology implementation. A student-produced digital imaging teaching case file-centric flipped curriculum offers these benefits. Our questions included: (i) is a cloud-based website platform supporting the online publication of student-selected and student-submitted teaching cases feasible; and (ii) what were the impressions of students of this educational intervention? Methods: An open-source medical student-centric radiology website was created with limited-access cloud upload capability, with site analytics continuously recorded. Medical students submitted de-identified radiology cases on a topic of their choosing, for peer review and publication. By making the host site publicly accessible, we empowered students to list their publication(s) on resumes. Following six blocks of the 2018/19 academic year after implementation, an electronic survey was sent to the eligible medical student cohort who had were enrolled in a radiology elective in order to assess the effectiveness of the intervention (n = 107). Results: The survey response rate was 52% (n = 56), of which 98% participated (n = 55) and 75% completed a teaching file (n = 42). The students assessed their ability to systematically review imaging, communicate pertinent clinical information, appropriately order imaging, correctly use the ACR Appropriateness Criteria (R), consider procedure costs, consider procedure risks, consider procedure benefits, evaluate effectiveness and identify who to direct questions to regarding correct study. Students reported answers on a seven-point Likert scale. Data scores ranged from 5.28 (agree) to 6.71 (strongly agree) across all categories. Conclusions: Our successful student-developed teaching file takes advantage of digital radiology and the educational tools favoured by millennials. This activity meets core competencies in self-directed and lifelong learning.