The Online Cross-Country Tour: Evaluation of a Novel Online Series for Canadian Radiology Residency Programs and Future Implications for the Radiology CaRMS Process

Victoria Linehan; Prayash Katlariwala; Baljot S Chahal; Aline D Khatchikian; Alanna Supersad; Jessica L Dobson

doi:10.1016/j.acra.2021.03.009

The Online Cross-Country Tour: Evaluation of a Novel Online Series for Canadian Radiology Residency Programs and Future Implications for the Radiology CaRMS Process

Acad Radiol. 2021 Sep;28(9):1313-1320. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2021.03.009. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Authors

Victoria Linehan¹, Prayash Katlariwala², Baljot S Chahal³, Aline D Khatchikian⁴, Alanna Supersad³, Jessica L Dobson⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Dr, St. John's, NL, Canada.
² Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, 2J2.00 WC Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
³ Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, 2A2.41 WC Mackenzie Health, Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital Site, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University, Victoria Building, Office of the Department Head, Room 307, 1276 South Park Street, PO BOX 9000, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 2Y9. Electronic address: jldobson@dal.ca.

PMID: 33840599
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2021.03.009

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic indefinitely cancelled visiting medical student radiology electives across Canada. In response, the Canadian Association of Radiologists Resident & Fellow Section (CAR RFS) and Medical Student Network (MSN) developed and evaluated an online series for medical students to learn about Canadian radiology residency programs.

Methods: Medical students from any year of training were recruited through the MSN, local radiology interest groups, and social media to attend a 2-week online series of interactive sessions via Zoom with program representatives from Canadian radiology residency programs. A survey evaluating the online series, in particular its impact on residency and career planning, was administered to program representatives and students.

Results: Fifteen of Canada's 16 radiology residency programs participated in the online series. A total of 212 students attended at least one session and nearly half were participating in the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) this year. The postsurvey revealed that 77% of students agreed that the online series helped prepare them for CaRMS and ranking programs. The online series also benefited pre-CaRMS students as significantly more students were considering radiology as a specialty on the postsurvey compared to the presurvey. Students and program representatives agreed that this series should be held in future years, regardless of whether health and travel restrictions are lifted.

Conclusion: The CAR RFS and MSN hosted an online series for medical students to learn about radiology residency programs outside their home institution. Feedback was highly positive with important implications for the future CaRMS iterations for any specialty.

Keywords: COVID-19; CaRMS; coronavirus; free open-access medical education; medical education; online medical education; pandemic education; radiology; radiology education; residency; residency matching; residency program; virtual education.

MeSH terms

COVID-19
Canada
Education, Distance / organization & administration*
Humans
Internship and Residency*
Pandemics
Radiology* / education
Students, Medical*