Effectiveness of a 12-Month Emergency Radiology Curriculum for Improving Self-Confidence and Competence of Postgraduate Year 1 Radiology Residents—A Canadian Study

Abstract

Purpose: Limited radiology curriculum during postgraduate year 1 of radiology residency combined with increasing workloads during emergency radiology call have contributed to heightened anxiety and responsibilities for junior residents. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-month emergency radiology curriculum on self-rated confidence and general competence of Canadian postgraduate year 1 radiology residents. Methods: A cohort of Canadian postgraduate year 1 Diagnostic Radiology residents voluntarily enrolled in a 12-month self-directed online emergency radiology curriculum (9 modules). Participants completed pretest and posttest surveys and examinations to gauge their self-rated competence on module material and knowledge acquisition, respectively. Average pretest and posttest scores were compared using Student 2-tailed unpaired t test, and Likert data from self-reported confidence were compared using a Mann Whitney U test. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05. Results: Sixty-six trainees completed at least 1 module, and 15 trainees completed all 9 modules. Both self-rated confidence and posttest scores were statistically higher after module completion ( P < .001) for all 9 learning modules. The greatest improvement in test scores was seen in the female genitourinary module (28.12 ± 3.018; difference between pretest and posttest means ± SEM). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates learning benefits for junior radiology trainees who participated in a self-directed online emergency radiology curriculum during postgraduate year 1. In the face of ever-increasing demands for imaging in on-call settings across Canada, inclusion of a self-directed online curriculum may become more important for upcoming competency-based medical education as it encourages a learner-driven and non-time-based method of education.