Your exposure to the Radiology department is generally quite limited during your years in medical school, and even the few days you spend with us during your week-long rotation in fourth year tend to be interrupted by tutorials and lectures outside the department.
For those of you who are keen to learn more about this dynamic and exciting specialty, and to improve your image interpretation skills, consider joining us for an elective. While these generally occur in the summer months, we can accommodate students at almost any time of the year – the main exception is during the January-March Med 2 rotations, when our capacity to take extra students is very limited.
Electives can be for one week to three weeks; two and three week electives usually include a full week in Interventional Radiology with the remainder of the time spent rotating through the various diagnostic imaging modalities. If desired, students doing a three week elective may spend two full weeks in IR.
If you are interested in spending time on a rewarding elective with us, please email me at e.heffernan@st-vincents.ie or drop by my office.
Elective objectives
The goals of a Radiology elective in SVUH are as follows:
- To improve your knowledge of normal Radiological anatomy on radiographs, ultrasound, CT and MR images
- To understand the indications for commonly performed diagnostic imaging examinations, in order to be able to make the best use of imaging tests when managing patients
- To learn about some of the limitations of imaging
- To understand the basics of image interpretation for each imaging modality
- To be able to recognize common pathological processes on imaging
- To know the potential risks associated with some imaging tests, particularly with the use of contrast media
- To gain an understanding of the essential role that Radiologists play in the management of patients with regard to diagnosis, communication of urgent findings, recommendations for further investigations or follow-up imaging, image-guided biopsy, and definitive treatment of many conditions
- To become familiar with the wide range of Interventional Radiology procedures performed in the department, and to be able to briefly describe the techniques involved in some of the more commonly performed procedures
- To explore Radiology as a potential career option