Medical Education

This is a four-week clerkship intended for fourth year non-USC medical students with an interest in diagnostic or interventional radiology. It is expected that the student will have completed a radiology clerkship prior to this rotation. The focus of this rotation will be to provide an in-depth experience of subspecialty radiology rather than a comprehensive introduction to radiology.

Subspecialties available for rotation include body imaging, breast imaging, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology, nuclear medicine, pediatric radiology, and interventional radiology. Note that at our institution, all subspecialties perform interventional procedures, while interventional radiology focuses on angiographic and fluoroscopically guided procedures, including emergency trauma at our high-volume level I trauma center.

Students will work closely with residents, fellows and faculty and are encouraged to attend educational and clinical conferences. Students will rotate through our practice sites at the Keck Medical Center of the University of Southern California (KMC), USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Los Angeles General Medical Center.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated based on assignments, interactions with faculty, fellows, and residents during day-to-day case “read out,” demonstration of interest and learning in the field, and the quality of an educational conference to be given to the other rotating students, residents, and supervising faculty and the end of the rotation.

Course Objectives

1. Increase knowledge base and understanding of a focused area within medicine with emphasis on diagnosis and radiologic management of disease.
2. Begin to learn about advanced imaging and interventional techniques.
3. Learn about advances and upcoming trends in the field of radiology.
4. Gain a sense of the day-to-day practice of academic radiology at USC.

For inquiries, please contact:

Course Coordinator
Lucy Arroyo
(323) 409-7677
Lucinda.Arroyo@med.usc.edu

Course Director – Interventional Radiology
Ryan Murray, MD
Ryan.Murray@med.usc.edu

Course Director – Diagnostic Radiology
Priya Rajagopalan, MD
PRajagopalan@dhs.lacounty.gov

The Diagnostic Radiology Selective gives medical students the opportunity to experience different aspects of radiology. The 4-week selective is offered to USC medical students only. Students work alongside residents, fellows, and faculty to actively interpret and communicate diagnostic radiology studies.

During the rotation, students are exposed to many subspecialties including: Musculoskeletal (MSK), Emergency Radiology (ER), Body Imaging, Abdominal CT, Nuclear Medicine, Breast Imaging and Neuroradiology.

At the end of the rotation, students should be able to:

1. Describe the diagnostic imaging tests available, their indications and their limitations.
2. Describe how to use the radiologist as a consultant and describe the proper ordering of radiographic studies.
3. Discuss the technical aspects of the procedures, which will allow more effective communication with patients.
4. Describe terminology, normal anatomy and basic pathology, different diagnoses, and complications of various imaging modalities.
5. Describe the mechanics of the Department and the PACS System.

For inquiries please contact:

Course Coordinator
Lucy Arroyo
(323) 409-7677
Lucinda.Arroyo@med.usc.edu

Course Director
Sravanthi Reddy, MD
sravanthi.reddy@med.usc.edu

The Neuroradiology Selective is offered to fourth year medical students with interest of basic and advanced neuroimaging of the brain, spine, and head and neck.

As a part of the selective, the medical students will review CT and MRI examinations of the brain and spinal cord, as well as radiographic imaging of the axial skeleton. Additionally, students will review CT and MRI studies of the head and neck. Students will also be able to observe common procedures in neuroradiology, including cerebral angiography and spine biopsies.

During the 4-week selective, students will have rotations at Keck Medical Center and/or Los Angeles General Medical Center (LAGMC). They will have exposure to emergency and trauma neuroimaging during their rotation at LAGMC. During their rotations at Keck Medical Center (HCCII), they will have more experience with oncologic and postoperative neuroimaging.

While full expertise in neuroradiology is not expected upon completion of the selective, medical students should become familiar with basic cross sectional imaging neuroanatomy on MRI and CT. The students are also expected to learn the most common clinical MRI sequences (T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, DWI, and post contrast T1WI) and appropriate radiologic evaluations for common neurologic conditions.

Upon completion of the selective, students are also expected to be familiar with radiologic manifestations of the following conditions: hydrocephalus, intracranial hemorrhage, common facial and orbital injuries, intracranial neoplasms, intracranial infections and meningitis, common patterns of cerebral infarction, spinal cord compression, discitis/osteomyelitis, degenerative disease of the spine and fractures of the spine.

At the end of the selective, students will submit a short review of a current article of their choice from the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR). The students will also be given a final test through the American College of Radiology (ACR) consisting of 60 questions.

Selective petitions can be obtained from:

Course Coordinator
Lucy Arroyo
(323) 409-7677
Lucinda.Arroyo@med.usc.edu

Course Director
Reza Assadsangabi, MD
RAssadsangabi@dhs.lacounty.gov

The Radiology Department offers a 2 or 4 week selective/elective to all fourth-year medical students who are interested in Nuclear Medicine. Students will learn the basic principles of nuclear medicine, the instrumentation used (including SPECT-CT, PET-CT, and PET-MRI), the gamut of procedures available, and the judgments used to select specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedures and interpret results. Students are taught primarily by radiology residents, fellows, and faculty. Students observe the performance and interpretation of common studies such as 18 F – Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT, myocardial perfusion, MUGA, gallium, iodine-131, bone and HIDA scans. Medical students will learn the diagnostic and therapeutic scope of nuclear medicine. During the course of the rotation, students will be able to:

1. Understand the basic principles of the imaging techniques used in nuclear medicine.
2. Discuss the major nuclear medicine studies performed at Los Angeles General Medical Center and understand their analysis and interpretation.
3. Correlate the use of nuclear medicine imaging studies with their roles in diagnosing diseases and their impact on treatment decision.
4. Discuss the range and scope of diagnostic/therapeutic decisions made by nuclear medicine physicians.
5. Practice interpreting imaging data and arriving at an appropriate diagnosis, under the supervision of attendings, fellows and residents.
6. Understand when to consult nuclear medicine and how to interpret the results of the studies.
7. Describe the working relationship between radiologists and clinicians and be able to interact effectively with radiologists.

For inquiries please contact:

Course Coordinator
Lucy Arroyo
(323) 409-7677
Lucinda.Arroyo@med.usc.edu

Course Director
Heidi Wassef, MD
HWassef@dhs.lacounty.gov

The Radiology Department offers a three-week Diagnostic or Interventional Radiology elective to third year medical students. Students rotating in diagnostic radiology will spend one week observing each of three subspecialty services listed below. During the three-week course, students will have the opportunity to review cases and participate in procedures, as well as discuss protocoling and procedural planning. They will learn to observe findings, generate differential diagnosis, and suggest management options. They will also be able to participate in diagnostic or interventional procedures.

Students may spend a week each at two of the following subspecialties:

1. Body Imaging
2. Musculoskeletal Radiology
3. Neuroradiology
4. Oncologic Imaging
5. Women’s Imaging
6. Abdominal CT

For inquiries please contact:

Course Coordinator
Lucy Arroyo
(323) 409-7677
Lucinda.Arroyo@med.usc.edu

Course Director – Diagnostic Radiology
Lucas Tsikitas, MD
LTsikitas@dhs.lacounty.gov

Course Director – Interventional Radiology
Ryan Murray, MD
Ryan.Murray@med.usc.edu