E-Learning Module Helps Med Students Learn Radiation Protection

A medical school in Ireland has implemented an e-learning module to ensure students graduate with knowledge of radiation protection. As imaging use has increased, so has the need for medical professionals to understand appropriate utilization and possible adverse effects of radiation exposure.

The University Cork College in Cork, Ireland, developed and required fourth-year medical students to complete a radiation protection e-learning module. Researchers examined the results after the program was completed. Eighty-nine percent of the 127 medical students completed the e-module pre-test accurately and 99 percent completed the post-test accurately. The study was published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

The use of e-modules as part of the curriculum allows the information on radiation protection to be added without overburdening the students with more lectures and tutorials, said Sum Leong, MD, lead author of the study.

“Combining e-learning and more traditional educational programs such as a clinical radiology rotation is likely to improve student experience,” he added.