Being a doctor, whether physician or surgeon, entails a good knowledge of radiology. Not all of us will acquire the same level of diagnostic interpretative skills as a radiologist, but having basic radiology knowledge will assist the clinician to a great extent in their daily duties. In this article, we have reviewed six useful websites with online radiology teaching material that will be of benefit to all clinicians and free to use.
http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/courses/rad/
This is a top resource from the University of Virginia. It covers various topics and radiological modalities. The musculoskeletal section is excellent, particularly for accident and emergency doctors. There is a good tutorial on interpreting head CTs. The ultrasound tutorial is well presented and covers the important pathologies, e.g. testicular pain. The paediatric section is extensive and important pathology is explained very well. The GI radiology material is very good for gastroenterologists and trainee surgeons. The lay out is done in a step-by-step format, hence making learning easier. The overall quality of the images is good and is suitable for doctors of all specialties as well as providing an introduction for radiology juniors. A must-see website.*****
http://www.radiology.co.uk/srs-x/index.htm
The Scottish Radiology Society has produced this resource that provides some good learning material. It is mainly orientated at junior radiology trainees. There are various sub-sections in the site. The ‘tutorial’ has only three topics but they are all very good. The head trauma tutorial should be read by all junior doctors. There is a small collection of cases that are a valuable read. The MCQ section is excellent. It provides useful preparatory material for the FRCR examinations. What is unique about this site is that it allows others to make contributions, e.g. cases or MCQs. A good read.****
http://brighamrad.harvard.edu/education/online/tcd/tcd.html
This is an average website. There are many common cases presented with short discussions on each. Cases can be searched by imaging modality, anatomical area, keyword or a combination of these variables. Image quality is reasonable. Good for medical students and house officers but there are better sites on the internet. Not bad but could do with some improvements.***
http://www.sonoworld.com/Sonoworld/Chapter/ShowBook.aspx
This is an excellent, free, ultrasonography website. From the level of detail, it seems to be orientated towards radiology trainees but could be used by all medical/surgical trainees. The images are of good quality and ultrasonographic signs are explained as well as how to perform the scan. Abdomen, pelvis, vascular and even obstetric topics are covered in great detail and clarity. Another feature is that normal anatomy is shown. There is nothing really to criticise here. This site is certainly recommended for those who wish to have a deeper understanding of ultrasound.*****
http://www.mypacs.net/repos/mpv3_repo/static/m/Home/
This is a very extensive website. It is an international resource with world-wide contributions, mainly from radiologists. Registration is free hence allowing you to contribute cases. Common radiology cases are discussed in addition to rarities. This site is designed for those with good clinical background knowledge. Basics are not discussed. There are many features on offer, e.g. training mode, virtual folders, stand-alone viewing, etc. The image quality is average. Overall, a good website but can be frustrating to use.***
http://www.auntminnie.com
Although this website is aimed primarily at radiologists, it does provide good learning material which is beneficial for the surgical trainee. The education section contains clinical cases that start with a brief history and images from basic to more advanced radiological investigations. The clinical cases promote the formulation of a list of differential diagnoses and an awareness of the progression from simple to more complex imaging techniques. Each case study ends with a diagnosis and notes on that condition. This site is free to use and is an invaluable study tool.****