PURPOSE
Pre-clerkship medical students across most medical institutions do not
receive much exposure to radiology. The Medical College of Georgia Radiology
Certificate Program (MRCP) is an extracurricular program designed to provide
structured, early exposure to radiology that builds foundational imaging
literacy across specialties, while offering mentorship and deeper engagement
for students interested in pursuing radiology as a career.
METHODS
MRCP’s pilot program was designed as a 9-month program starting January
2026 for first-year medical students. In future iterations, the program will
run concurrently with the 18-month pre-clinical curriculum. The four key
components of MRCP are: exposure through shadowing, knowledge acquisition
through case-based assignments, knowledge acquisition through interactive
lecture-style workshops, and development of scholarly projects through a
capstone presentation.
RESULTS
In MRCP’s first year, 53 students of the matriculating class enrolled.
These students will complete a pre-program objective and subjective survey.
They will then complete a mid-program subjective survey. Lastly, they will
complete a post-program objective and subjective survey.
CONCLUSIONS
MRCP is a proof of concept for expansion of radiology exposure to
first-year medical students. It aspires to be an effective medical education
learning tool addressing the deficit of radiology exposure during the
pre-clerkship phase. It is designed to be 18-months long, run by senior
clerkship medical students who have declared radiology, and under the
supervision of an attending faculty advisor. MRCP has been approved by both
the pre-clerkship curriculum and the Department of Radiology & Imaging.
This program should be replicable in other medical schools nationwide;
lessons learned from the approval process have been documented to serve as a
guide for implementation at other institutions. In the future, this
pre-clinical student-driven program offers the potential for lasting
improvement in medical students’ understanding of and attitudes towards
radiology.