Radiology resident education – Keys to successful workstation teaching

Resident education is a complex process that requires many inputs from both the learner and the educator. As teaching faculty, many radiologists rely on two main methods to impart knowledge to their residents; namely didactic/case-based lectures and workstation teaching. The traditional lecture format is well known to both the learner and the educator, as this has been the primary platform that has been used almost universally. In addition, there are a multitude of excellent recorded and live lectures that faculty members can access from national society meetings that can be used as an example of how to give an effective well-organized lecture. Workstation teaching, on the other hand, is instead a more individualistic endeavor that is quite heterogeneous across institutions. In addition, there is very little in the literature that describes effective strategies that can be used to optimize the educational experience for the resident. This discussion will focus on pre-readout, readout, and post-readout strategies that educators can use at the workstation. Implementation of these techniques can be extremely helpful in accelerating resident progression through their training. •Several effective strategies can be used before, during, and after the workstation readout to improve resident education.•Perform lower volume readouts at more frequent intervals throughout the day, especially with junior residents.•Using soundbites during the readout helps to improve retention of key teaching points.