Educational opportunities in radiology a glimpse into the future

Abstract

Radiology is undergoing a digital revolution that is continuing to make fast strides. There have been a number of exciting breakthroughs made in the field of radiology informatics recently, many of which have the potential to have a substantial effect on the education and training of radiologists in the not too distant future. Extended functionality of handheld computers, web-based skill and knowledge assessment, standardisation of radiological procedural training using simulated or virtual patients, worldwide videoconferencing via high-quality health networks such as Internet2, and global collaboration of radiological educational resources via comprehensive, multi-national databases such as the medical imaging resource centre initiative of the Radiological Society of North America are some of the innovations that fall under this category. In this article, we will investigate the role that e-learning plays in radiology, discuss a number of web-based applications that are helpful in this field, and explain how the most recent technological advancements and those that are yet to come can be most effectively incorporated into radiological training.