Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging and Diagnosis

RD 521M.3 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Students may add themselves to the waiting list for this course during add/drop periods but not during lottery periods. Prior approval required, please email Dr. Simeone; fsimeone@mgh.harvard.edu, forward approval to registrar@hms.harvard.edu.This course is about musculoskeletal disorders- trauma (acute, occupational and recreational) arthritis, infection, tumors, metabolic disorders (including osteoporosis) and congenital conditions as revealed by imaging studies including x-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and PET. These conditions, although usually less dramatic than cardiac or neurological disease, are extremely common. Almost all patients who live a full life span will experience one or more of them. Most physicians should be prepared to diagnose and treat the common ailments. The course is intended for any students who expect to encounter such patients-including primary care doctors, emergency physicians orthopedists, PM&R doctors , as well as potential radiologists. This first two weeks of the course are organized by body part, for example, shoulder, elbow wrist etc. This is done to allow a gradual introduction to the anatomical details needed to interpret each examination, A variety of imaging modalities will be considered for each region included x-ray, MRI, CT and PET. The second two weeks is organized around pathological conditions. The student will read didactic material, review imaging studies and actually create reports under the close supervision of the practicing Radiologists. It is very unusual for Radiology course to include this feature, but we think it helps to clarify what the student has learned. In addition to this "hands-on" experience will be a series of more formal instructional sessions. The student will also attend all musculoskeletal interdisciplinary conferences, and the midday teaching conferences of the Radiology residents. A limited amount of time can be made available to observe other operations of the Radiology department depending upon student objectives.