How much “scut” do radiology residents deal with?

[odyssey2]

Is it minimal to none? What are the non-medical headaches residents are expected to put up with? Specifically DR.

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[maxxor]

Is it minimal to none? What are the non-medical headaches residents are expected to put up with? Specifically DR.

calling to report critical findings to the primary team.

protocolling exams

 

[Dave1980]

once you've read 1000+ ICU chest x-rays they start to feel like scut. Same with most of fluoro.

almost 0 learning with a lot of effort.

 

[guytakingboards]

-depending on the service/program, 1st years can be the phone-bitch. A lot of programs, but not all, now have a reading room coordinator who answers the phone.

-consent/pre-op scut monkey on IR

-inserting the endorectal coil or gel

-depending on if you have mid-levels or not, you could be the one working up the LP's/para's/thora's etc.

-getting outside imaging uploaded to the system and/or getting imaging burned for patients.

 

[Clean7795]

Protocolling exams, not much else. I don't (generally) consider calling in true critical findings as scut since that can directly impact patient care.

I agree with the above that X-ray rotations towards the end are a bit grindy and mainly about getting faster and more efficient.

 

[GoPelicans]

Anytime the phone rings I feel like I am about to be scutted.

 

[maxxor]

Protocolling exams, not much else. I don't (generally) consider calling in true critical findings as scut since that can directly impact patient care.

I agree with the above that X-ray rotations towards the end are a bit grindy and mainly about getting faster and more efficient.

Calling the finding in and of itself is not scut.

However, the whole process involved in finding the responding clinician with the associated "call / page / wait on hold" game to tell someone there's a PE/stroke/hemorrhage is scut, especially if it is more than 5 minutes.

 

[Cognovi]

Measuring a normal aorta in double-oblique short-axis at multiple levels on a CTA

 

[Dave1980]

Measuring a normal aorta in double-oblique short-axis at multiple levels on a CTA

in residency we had an Attending who read most of the pre op CTAs for TAVRs and this guy wanted a measurement of the proximal, mid, and distal measurement reported for the common iliacs and external iliacs, a measurement of the common femoral, and like 6 measurements of the aorta.

that was scut

 

[maxxor]

in residency we had an Attending who read most of the pre op CTAs for TAVRs and this guy wanted a measurement of the proximal, mid, and distal measurement reported for the common iliacs and external iliacs, a measurement of the common femoral, and like 6 measurements of the aorta.

that was scut

sounds like a job for the 3D lab

 

[Dave1980]

sounds like a job for the 3D lab

didnt have one

 

[vm26]

Anytime the phone rings I feel like I am about to be scutted.

Sounds about right. Always found it interesting that during my 1st year, despite being the least qualified person (in a room filled with more senior residents and faculty) to deal with phone calls, this was my responsibility. Half the time I had no idea what was being asked.

Ditto for handling the IR pager overnights.

 

[SirGecko]

Sounds about right. Always found it interesting that during my 1st year, despite being the least qualified person (in a room filled with more senior residents and faculty) to deal with phone calls, this was my responsibility. Half the time I had no idea what was being asked.

Ditto for handling the IR pager overnights.

I guess it might sort of seem odd on the face but you don’t learn how to answer the questions by *not* answering the phone and if you have more senior people there you have the ability to ask them for help. I mean the phone is annoying but it definitely makes sense to me that you should be involving the most junior person in the room to answer them.

 

[vm26]

I guess it might sort of seem odd on the face but you don’t learn how to answer the questions by *not* answering the phone and if you have more senior people there you have the ability to ask them for help. I mean the phone is annoying but it definitely makes sense to me that you should be involving the most junior person in the room to answer them.

True. Ultimately either the more senior resident or attending would get interrupted and have to address the question at hand. There def is educational value but having this set-up too early is certainly not efficient. I mean one needs to understand the basics (eg. when is MR better than CT and vice versa etc). When I was thrown in, just seemed like it was more about convenience for the faculty. I could be tied up on one line and some attendings would simply ignore a 2nd line ringing.

I did a fellowship at a UC program and some of their busier sections (like neuro) had people hired to directly handle the phones (was going to use the term "secretary" but I'm sure this is likely not PC!). Also each day one of the attending was assigned to deal with these phone issues, as well as walk in consults. Seemed to work pretty well.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

At my residency, scut included having to hook up the central line to the contrast injector since the techs were not allowed to do it.

 

[.Asterion]

First year rads resident here. Very little scut compared other specialities. 95% of my day is solving clinical problems vs IM where I was dealing with scut for 60% of my day and maybe 10% was solving clinical problems.