An online case-based radiology course improves veterinary students' day one competency in small animal radiographic interpretation.

Background: Accurate radiographic interpretation is an important day one skill. A case-based radiology course (CBC) demonstrated better learning outcomes than a lecture-based course (LBC) immediately and after a one-semester period. The aim of this study was to compare long-term learning outcomes of both groups.

Methods: Veterinary students who took both the CBC and LBC during their fourth or fifth semesters (n = 21) were compared to students who only completed the LBC (n = 17) regarding their ability to interpret small animal radiographs and write radiology reports at graduation (end of ninth semester).

Results: Students who completed the CBC scored better on both radiology reports than LBC students. All students reported similar frequency and role in interpreting radiographs during clinical training. However, students who took the CBC were more confident in their ability to interpret radiographs.

Limitations: Students who completed the CBC may have had more interest in radiology or may have been more self-motivated to learn radiology. However, there were no measured differences in CBC and LBC students' self-reported role or frequency of reading radiographs during clinical training.

Conclusions: Introducing a CBC in students' fourth or fifth semester improved students' competency in radiographic interpretation and report writing upon graduation 2 years later. This study supports active learning methods in teaching radiology and the use of case-based learning in the preclinical phase.