Medical students' skills in research: unveiling their potentials. Shoulder MRI as a model

OBJECTIVE: Medical research is an ever-growing discipline in medical practice and education. Unveiling the potential capabilities of medical students requires unusual research protocols. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a standard method for assessing medical conditions. Encouraging students to be part of medical research and/or decision-making is of paramount importance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty shoulder MRI series were selected randomly from the Jordan University Hospital database. Three medical students took five measurements in each MRI series. The measurements were repeated twice on two different days. A consultant orthopedic surgeon performed measurements on the selected series. The measurements of the students were compared to those of the consultant; interobserver and intraobserver reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Intraobserver reliability was determined from two readings per student; the ICC was 0.984 (p < 0.05). Interobserver reliability between measurements was 0.995 (p < 0.05). Finally, the absolute agreement between the students and consultant was assessed, and the k-value was 0.991 (p < 0.05), indicating that interobserver and intraobserver concordance was highly significant. CONCLUSIONS: The agreement between the students and the orthopedic surgeon was highly significant. The intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities were also highly significant. Findings of the current study show that MRI series measurements can be performed with high accuracy after proper instruction is given to readers, regardless of their level of training.