Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Eric Bartlett
Addressing education gaps through innovate and interactive web solutions
The Department of Medical Imaging’s faculty is comprised of incredible academics and physicians who are constantly innovating and researching new ways to not only enhance the field of radiology, but also to enhance the education of radiology residents and fellows. Dr. Eric Bartlett, Associate Professor, Medical Imaging, Staff Neuroradiologist, Joint Department of Medical Imaging (JDMI), and Education activity Co-Lead, JDMI, has been doing just that with the development of an interactive education website called Raducate.
During his time as Radiology Residency Program Director from 2013 – 2020, Dr. Bartlett found that the passive education provided through PowerPoint presentations and assessments built around static images was not providing a fulsome curriculum for residents. The dated materials also caused concern about the readiness of residents to take on greater responsibilities like starting after-hours calls.
To address this gap, Dr. Bartlett led the development of the Emergency Radiology Simulator, which has a simulated RIS/PACS with a full-function DICOM viewer that tests residents’ abilities to assess full imaging studies. The ER Simulator also assesses residents’ skills to manage a four-hour call shift, including how they prioritize patients, their efficacy in protocoling, answering pages, and responding to common questions and scenarios.
In his role as JDMI Education Co-lead, Dr. Bartlett led the development of Raducate, an educational hub for projects such as the ER Simulator. More specifically, Raducate is an education site committed to providing immersive, on-demand education in radiology using a unique education environment through the embedded DICOM viewer, which promotes active learning and skills assessment for undergraduates, radiology trainees, practicing radiologists, technologists, and administrators.
“We created Raducate to help modernize radiology education by promoting active learning and high-fidelity skills assessment,” Dr. Bartlett explains. “We originally launched the website at JDMI and in the residency program at U of T this summer, and we’re currently working on plans to open it to all learners in the Department of Medical Imaging as well as to community-based radiologists.”
Education programs already running on the website include the Foundations Curriculum, Dementia MRI Report Simulator, and the Emergency Radiology Simulator. Through these courses, undergraduates – as well as external trainees and observers in the department – can ‘practice’ being a radiologist by working with actual cases.
“Ultimately, courses hosted on Raducate have the potential to really improve radiology education and, by extension, patient outcomes,” Dr. Bartlett says. “Going forward, I hope to inspire my colleagues across the city to get involved in current projects or to reach out for support for future projects. It’s a great way to expand your educational reach, both nationally and internationally, engage in high-value creative professional activity, and advance your career!”
Dr. Bartlett received his Medical Doctorate (MD) as well as his Master of Public Health (MPH) in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma. He also received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Anthropology and a BS in Biology from Emory University in Georgia. His education also includes Diagnostic Radiology Residency and Neuroradiology Clinical Fellowship from the University of Iowa; Neuroradiology Clinical Fellowship from the University of Toronto; Canadian leadership Institute for Medical Education (CLIME) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons; Education Scholar Program, University of Toronto; and The Academic Hospital Leadership Academy, from UHN and the University of Toronto.
On top of holding appointments as Associate Professor at U of T and Staff Neuroradiologist at JDMI, Dr. Bartlett also holds a Cross-Appointment, Head and Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology at U of T.
Throughout is career, he has been given several awards, most recently receiving the RSNA Education Scholar Grant in 2018, the 2017 RDoC Puddester Award for Resident Wellness from Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC), as well as several teaching awards from the Department of Medical Imaging including numerous Outstanding Teacher Awards, Excellence in Teaching Awards, and the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for his work in Medical Imaging’s Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program and Neuroradiology Fellowship Program.