CaseStacks Radiology Question Bank Review
One of the most important skills to master as a medical student, resident, Fellow or attending Doctor is the ability to interpret radiology images. Even though thyis skill is most commonly used by those specializing in Radiology, Understanding the basics behind radiologyical interpretation can make medical trainees better at diagnosing patients. As with anything in life the best way to get better at it is through practice and repetition.
After a large volume of repetition your brain will begin to recognize patterns and eventually radiology will start to become second nature to you. However with so many resources out there, what practice materials should medical trainees use to develop their ability their radiological image interpretation skills? One Resource that is growing in popularity among residents, fellows, medical students and attending physicians is CaseStacks. But just how good is this resource. In this article I will be doing an objective review of the CaseStacks question bank.
Price
- Casestacks has a variety of different prices to choose from. These prices range from$0.00 for the free version, all the way up to $33.33/month for the Pro version that includes ALL imaging.
For each of the payment plans, you have the option to pay in 3 month, 6 month, or 12 month intervaos
For the 23.33/month plan you can pay using the payment plans seen below.
For the 19.99/month plan the payment plans are seen below
For the $33.33/month plan you have the option to pay using the payment plans seen below
Features
- 9 courses which cover various imaging modalities of a specific body region
- Media Index contains diagrams and illustrations for quick reference. These are highly organized and include neuro chest, Peds, and MSK.
Interface and navigation
- The questions contain tools and presets . The tools button allows you to zoom and pan, scroll as well as view each image at window level.
- Each image can be viewed in full screen.
- Finding everything you need is relatively easy. You can easily find relevant courses as well as the subscription that you paid for on the home page
- You home page shows you your course progress as a percentage which is a great way to make sure you stay on track
- Scrolling from case to case is extremely easy because you simply just press the arrows located at the upper corners of the screen.
- Cases can be saved by pressing on the star located where the navigation arrows are.
Question types
- The way the questions are formatted are that they require you to state the findings shown on the imaging, the diagnosis, as well as give a discussion of the case,
Pros
- Flexible payment options
- Cases are suited for various levels. The difficulty of the questions can range from extremely simple to very complex. Casestacks also has courses which are designed specifically for Fellows and Residents.
- You can earn CME credit by doing questions from the paid subscription. This comes with a certificate
- The discussion section of each question goes into a bit more detail of each clinical diagnosis. So in addition to learning the radiology behind certain diagnoses you are also able to brush up on some pathology, as well as other aspects of clinical medicine.
- There are cases specifically for Call Preparation, as well as Cases specific for Neurology Fellowship.
Cons
- The questions are not written as multiple choice
How are the questions in CaseStacks different from other Question Banks?
The questions are not like questions found in typical question banks which are typically multiple choice and require you to select the correct answer among other answers. The questions require you to actually know what to look for and have a working diagnosis in your head. This is a positive because unlike what questions banks do, Casestacks is teaching your brain to not rely solely on pattern recognition.
As far as the best use for CaseStacks, I would say that you are better off using it as a learning tool, rather than as an assessment tool. Particularly I think it is great for learning some fo the more complex neuro radiology cases you may encounter.
I found this aspect extremely helpful in helping me prepare for some of my clerkships. While this sort of question type may be different than the types of questions you will see on your board exams, it is still highly beneficial.
When is the best time to Purchase Casetacks?
Medical Students
- I think using Casestacks for the Neuro block during your pre clerkship is a very good idea, because many of the pathologies that you learn in this section are identified through imaging (ie: subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage).
Residents, Fellows, and practicing Phyicians
- This is a great resource for physicians currently practicing, specifically for Neuro Fellows as well as those on call. Cases range in difficulty so you are not just being exposed to basic radiology that is suited for Medical students. The cases for on preparing for on Call duties are seen below. The cases for Neuro fellowship can also be seen below.
Who should use Casestacks?
Medical Students
- As mentioned earlier, this will benefit medical students both in the clerkships as well as in the pre-clerkships. You don’t have to worry about being exposed to cases which are overly difficult because Casestacks contains has basic level imaging that is perfect for those who are at the medical student level.
Residents, Fellows, and practicing Phyicians
- This is a great resource for physicians currently practicing, specifically for Neuro Fellows as well as those on call. Cases range in difficulty so you are not just being exposed to basic radiology that is suited for Medical students. The cases for on preparing for on Call duties are seen below. The cases for Neuro fellowship can also be seen below.
Other Resources to use with Casetacks?
- Med School Bootcamp
- Radiopedia
- Draw it To know it
- Amboss
- Lecturio
Is Casestacks Worth it
At the end of the day, Casestacks is definitely worth it. With so few quality resources that focus on delivering good radiology practices cases, Casestacks definitely stands out among the rest. By using CaseStacks you can be somewhat at ease knowing that you are getting consistently getting the best radiology practice that the market has to offer.
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