Interview with Prof. Becker on the ESR Modern Radiology eBook
Prof. Becker, congratulations on the launch of the new version of the eBook, now titled Modern Radiology eBook. Since its release two years ago, it has become the most essential resource for radiology education in Europe. What inspired you to bring this project to life?
Thank you. The purpose of first version of the ESR eBook was to serve as an international reference for teaching radiology in undergraduate settings, keeping in mind that radiology as a transverse discipline is taught differently throughout Europe according to the guidelines of the Faculties of Medicine of the Universities in each country. However, as the eBook expanded, covering more and more aspects of radiology, it became clear that its scope was no longer limited to undergraduate teaching but went far beyond. In fact, much of the current content corresponds to learning objectives of the postgraduate levels I and II of the ESR training curriculum. Furthermore, the feedback that we received from radiologists throughout the world indicated that the eBook was not only accessed as a reference for medical students, but also for radiology residents and sometimes even radiologists willing to update their knowledge in one or another specific domain. This is the reason why we decided to bring this new version of the ESR eBook to life and to launch it under a new title.
The eBook consists of 28 chapters, 8 of which have already been revised and updated, over 2500 pages on the fundamentals of radiology. Please briefly walk us through the process of developing them.
The outline follows the classical themes of organ-related radiology but also addresses some important general aspects related to the understanding of imaging modalities and technical issues related to the radiologic profession. All chapters were created by 105 invited recognised experts from the ESR community and brought into a common format with the editorial team of the ESR office. Although the new eBook will first become available online in English, there has also been vivid interest to make it available free of charge and in the same format in some other languages. This process is coordinated through the ESR office according to a defined legal framework.
ESR 1st Vice-President
What are the main takeaways for medical students and residents using this resource?
The use of this eBook as a reference for pregraduate training will, of course, depend on the teaching programmes of the different medical schools and the faculties of medicine. According to the ESR teaching curriculum we have attempted to distinguish basic (pregraduate) from more advanced (postgraduate) knowledge. This may allow interested students to ‘dig deeper‘ into one or another topic and residents to refer to the objectives that are more related to the postgraduate levels I and II.
Reflecting on this project personally, what are the main takeaways for you?
Receiving the voluntary support of so many qualified experts for a non-profit project is by no means self- evident. On behalf of the ESR Board of Directors I would like to thank all contributors of the ESR eBook. Throughout the realisation of this exciting project, I continued to be impressed by the enthusiasm exposed by so many authors offering and contributing their time, effort and material. I also very much enjoyed my collaboration with the team of the ESR office. And finally, I was overwhelmed by the high general interest shown for the eBook’s 1st edition as revealed by the number of downloads on the website (over 140,000 downloads as of November 2024) and by the innumerable positive and encouraging comments from the radiological and non-radiological community worldwide.
The eBook has recently been rebranded. What could you tell us about this new design?
The rebranding of the ESR eBook became necessary because the scope shifted from purely pregraduate teaching to include more contents related to postgraduate teaching. The graphical look was realised with the professional creative support of the ESR office. The term “modern radiology” refers to the timely character as a living reference. Asklepios with his modern glasses illustrates the classical value of teaching in medicine combined with a contemporary view.
The eBook is in constant evolution. What is next?
Because radiology is among the fastest-evolving medical disciplines, the related learning objectives, knowledge and skills are subject to constant change. By its nature, the eBook format is ideally suited to serve as a living document which can be periodically updated as required. This means however, that the editorial process can never be considered done, but must continue constantly over time. As to its future format, we are planning to include direct references linked to the objectives of the ESR training curriculum and maybe even to the requirements of the European Diploma of Radiology (EDIR), new features, such as a selection of the top diagnoses to be added to each chapter, links to videos and to some of the Education on Demand content and, last but not least, translations into different languages are already scheduled to be released next year.
How has the eBook been integrated into medical curricula across Europe?
Although teaching programmes of universities and medical schools are not uniform across Europe, many prestigious universities have adopted or recommended the ESR eBook as a reference for teaching radiology. Furthermore, teachers across the globe are using parts of the eBook, which they have adapted to their local training curricula. In addition, several national radiologic societies have informed us about their interest to use the eBook as a reference; some have already endorsed it, others are planning to do so.
How would you describe the eBook in 5 words?
Comprehensive, Evolving, Accessible, Multilevel, Collaborative
About Prof. Minerva Becker
Professor Minerva Becker, MD is Head of the Unit of Head and Neck and Maxillo-facial Radiology, Diagnostic Department, at the Geneva University Hospitals. Her clinical expertise includes imaging in head and neck oncology, the skull base, orbit, salivary glands, and inner ear, with a strong tertiary multidisciplinary activity in the respective fields.
Being widely recognised as an enthusiastic academic teacher, she is in charge of a part of the undergraduate radiology programme at her faculty of medicine. On a national and international level, she has given over 450 invited lectures focusing on head and neck radiology. Over many years, she has chaired the Education Committee of the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology (ESHNR), overseeing the European subspecialty training curriculum and the subspecialty examination in head and neck radiology. She is the Past President of the ESHNR. Professor Becker has served on the Executive Council of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) as chair of the Education Committee.
As a leader of the Research Group on Head and Neck Radiology at the University of Geneva, she has led multiple research projects as a primary scientific investigator with competitive public grants funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Her scientific work has mainly focused on advanced oncologic imaging in the head and neck with MRI, CT, PET CT, and PET MRI. Professor Becker’s most recent research projects are dedicated to multiparametric imaging and texture analysis. Her academic record includes over 200 scientific articles. She is the recipient of 30 prestigious international or national awards for her scientific and educational work. Professor Becker has served on the editorial board or in the review process of 12 international scientific journals in radiology, oncology, and otorhinolaryngology.