What if almost every disease affecting a tubular structure could be understood using just six basic patterns?

In this episode of Don’t Miss That Radiology, Dr. Matthew Hartman introduces one of the most powerful frameworks in radiology education: Hartman’s 6 Patterns of Tubular Pathology.

Originally developed and popularized by Dr. David Hartman, this approach teaches you to recognize imaging patterns rather than memorize endless lists of diseases. Whether you’re evaluating the bowel, esophagus, bile ducts, ureters, blood vessels, bronchi, or other tubular structures, these six patterns will help you organize your thinking and build better differential diagnoses.

In this episode you’ll learn:

✅ In-growth (inside the tube)
✅ Outpouching (diverticulum, perforation, fistula)
✅ Narrowing (stenosis/stricture)
✅ Dilatation (obstruction or aneurysm)
✅ Thickening (inflammation or tumor)
✅ Displacement (external mass effect or abnormal position)

This framework is designed for:

• Medical students
• Radiology residents
• Emergency medicine residents
• Surgery residents
• Internal medicine trainees
• Anyone learning diagnostic imaging

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to memorize hundreds of diagnoses, this episode will change how you approach radiology forever.

Stop memorizing diseases. Start recognizing patterns.

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#radiology #medical student

It’s July, and thousands of medical students are starting their radiology electives and audition rotations. In this episode, we shift from reading images to learning how to stand out on the rotation (though I'll throw in a pearl about XGPN).

You’ll learn practical strategies that can make a lasting impression—from the importance of being early and being well dressed and attentive.  We will also go over common mistakes that can hurt your evaluation. We’ll discuss how to work effectively with residents and attendings, what to do before your first day, and how to demonstrate curiosity, professionalism, and initiative without getting in the way.
Whether you’re considering radiology as a career or simply want to maximize your elective, this episode provides actionable advice to help you succeed.

Topics include:
• How to prepare before day one
• Reading room etiquette
• Asking questions that impress
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Tips for earning an outstanding letter of recommendation
• Resources to continue learning after the rotation

Because in radiology, you only see what you know—and attendings notice students who are eager to learn.  Remember not to be staring at your smartphones during rotations.  Instead have a pocket radiology guide in which you can take notes--I think I know a good one.

We will have a part 2 where we talk about how to approach cases as a medical student if you are on the "hot seat"

#Radiology #MedicalStudent #RadiologyRotation #AuditionRotation #FutureRadiologist #MedicalEducation #DontMissThatRadiology #MedEd

Why do lungs look too white on a chest X-ray? In this episode of Don’t Miss That Radiology ⭐, you’ll learn a simple framework to quickly narrow the differential: blood, water, cells, or pus.

We’ll build a practical approach to chest X-ray interpretation by covering:

• The Silhouette Sign – localize disease by determining which normal borders disappear.
• The Spine Sign – recognize lower lobe pathology that can be easy to miss.
• The Air Bronchogram Sign – understand what it tells you about alveolar disease.
• Interstitial vs. Alveolar Disease – learn the key imaging patterns every medical student and resident should recognize.
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Pulmonary Edema – identify classic findings including vascular congestion and the batwing (bat-wing) sign, and learn how to distinguish pulmonary edema from pneumonia and other causes of diffuse lung opacities.
• Cavitary Lung Lesions – finish the episode with the CAVITY mnemonic to remember the major causes of pulmonary cavities and build a practical differential diagnosis you’ll use on rotations and exams.

Whether you’re preparing for your radiology rotation, studying for shelf or board exams, or simply want to become more confident reading chest X-rays, this episode provides practical, memorable teaching points you can apply on your very next shift.

Don’t miss that diagnosis.

Some chest X-rays can’t wait. In this episode of Don’t Miss That Radiology, Dr. Matthew Hartman reviews the life-threatening findings every medical student, resident, and clinician should recognize before the patient leaves the imaging department.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• ✅ How to identify misplaced lines and tubes
• ✅ Recognize a pneumothorax before it becomes a tension pneumothorax
• ✅ Detect free air under the diaphragm and know when it signals a surgical emergency
• ✅ Recognize pneumomediastinum and understand its key imaging clues
• ✅ Identify pleural effusions and distinguish them from other causes of chest opacity
• ✅ Develop a systematic approach to interpreting emergency chest radiographs with real teaching cases and practical pearls

Whether you’re on your radiology rotation, in the emergency department, or preparing for exams, this episode focuses on the chest X-ray findings you simply can’t afford to miss.

📚 Don’t Miss That Radiology helps medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals build confidence through memorable teaching points and real-world cases.

🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every week!

#Radiology #ChestXRay #Pneumothorax #Pneumomediastinum #PleuralEffusion #LinesAndTubes #FreeAir #MedicalStudent 

Small bowel obstruction or large bowel obstruction? In this episode of Don’t Miss That Radiology, Dr. Matthew Hartman walks you through a practical, step-by-step approach to abdominal radiographs using the Rule of Threes to quickly recognize bowel pathology.

You’ll learn how to:
✅ Differentiate small bowel from large bowel obstruction
✅ Apply the Rule of Threes to bowel dilation
✅ Recognize the classic coffee bean sign of sigmoid volvulus
✅ Identify imaging clues that should never be missed
✅ Build a systematic search pattern for abdominal X-rays

Whether you’re a medical student, resident, or clinician looking to improve your abdominal imaging skills, this episode provides memorable teaching points and real-world examples to help you read with confidence.

Remember: You only see what you know… don’t miss that.

🎙️ Follow @Radiology101 for more radiology teaching pearls.
📚 Learn even more with the Don’t Miss That Radiology Pocket Guide.

#Radiology #MedicalEducation #AbdominalXray #BowelObstruction #SmallBowelObstruction #LargeBowelObstruction #SigmoidVolvulus

Looking at abdominal X-rays doesn’t have to be intimidating. In this first episode of Don’t Miss That Radiology, Dr. Matthew Hartman introduces a simple, memorable approach to identifying free intraperitoneal air using the “Law of Burps and Farts.”

You’ll learn:

• ✅ A systematic approach to every abdominal radiograph using Stones, Bones, Mass, and Gas
• ✅ How patient positioning changes the appearance of free air
• ✅ The “Law of Burps and Farts”—an easy way to remember where air should (and shouldn’t) be
• ✅ How to recognize Rigler’s sign and other classic clues to pneumoperitoneum
• ✅ Real cases that help you avoid missing a surgical emergency

Whether you’re a medical student, resident, emergency physician, or anyone learning radiology, this episode provides practical tools you can apply immediately on your next abdominal X-ray.

📚 Don’t Miss That Radiology is a podcast dedicated to helping learners recognize critical imaging findings through memorable teaching pearls and real-world cases.

🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every week!

#Radiology #MedicalStudent #AbdominalXray #FreeAir #Pneumoperitoneum #RiglersSign #EmergencyMedicine #GeneralSurgery