How I Built Radiology References App During My Residency?
How a frustrated search for pediatric ultrasound values during my residency led me to develop the Radiology References App I wish I’d had from day one.
It was during a routine pediatric ultrasound examination of a 2-year-old’s abdomen when I encountered what appeared to be an enlarged spleen. As a radiology resident still building my knowledge base, I needed to verify the normal splenic dimensions for this specific age group. What should have been a 30-second lookup turned into a 10-minute hunt through outdated websites, unreliable Google results, and a desperate search through my bookmarked reference sites to find age-specific pediatric spleen measurements.
That afternoon, as I finally found the reference values buried in a PDF from 2015, I realized I’d been fighting this same battle throughout my residency. Every day, multiple times a day, I was losing precious learning time hunting for reference values that should be instantly accessible. I wasn’t just frustrated, I was determined to solve this problem for myself and my fellow residents.
The Developer in Me Awakened
The turning point came when I realized I had two skill sets that could solve this problem: growing clinical knowledge of what radiology residents actually need to learn, and the technical ability to build a solution.
My Vision
- Comprehensive coverage: Every imaging modality, every age group, every organ system
- Age-specific pediatric data: Precise measurements from newborn to adolescent
- Visual learning: Reference images and guides for complex measurements
- Resident-friendly design: Built by a resident, for residents and clinicians
Building Radiology References became my way of turning residency challenges into solutions. I spent days researching and curating the most current, evidence-based reference values. I tested prototypes during my rotations to ensure the interface was intuitive under pressure.
Radiology References: From Study Tool to Professional Standard
Today, Radiology References has transformed how I approach radiology learning and practice. More importantly, it’s helping thousands of residents, attending radiologists, and medical students work more efficiently and confidently.
Key Features
- All imaging modalities: CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, and specialized techniques
- Age-specific pediatric tables: Month-by-month accuracy from newborn to adolescent
- Visual guides: Reference images showing exactly what you’re measuring
- Smart search: Find any value across all modalities instantly
- Offline capability: Reliable access even during long call nights
- Resident-friendly design: Built by someone who understands training workflows
Why This Matters for Every Resident?
This app represents more than just convenient reference lookups. It’s about maximizing our limited learning time, building confidence in our diagnoses, and focusing on what matters most: developing clinical expertise and providing better patient care.
If you’re still hunting through bookmarks and outdated websites for reference values, you’re spending too much precious learning time on problems that are already solved. The tools exist to make your residency more efficient you just need to embrace them.
Technology should enhance our learning and clinical practice, not complicate it. As resident-developers, we have a unique opportunity to create solutions that truly understand training workflows and learning needs. Radiology References is just the beginning.