A clinical image can make you stop and look. A question makes you decide what you think it shows. That was the idea behind the Rheumatology Image of the Week project, or #RheumIOW.
As described in my earlier account of using social media for medical education, fellows from across the country created questions using an online rheumatology image bank. Questions were shared through social media so learners could consider an answer before reading the explanation.
The useful habit
Before reading an answer, describe what you actually see. Separate that observation from your interpretation. Then ask what additional history or examination would help distinguish the possibilities.
An image is a starting point for learning, not enough information to diagnose a person. Different conditions can look similar, and many important findings are not visible in a photograph.
For teachers and learners
Choose an image you have permission to use, protect patient privacy, and explain why the correct answer fits—not only why other answers are wrong. A brief follow-up question can connect recognition to clinical reasoning.
This page describes a historical educational project; it is not an invitation to submit patient photographs or a promise of an active weekly service.
Updated September 30, 2026.