Are misconceptions about radiology deterring medical students from the specialty?
Misconceptions about radiology deter many medical students from pursuing it as a specialty, according to new survey data.
Radiology is among the myriad of specialties med students can choose to train in, but inaccurate perceptions about the field, both as it operates now and will in the future, inevitably steer students in other directions. Numerous technological advancements have increased the need for skilled radiologists, making recruitment of critical importance.
A new paper published in Academic Radiology delves deeper into what medical students are looking for in their future careers as physicians to get a better understanding of where radiology fits into the mix of specialties and what can be done to improve recruitment.
“Radiology faces difficulties in recruiting and retaining medical students, which could affect the future composition and diversity of the workforce,” Afnan Fahad Almuhanna, with the Department of Radiology at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, and colleagues noted. “Recognizing the factors that shape medical students’ decisions regarding their chosen specialty is critical for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring a robust pipeline for future radiologists.”
For their analysis, researchers surveyed more than 400 medical students in August of 2023. Students answered questions related to their general demographics, exposure to specialty choices in medical school and what factors influenced their choice in career path.
Of the respondents, 69% were female. A little under half expressed interest in surgery or internal medicine, while 19% were planning to pursue radiology.
The students interested in radiology most often cited the specialty’s work-life balance (85.6%), impact on patient care (83.5%), work environment (82.1%), intellectual challenge (79.8%), presence of procedures (76.6%) and lesser degree of patient contact (76.1%) as the factors that drove them to imaging. Importantly, the majority (75.9%) also acknowledged having been frequently exposed to different aspects of the specialty during their pre-clinical years.
Concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence continue to raise doubt among the students, as well as worries about radiation exposure, were the most cited deterrents from the specialty, the authors noted. It's important to explore how these perceptions may impact interest in radiology, they added.
“Our findings suggest that traditional recruitment events may not be the most effective way to attract students to radiology,” the team explained. “Therefore, efforts should be redirected toward enhancing clinical exposure, improving the integration of radiology into the preclinical curriculum, and addressing common misconceptions about the specialty. This approach may help cultivate greater interest in and understanding of radiology among medical students.”
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.