New data derived from the survey responses of fourth year medical students reveal a significant gap in students’ exposure to and knowledge of interventional radiology in the United Kingdom.
Published in Clinical Radiology, the responses indicate that more than half (64%) of the 510 fourth year students described their knowledge of the specialty as inadequate. This could be due, in part, to another statistic observed in the responses—nearly 90% of reported that their exposure to IR teachings was insufficient.
Advances in technology and research have resulted in a significant rise in demand for IR services, authors of the new paper explained. However, demand has not been matched by increased interest in pursuing the specialty among medical students, which presents the potential for supply and demand headaches in the future, the group suggested.
“According to the Royal College of Radiologists’ workforce census, approximately 50% of U.K. Trusts were not able to provide a 24/7 IR service, potentially putting patients at risk,” corresponding author T.M. Wah, with the Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at St. James’s University Hospital in the U.K., and colleagues noted.
The group measured students’ exposure alongside recommendations put forth by the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR). They found that, on average, only half of the subtopics proposed by BSIR were actually covered during the students’ medical school and nearly 33% of students were not exposed to any fundamental IR principles or techniques during that time.
Less than 3% of surveyed students reported interest in pursuing a career in IR; this could be attributed to a lack of information being provided to the students pertaining to what such a career would entail, according to 87.5% of respondents who said that they lacked the information necessary to make that decision.
These data could be problematic when it comes to addressing the mounting patient backlogs that the U.K. has been facing in recent years, the authors suggested.
“This is worrying given IR’s current workforce crisis and increasing demand for IR services; however, it is unlikely that the sole re-allocation of more time in clinical placements to the specialty will be sufficient in attracting students to the specialty,” the group wrote.
The team highlighted a specific need for more exposure to IR career information (including what the post-graduate pathway involves) among medical students. Current IRs could aid these efforts by holding designated IR days to engage with students and by attending conferences geared toward medical students, the group suggested.
The lack of IR awareness detailed in this study is not exclusive to the U.K., the authors noted, but is something that the medical community is grappling with on a global level.
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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 joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.