By Jennie McKee
The majority of medical students who responded to a large European survey noted that they would not pursue a career in radiology. Some of the reasons cited included perceived lack of patient interaction and concerns about the impact of AI.
“We focused on the appeal of radiology due to how the global workload for radiologists is growing, while the available workforce has remained relatively stable,” said Magdalena Seng, MD, of the Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. “This makes recruiting future doctors into the specialty crucial.”
By conducting the survey, Dr. Seng and colleagues aimed to better understand medical students' perceptions of radiology, with a goal of identifying ways to improve the medical curriculum and enhance interest in the field.
The survey found that 64% of students ruled out a career in radiology, citing limited patient interaction (62%) and AI's impact on the field (33%) as deterrents.
Despite this, most viewed salary (77%) and work-life balance (67%) as being appealing aspects of a radiology career.
“While I expected some hesitation among medical students regarding a career in radiology, the extent of their concerns about limited patient interaction, lack of hands-on experiences and fears about AI's impact was more pronounced than I anticipated,” Dr. Seng said.
The data indicated that students who could envision a career in radiology preferred to work fewer hours compared to those who ruled it out; however, there was no significant difference in salary expectations between students who could and could not see themselves pursuing radiology as a career, she noted.
In Dr. Seng’s view, educational initiatives should focus on increased clinical exposure to radiology to make the specialty more appealing.
“This includes introducing courses on AI integration and providing more hands-on experiences—such as reporting, ultrasound or interventional radiology—to highlight the specialty’s impact on patient care,” she noted.
According to the survey results, prior exposure to radiology appeared to significantly affect students’ perceptions of radiology’s clinical role, attractiveness and career prospects.
“Students who were exposed to radiology during medical school training, reported higher levels of interest and perceived importance of the field,” Dr. Seng added.
Access the presentation, “Counting Coins in the Dark – Future Doctors’ Views on Radiology,” (W1-SSNPM03-4) on demand at RSNA.org/MeetingCentral
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The RSNA 2024 Daily Bulletin is the official publication of the 110th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Published online Sunday, December 1 — Friday, December 6.
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