Abstract
Purpose Aim of our study was to evaluate the motivation of medical students in their final
year of medical school to choose radiology for further specialization by means of
a Germany-wide survey.
Materials and Methods The survey was performed during the 2015/16 semester among German medical students
in their four months radiology elective during the final year. Invitations for the
study were distributed by the Student Secretariats of each university. The survey
was web-based with EvaSys 7.0 software. Questions on radiology contents during medical
studies and “practical year” were part of the survey. Plans for residency and possible
advantages and disadvantages of radiology as medical specialty were inquired. Descriptive
statistics and group comparisons were used as analysis methods.
Results 89 students participated in the survey at the beginning and 60 students at the end
of the practical year. Of these 39 students could be identified who answered both
questionnaires. Most students were satisfied with their final year radiology elective
(mean 1.8 on a range from 1 to 5). Nevertheless, they criticized mentoring during
routine work (mean 2.1) and a lack of educational courses (mean 2.1). Most students
(83 %) were uncertain about their residency choice at the beginning of their “practical
year” and about one fifth changed their plans. From the students’ point of view main
advantages of radiology included contact with many other clinical disciplines (87 %)
and the working conditions (68 %). The reduced patient contact (42 %), the large amount
of work at a computer (43 %), and the dependency on referring physicians (42 %) were
regarded as the main disadvantages. The students regarded the way radiology is taught
during the studies as not practical enough. With regard to radiology the majority
of students (63 %) felt poorly prepared for their future work.
Conclusion The “practical year” is important regarding the choice of future specialization.
There was a high degree of satisfaction with the “practical year” in radiology. The
mentoring during routine work and a lack of educational courses was mildly criticized.
These factors provide room for improvement to foster students’ interest in radiology.
Key Points
-
The “practical year” is important regarding the choice of further specialization.
-
Criticisms of radiology in the “practical year” were mentoring and courses.
-
Students feel poorly prepared for their future work regarding practical radiological
skills.
Citation Format
Key words
education - practical year - medical studies
