Attitude of 500-level medical students towards radiology

Abstract

To ascertain the receptiveness and attitude of 5th-year medical students towards radiology and determine if they would choose radiology as a postgraduate speciality in a tertiary institution.  This study is an observational prospective study. It was carried out at a Medical College of a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Lagos State, Nigeria amongst its 5th-year students, comprising of 500-level medical Students doing coursework in radiology for the partial fulfilment of their degree. This study took place during an academic year at the onset and end of their posting in the Department of Radiology. The study showed a significant increase in knowledge and interest in radiology among medical students. Exposure to radiology courses increased from 12.9% to 64.3%. The pre-test showed that 8.6% found radiology a worthless discipline, but no respondent felt this way in the post-test. The impact of radiology on patient care and other areas of medicine also increased significantly. The intention to do an elective in radiology increased from 8.6% to 60.0%. The pre-test showed that 28.6% had heard of radiology, 55.7% had some idea, 14.3% were familiar with it as with other specialities and only 1.4% knew much about radiology.  Radiology education changes can improve medical students' views. Regularly updating curricula is essential to keep up with medical advancements. Collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and physicians is crucial to promote a positive outlook on radiology.