Medical students' attitudes toward radiology: Comparison of matriculating and graduating students

Rationale and Objectives: To determine graduating medical students' perceptions of radiology and to document changes in their perceptions since they entered medical school. Materials and Methods: A survey questionnaire was distributed to 213 graduating students. Questions were similar to those answered by the same group of students as they entered medical school nearly 4 years earlier. Results: The survey was anonymously completed by 140 students. Seventy percent of students changed their choice of medical specialty since entering medical school. Factors with a major or important influence on specialty choice included intellectual excitement (96%), high patient contact (86%), opportunity for a good family life (72%), and regular hours (57%). Radiology was perceived to be a well-paid (89%), “high-tech” (86%) specialty with a healthy lifestyle (82%), regular hours (99%), and good family life (92%), but it was not perceived to offer high patient contact (1%) and was intellectually exciting to only 33% of students. This perception was unchanged from freshman year. Conclusions: This 4-year longitudinal study of a medical student class documents surprisingly little change in the perception of radiology throughout medical school. High patient contact and intellectual excitement, both factors of major or important influence on specialty choice, were thought to be lacking in radiology.