The Influence of Gender on Choosing Radiology as a Specialty among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: Cross Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Medical undergraduates are the future doctors of the country, and hence, determining how medical students choose their areas of specialty is an essential factor to obtain a balanced distribution of physicians among all specialties. Gender is a significant factor that affects specialty choice, the factors underlying gender differences in radiology are not fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The study examined factors that attracted medical students to and discouraged them from selecting diagnostic radiology, and analyzed whether these factors differed between female and male medical students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, used an electronic questionnaire sent to medical students from all medical years during February 2018. Subgroup analyses for gender and radiology interest were performed using the chi-square test and Cramer-V test. RESULTS: In total, 539 students (276 females; 263 males) responded. The most common factor preventing students from choosing radiology as a career was the lack of direct patient contact, which deterred approximately 47% who decided against considering this specialty. Negative perception by other physicians (p < .001), lack of acknowledgment by patients (p = .004), and lack of structured radiology rotations (p = .007) dissuaded significantly more male than female students. Among those interested in radiology, more female students were attracted by job flexibility (p = .01), while more male students were attracted by focused patient interactions with minimal paperwork (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was found between gender and considering radiology as a specialty. Misconception plays a central role in students' judgment regarding radiology. Hence, early exposure to radiology, assuming a new teaching method and using a curriculum that supports the active participation of students in radiology rotation, is needed to overcome this misconception. CLINICALTRIAL: