Considerations in Specialty Selections: What Medical Students Think, Know, and Think They Know about Interventional Radiology.

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare motivation, deterrents, knowledge of, exposure to, and other specialty considerations of 1st-4th year medical students interested in interventional radiology (IR) to those who are not. Materials and Methods Matriculants of 5 medical schools varying by region, public/private, class size, and NIH research ranking received a 19-question survey with questions about demographics, specialty interests, motivations/deterrents, knowledge of IR, and exposures to IR. Results 25.8% (611/2370) of students completed the survey; 20.5% (125/611) expressed interest in IR. 25% (47/186), 26% (40/153), 24% (34/143), and 3% (3/117) of MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 were seriously considering IR respectively. Those interested in IR were less motivated by direct patient care (mean 2.8/5, 95% CI 2.6-3.0) and longitudinal patient care (mean 1.6/5, 95% CI [1.4-1.7]) (both p 0.05). Conclusion Medical students show interest in, but limited understanding of, IR. IR educators may increase IR interest and understanding among medical students by clarifying the procedural aspects and longitudinal care present in a comprehensive IR practice.