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

Purpose: To compare the motivation, deterrents, knowledge, exposure, and other specialty considerations of first- to fourth-year medical students interested in interventional radiology (IR) with those who are not.

Materials And Methods: Matriculants of 5 medical schools varying by region, public/private, class size, and National Institutes of Health research ranking received a 19-question survey with questions about demographics, specialty interests, motivations/deterrents, knowledge, and exposure to IR.

Results: A total of 25.8% (611/2370) of students completed the survey, of which 20.5% (125/611) expressed interest in IR, and 25% (47/186), 26% (40/153), 24% (34/143), and 3% (3/117) of first-year, second-year, third-year, and fourth-year medical students, respectively, were seriously considering IR. Those interested in IR were less motivated by direct patient care (mean, 2.8/5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6-3.0) and longitudinal patient care (mean, 1.6/5; 95% CI, 1.4-1.7) (both, P < .01) and more motivated by salary (2.6/5; 95% CI, 2.3-2.9), job market (2.8/5; 95% CI, 2.6-2.9), and procedures (3.1/5; 95% CI, 2.8-3.4) compared with their peers (all P < .05). Those interested in IR were more certain about their IR knowledge (mean range, 1.6-2.0/3.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.3) than their peers (mean range, 1.9-2.4/3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-2.1, in which 0 = certain, P ≤ .01); however, both groups scored low in actual knowledge (those considering IR: 35.0-73.2% correct; 95% CI, 23.5-81.4; those who were not: 26.6-66.7% correct; 95% CI, 24.3-75.9, P > .05).

Conclusions: Although medical students showed interest in IR, they had a 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.