BRIDGING THE GAP: UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL STUDENTS' AND INTERNS'PERCEPTIONS OF RADIOLOGY AS A CAREER CHOICE AT TAIF UNIVERSITY, SAUDI ARABIA

Background: Radiology is a fundamental pillar of modern medicine, providing essential diagnostic and treatment guidance. Despite its importance, radiology faces challenges in attracting medical students as a career option. Objective: To identify factors influencing medical students' and interns' perceptions of radiology as a specialty. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Taif University medical 6th-year medical students and interns using a self-administered questionnaire including items to explore participants' knowledge, perceptions, and interest in radiology as a potential career path. Results: The study included 216 students and interns with a response rate of 91.9%. Males constituted 79.2% of them. Only a minority (18.5%) considered radiology as their future career aspiration. Exposure to radiology lectures during medical school was the most appealing factor (37%). Significant deterrents included concerns about losing clinical skills (45.8%), occupational hazards (41.2%), lack of recognition (40.7%), and limited patient contact (39.8%). The absence of patient interactions was the primary reason for disinterest in radiology (29.2%).Males were more likely than female students to choose radiology as a future career (20.5% vs. 11.1%), p<0.001. Also, participants with a higher level of knowledge about the radiology specialty were more likely than those with limited or no knowledge about it (33.3% vs. 25.2 and 7.7%, respectively), p=0.002. Conclusion:More than half of the medical students and interns surveyed expressed doubts about pursuing radiology. Male participants were more likely than female participants to be interested in radiology.To address this, introducing early and comprehensive diagnostic imaging education throughout the undergraduate years and incorporating theoretical and practical approaches could attract more medical students and interns to the field of radiology.