Defining the student perspective on radiation oncology—an analysis of factors influencing medical students’ decisions for specialized training

Abstract

Purpose: The new Medical Licensing Regulations 2025 in Germany demand a longitudinal and interdisciplinary oncological curriculum for the future of medical education. Small disciplines like radiation oncology (RO) tend to be underrepresented in the general curriculum, which complicates attracting new residents and doctoral candidates to the field. To bridge this gap, our university successfully implemented a multidisciplinary training for preclinical semesters combining anatomical and RO knowledge. The following study addresses students’ perceptions of RO and learning success in the setting of a mandatory preclinical course. Methods: A quantitative single-center cross-sectional study with 106 students was conducted via online questionnaire before and after a 1-week semester course in anatomy and RO. The analysis was conceptualized using descriptive statistical methods and the expectancy–value model according to Eccles and Wigfield. Results: Overall, 106 (73 female, 33 male) students with a mean age of 21.8 years took part in the first survey. Advanced courses during finals and gender had no effect on interest in RO. However, it could be shown that the understanding of RO (p < 0.0001), knowledge about patients who need to be referred to RO (p < 0.0001), and the interest in specialty training in RO (p < 0.0001) significantly increased during the course. The students’ perceptions of specialty training in RO remained stable before and after the course. Conclusion: This is the first study on the influence factors for students’ decisions to pursue a specialized training in RO. Students’ expectations regarding a good specialty training are well represented in RO, and the implementation of preclinical courses significantly increases the knowledge about RO and the level of interest regarding a specialty training in RO.