ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S2197

Interdisciplinary – Education in radiation oncology

ESTRO 2025

4011

Digital Poster Increasing Recruitment to Radiation Oncology: the first survey of medical students' perceptions and career influences Gabriele D'Ercole 1 , Michele Fiore 1,2 , Pasquale Trecca 1 , Gian Marco Petrianni 1 , Edy Ippolito 1,2 , Sara Ramella 1,2 1 Operative Research Unit of Radiation Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy. 2 Research Unit of Radiation Oncology, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy Purpose/Objective: In recent years, Italy has seen a significant decline in the number of medical doctors choosing to specialise in Radiation Oncology. In 2024, only 18.2% of available positions (31 out of 170) were filled in the first ranking list, and this percentage dropped to 12.3% (21 out of 170) in the updated ranking list. These figures suggest that radiation oncology is rarely a first choice for medical graduates. To better understand this trend, we surveyed students at the end of a five-day internship in our Radiation Oncology department. Material/Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire consisting of 18 questions was administered via Google Forms at the end of the internship. Seventy-six medical students responded independently using their smartphones. Results: Forty students (52.6%) reported knowing little about radiation oncology prior to the internship, but after the experience, forty-four (57.9%) indicated a significant improvement in their understanding of the field. Notably, thirty-one (40.8%) students learned that radiation oncology is distinct from medical oncology during the internship. The influence of university lectures on placement decisions was significant, with thirty-one (40.8%) students stating that lectures influenced their choice of department "a lot" (28.9%) or "very much" (11.9%). In terms of career motivations, twenty-five students (32.9%) cited work-life balance as a key factor, while twenty (26.3%) identified economic prospects as a strong influence. Additionally, twenty-seven (35.5%) students considered the potential for specialist work to be an important factor in their decision. The possibility of engaging in private practice was also a motivating factor for sixteen (21%) students who rated it as "very much" influential. Graphs are available in the uploaded images