Recruiting Medical Students to Interventional Radiology: Current State of Affairs

Interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology (IR/DR) is the newest primary specialties offered to trainees, one that medical students can now apply to directly out of medical school. However, medical students are disadvantaged in that the integrated IR/DR pathway requires early decision when often radiology rotations are not part of the core clerkship curriculum. Based upon results from a survey to Integrated IR/DR Program Directors, we report strategies being used by programs to introduce and attract medical students to IR.

A questionnaire was written touching on various aspects of medical student engagement. The questionnaire was sent out electronically to 51 IR/DR Program Directors and answers were collated by the Society of Interventional Radiology Resident Fellow Student Section, IR Residency Training Committee.

Eighteen responses were recorded from programs across the country. All programs encouraged applying to both DR and IR programs. All except one offered research opportunities (94%). The majority offered shadowing opportunities, had dedicated IR interest groups, and invited medical students to device workshops (78%). Planned informal opportunities for medical students to meet faculty and a dedicated department website were made available by most (67%). Little more than half invited medical students to journal clubs (59%). Formal medical student-faculty mentorship program and social media outreach initiatives like Facebook, Student Doctor Network, Twitter, LikedIn, Youtube, and podcasts rounded out the bottom two (50%). Importantly, respondents indicated that they were interested in hearing the results of the survey.

Our survey offers a snapshot of exactly what program directors are doing to address the issue of medical student recruitment.