Diagnostic radiology in the undergraduate curriculum in Nigerian universities.

Diagnostic radiology, despite its well-recognized essential role in medicine, is a much neglected subject in Nigerian medical schools and is omitted in the undergraduate curriculum. There are only about 50 radiologists in Nigeria, of a population of about 80 million people. Of these, 75% work in the university teaching hospitals. Since for some time to come many medical practitioners may have to continue handling simple radiological investigations and possibly interpreting them, unaided by radiologists, adequate undergraduate exposure to this discipline through the inclusion of formal teaching of radiology in the undergraduate curriculum seems imperative. This in turn will serve to improve recruitment into this specialty.