Wong F, Fairey R N
J Can Assoc Radiol. 1984 Jun;35(2):144-8.
A shortage of radiation oncologists has been a problem in both Canada and the United States of America. The fundamental step to rectify this situation is the recruitment of interested medical students. A mail-in survey was sent to 214 third- and fourth-year medical students at the University of British Columbia to evaluate attitudes to and the level of understanding of radiation oncology. The response rate was 59%. Seventy-five percent of the students were planning postgraduate training in clinically orientated specialties with good lifestyle and availability of job opportunities. However, only 18% of the respondents considered radiation oncology as a possible specialty. This survey suggests that this lack of interest is the result of misconceptions about training in the practice of radiotherapy. To better inform the medical students, teaching clinics providing them with direct contact with radiation oncologists and their patients, are invaluable. In order to generate the correct image of the specialty and the types of patients encountered, teaching in an ambulatory care setting is not to be neglected. Distribution of information pamphlets describing the radiation oncology program and the nature of radiation oncology practice is also suggested as an efficient means of informing medical students.
放射肿瘤学家短缺在加拿大和美利坚合众国都是一个问题。纠正这种情况的根本步骤是招募感兴趣的医科学生。我们向英属哥伦比亚大学的214名三年级和四年级医科学生发送了一份邮寄调查问卷，以评估他们对放射肿瘤学的态度和理解程度。回复率为59%。75%的学生计划在生活方式良好且有工作机会的临床导向专业接受研究生培训。然而，只有18%的受访者将放射肿瘤学视为可能选择的专业。这项调查表明，这种缺乏兴趣是对放射治疗实践培训存在误解的结果。为了让医科学生更好地了解情况，为他们提供与放射肿瘤学家及其患者直接接触机会的教学诊所非常宝贵。为了形成对该专业以及所遇到患者类型的正确印象，在门诊护理环境中的教学也不应被忽视。还建议分发描述放射肿瘤学项目和放射肿瘤学实践性质的信息手册，作为向医科学生提供信息的有效方式。
