Assessment of the knowledge of radiology in exiting medical students in University of Calabar

Abstract

Objectives: Radiology education in the undergraduate level imparts in medical students the basic knowledge to interpret common pathological conditions, know the right imaging requests to make and the right order in which they should be made when they become physicians and the degree of this knowledge is influenced by several factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of radiology in exiting medical students and to identify the challenges of undergraduate radiology education. Material and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study that was conducted in a 2-month period in the Radiology Department of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. The year 6 medical students of the University of Calabar, who were 79 in number, participated in the study. Relevant questions covering the major areas of radiology were presented to each participant by the use of a pre-test questionnaire. SPSS version 23.0., Pearson’s Chi-square test, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The medical students had a mean score of 66.5% in radiology knowledge. A significant relationship was observed between diagnostic radiology knowledge and the duration of radiology posting (P = 0.029), radiology teaching methods (P = 0.001), and the quality of learning environment (P = 0.002), respectively. Conclusion: The final year medical students in University of Calabar have an appreciable knowledge of radiology. This can be improved if the duration of radiology education increases by early introduction into the pre-clinical class or other clinical courses, if the radiology teaching methods are updated, and if the quality of the learning environment is improved.