RADIATION ONCOLOGY EDUCATION AMONG INDIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide (1). It has now become more rampant and wide spread than it used to be. Ÿ Medical oncology, Surgical oncology and Radiation oncology are the three cornerstones for cancer management today. Ÿ Though 50% of cancer patients worldwide receive Radiation treatment with 40% cure rates(2), radiation oncology is yet to pave it's path to many medical students. Ÿ There is a clear lack of oncological education in undergraduates (3). especially in the Indian setting due to a lot of factors. Ÿ Radiation oncology is often looked down upon as a career option among indian undergraduates when compared to parallel branches like medical and surgical oncology Specialities. Ÿ A survey in the US medical schools showed signicant misconceptions regarding radoiation oncology(4). Ÿ Many medical students were detterd from choosing radiation oncology as a career choice due to lack of knowledge about the speciality (5). Ÿ With this background, the current study was conducted to assess the perceptions about radiation oncology among upcoming doctors.