What Inspires Medical Students to Pursue Radiation Oncology? A Thematic Analysis of Application Essays for a Canadian Studentship in Radiation Oncology.

Understanding what motivates medical students towards Radiation Oncology (RO) is an important factor in recruiting residents, which is necessary to meet the rising demand for radiation oncologists. The CARO-CROF Pamela Catton Studentship Award supports Canadian medical students to gain RO experiences. This study identifies themes present in the application essays to this program to explore the reasons for their interest in pursuing a RO studentship. Essays from 66 CARO-CROF studentship applications were anonymized and evaluated using a grounded theory approach. Themes and sub-themes were identified using constant comparative analysis over iterative reads. A randomized subset of essays was independently analyzed with discrepancies resolved by discussion amongst three independent coders. Exemplary quotes illustrated key findings. Major themes driving interest in RO included the following: (1) alignment of the professional, clinical, and technical aspects of RO with career goals (82% of students); (2) prior exposures including clinical exposure, research, and informal experiences (74%); and (3) personal events with cancer (e.g., personal illness or affected family) impacting their values and career ambitions (26%). Under-exposure to RO in medical education was identified by 23% of students as a major motivation to seek more opportunities in the specialty. Medical students are drawn to RO due to its alignment with their interests, prior exposures, and personal experiences. These findings support advocacy for a more comprehensive exposure to cancer disciplines as a career.