Shaping the future of radiation oncology education: results of a nationwide student survey from Germany

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Radiation oncology (RO) is a key component of cancer care and should be adequately represented in undergraduate medical education. In light of medical training reforms in German medical education and rising expectations for competency-based, practice-oriented learning, this nationwide survey explored medical students' perspectives on RO teaching and its future development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 2023 to 2025 across all 38 German medical faculties. Developed by the Working Group on Teaching of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO), the 49-item questionnaire addressed curriculum structure, teaching quality, preferred formats, and interest in RO. RESULTS: Among 1112 participants, 739 completed the survey. Although 96% viewed RO as being essential to cancer care, 62% felt it was underrepresented in the curriculum. Students called for more interdisciplinary and patient-centered teaching and showed high interest in digital and hybrid learning formats. Notably, 60.5% favored interdisciplinary oncology formats including RO, and nearly half expressed interest in elective RO courses. CONCLUSION: Despite its recognized importance, RO remains inconsistently represented in medical education. Embedding RO in interdisciplinary oncology modules and expanding digital, longitudinal, and flexible teaching formats could enhance its visibility and relevance. Given students' strong interest in more in-depth exposure, optional and elective formats should be further developed to meet modern educational expectations.