A survey of medical students to assess their exposure to and knowledge of renal transplantation

A questionnaire was distributed to final year students at a single medical school in the UK to assess their exposure to and knowledge of renal transplantation.Although 46% of responding students had examined a transplant recipient, only 14% had ever witnessed the surgery. Worryingly, 9% of students believed that xenotransplantation commonly occurs in the UK and 35% were unable to name a single drug that a recipient may need to take.This survey demonstrates a lack of exposure to, and knowledge of, the field of renal transplantation. Recommendations to address the problems with the recruitment of surgeons and donation of organs, by targeting medical students are made.With the potential for improved quality of life and increased life expectancy, renal transplantation is the first choice treatment for most patients with end-stage renal failure [1,2]. However, in the UK there is an ever-increasing disparity between the number of patients on the waiting list and those being transplanted [3]. This is predominantly due to a rise in the incidence of renal failure amongst an aging, racially diverse society in conjunction with a shortage of donated organs [4].The field of renal transplantation also suffers from a lack of surgeons. Indeed, it is predicted that by the year 2005 there will a shortage of over twenty consultant renal transplant surgeons [5].Any measures to deal with these problems must include educating and attracting the doctors of tomorrow; medical students [6,7]. However, the General Medical Council's core curriculum model for undergraduate teaching has lead to significant changes in the way that specialist subjects are taught [8]. This survey was conducted to assess the exposure to, and knowledge of, renal transplantation amongst medical students at a single medical school in the United Kingdom.In July 2003 a PRHO job fair was held for final year medical students of Bristol University, which all 140 students within the year attended. An anonymous questionnaire