Recruitment and retention are of paramount importance to medical radiation science (MRS) as a profession. There is a strong demand for MRS practitioners which is expected to continue as the population ages. This study aimed to examine demographic data, factors relating to the career choice of MRS, and future work or study plans of first year MRS students. Questionnaires were distributed to 83 first year students, currently enrolled in MRS at the University of Sydney. A total of 73 completed questionnaires were received. This sample included 30 diagnostic radiography students, 24 nuclear medicine students and 19 radiation therapy students. The top three factors that influenced students' career choices was wanting to help others, followed by wanting to work in a healthcare field, then wanting to work with technology. The most common source of students' career information was family members, friends and health professionals. Among the students, 68.5% were aware of advancement opportunities in their stream of MRS. About half of the students planned to specialise or undertake postgraduate study in MRS, and 39.7% planned to study another degree after graduating. The results of this study indicated that many students chose MRS as a career with the goal of helping others. The most frequently reported source through which the students first heard about the profession was personal contacts. Furthermore, about half of the students were interested in further study. This information can be used by professional organisations, educational programs, or employers to assist in recruitment and retention strategies of MRS students.
Studies on explanted lens epithelial cells have been central to the identification of growth factor families that play key roles in determining the differentiated states of lens cells. In vitro models have shown that quiescent epithelial cells can be induced to differentiate down the normal fibre differentiation pathway by FGF, or induced to undergo an epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) that is a key feature of subcapsular cataracts (including PCO) by TGFß. Central to the generation of these divergent phenotypes is reorganisation of the lens cell cytoskeleton. Recent studies in our laboratory have identified key roles for the Wnt growth factor family in regulating the lens cell cytoskeleton. Transgenic mice that overexpress the Wnt signalling inhibitor, secreted frizzled‐related protein 2 (Sfrp2), specifically in the lens, develop cataract and microphthalmia and exhibit a severely disrupted lens cellular architecture. The epithelial sheet is reduced and disordered. The lens fibre compartment is severely disrupted and it is notable that fibres do not elongate and undergo directed cell migration to form sutures. This is reflected in the absence of aligned microtubules and disrupted expression/activity of components of Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling cascades including small GTPases (Cdc42, Rac1 and RhoA) and phospho‐JNK. These results have highlighted an important role for Wnt/PCP signalling in orchestrating the development of the highly ordered lens cellular architecture.
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