Perceptions of pharmacology education and assessment among medical radiation science students at one Australian university: A cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Pharmacology is essential for safe medication use in healthcare, yet its role in allied health education, particularly medical radiation science programs, is underexplored. As medical radiation practitioners increasingly administer contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals, foundational pharmacology knowledge is critical. This study investigates Australian medical radiation science students’ perceptions of pharmacology education and assessment. Method: Across-sectional survey was conducted among second-year medical radiation science students (n = 129) at the University of South Australia before and after completing a foundational pharmacology course. Two anonymous surveys assessed students’ attitudes, confidence, and preferences regarding pharmacology and its academic assessment via assignment versus examination. Results: Survey 1 (n = 77) indicated low initial confidence in pharmaceutical knowledge (72 % not confident), and 50 % viewed pharmacology education as beneficial to practice. Survey 2 (n = 71) demonstrated strong support for assignment-based assessment: 86 % found the assignment effective, 82 % preferred the assignment over exams, and 79 % agreed that the assignment improved their application of pharmacology knowledge. Students also reported gains in research skills (73 %), critical thinking (64 %), and written communication skills (81 %) through undertaking the assignment. Conclusion: Despite initial uncertainty, students recognised the relevance of pharmacology to their future roles. Assignment-based assessment was perceived as more authentic and beneficial than exams, fostering deeper learning and transferable skills. These findings align with broader educational trends favouring contextualised, practice-oriented learning. Medical radiation science students value pharmacology education when it is clinically relevant and assessed through authentic formats. Assignment-based assessments enhance engagement, confidence, and professional preparedness. Curriculum designers should integrate pharmacology with real-world applications. Implications for practice: Embedding clinically relevant pharmacology and authentic assessment into medical radiation science curricula may improve student confidence, engagement, and readiness for safe clinical practice. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The College of Radiographers. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).