Bridging the green gap: aligning rwandan medical imaging education with national and global sustainability goals.

INTRODUCTION This study evaluated medical imaging students' perspectives on environmental sustainability (ES) integration. The study sought to identify curricular gaps and propose enhancement strategies, aligning with national and global sustainability goals.

METHODS A cross-sectional survey used a structured, pre-tested questionnaire to assess curriculum coverage, awareness, attitudes, challenges, and improvement strategies. Data were analysed in R version 4.4.3. using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.

RESULTS A total of 86 students took part in the survey (80 % response rate). The findings reveal the core "Rwandan Sustainability Paradox", i.e., while an overwhelming majority of participants believed ES to be very important, only a small minority felt it was extensively covered within the curriculum. This gap was compounded by a predominantly lecture-based pedagogical approach and significant systemic challenges. Students identified a critical lack of digital infrastructure and limited clinical exposure to sustainable practices as the foremost barriers. In response, they strongly favoured interactive workshops (77 %) and the integration of ES modules across all courses to bridge this divide.

CONCLUSION The study identifies a "Rwandan Sustainability Paradox": a cohort of students with high ES awareness is constrained by a curriculum lacking the pedagogical depth and practical focus to translate this into clinical competence. This underscores fundamental curriculum reform and concurrent investment in clinical infrastructure.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Findings offer a student-endorsed blueprint for aligning medical imaging education with Rwanda's national development and sustainability agendas. For clinical practice, this involves shifting to active, case-based learning to bridge the theory-practice gap. For policy, it necessitates formal alignment of health curricula with national strategies and targeted investment in digital infrastructure to enable sustainable medical imaging practice.