Domestic Job Shortage or Job Maldistribution? A Geographic Analysis of the Current Radiation Oncology Job Market

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Mudit Chowdhary, Rush University; Arpit M. Chhabra, University of Maryland; Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Emory University; Jaymin Jhaveri, Emory University; Neilayan Sen, Rush University; Pretesh Patel, Emory University; Walter J Curran, Emory University; Ross A. Abrams, Rush University; Kirtesh Patel, Emory University; Gaurav Marwaha, Rush University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-09-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 Elsevier Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.04.016
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Radiation Oncology - Biology - Physics
• ISSN: 0360-3016
• Volume: 99
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 9
• End Page: 15
• Grant/Funding Information: Research reported in this publication was supported in part by the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute under award number P30CA138292.
• Keywords: RESIDENTS; Oncology; SUPPLY-AND-DEMAND; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; FUTURE; WORKFORCE; UNITED-STATES; ASSOCIATION
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Radiology; Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Purpose To examine whether permanent radiation oncologist (RO) employment opportunities vary based on geography. Methods and Materials A database of full-time RO jobs was created by use of American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Career Center website posts between March 28, 2016, and March 31, 2017. Jobs were first classif ied by region based on US Census Bureau data. Jobs were further categorized as academic or nonacademic depending on the employer. The prevalence of job openings per 10 million population was calculated to account for regional population differences. The χ 2 test was implemented to compare position type across regions. The number and locations of graduating RO during our study period was calculated using National Resident Matching Program data. The χ 2 goodness-of-fit test was then used to compare a set of observed proportions of jobs with a corresponding set of hypothesized proportions of jobs based on the proportions of graduates per region. Results A total of 211 unique jobs were recorded. The highest and lowest percentages of jobs were seen in the South (31.8%) and Northeast (18.5%), respectively. Of the total jobs, 82 (38.9%) were academic; the South had the highest percentage of overall academic jobs (35.4%), while the West had the lowest (14.6%). Regionally, the Northeast had the highest percentage of academic jobs (56.4%), while the West had the lowest (26.7%). A statistically significant difference was noted between regional academic and nonacademic job availability (P=.021). After we accounted for unit population, the Midwest had the highest number of total jobs per 10 million (9.0) while the South had the lowest (5.9). A significant difference was also observed in the proportion of RO graduates versus actual jobs per region (P=.003), with a surplus of trainees seen in the Northeast. Conclusions This study presents a quantitative analysis of the RO job market. We found a disproportionately small number of opportunities compared with graduates trained in the Northeast, as well as a significant regional imbalance of academic versus nonacademic jobs. Long-term monitoring is required to confirm these results.