1997 Graduates Speak: initial employment experiences of residency and fellowship graduates

The American College of Radiology sought to detail the initial employment experience of 1997 diagnostic radiology graduates and recent trends.

In early 1998, questionnaires were mailed to all graduates; 65% responded. Results were compared with similar surveys of 1995 and 1996 graduates.

Much as in past years, immediately after graduation 4% of residency graduates and 9% of fellowship graduates spent some time working as a locum tenens, working outside radiology, or unemployed, but by 6-12 months after graduation, 2% or fewer were not employed. The median fellowship graduate's salary was 5% greater than in 1996. Twelve percent of fellowship graduates were in non-ownership-track jobs, much the same as in earlier years. Thirty-two percent had one or more of 12 possibly undesirable job characteristics, down from 39% in 1996; 14% not only had, but actually disliked, one or more of these characteristics, much the same as in 1996, but down from 23% in 1995. Multivariate analysis showed that women graduates were more likely than men to have had serious employment difficulties in the immediate postgraduation months; and that graduates having a spouse who also had to find a job in the same area were more likely than others to be in a putatively "seriously undesirable" location or in "holding pattern" employment while looking for something better or more permanent.

Unemployment remained very low. Some other indicators of the employment market showed improvement. Factors expected to affect employment outcomes-for example, training program quality or having major non-spouse-related restrictions on job location-had surprisingly little effect.