Initial employment experiences of 1997 graduates of radiation oncology training programs

To inform the profession of current trends in the job market, the American College of Radiology (ACR) sought to detail the job-hunting experiences and outcomes of 1997 graduates of radiation oncology training programs.

In early 1998, questionnaires were mailed to all graduates; 67% responded. Results were compared with similar surveys of 1996 graduates.

Similar to past years, immediately after graduation, 13% of residency graduates and 1 of 10 fellowship graduates encountered serious employment difficulties--that is, spent some time working locums, working outside radiation oncology, or unemployed. By 6-12 months after graduation, approximately 2% of all residency graduates were working outside the profession and approximately 3% were not working at all. Eighty-five percent of residency graduates and 7 of 8 fellowship graduates reported that their employment reasonably matched their training and individual goals. On average, graduates' actual salaries approximately corresponded to expected salaries. Eleven percent of all graduates were in nonownership-track jobs, a significant decline since 1996. For residents and fellows combined, 46% had a job with at least one characteristic some observers associate with a weak job market, but fewer than half of those with one of these characteristics actually disliked it. These percentages are similar to 1996. Women graduates were more likely than men to have spouse-related restrictions on job location but less likely to end up in a self-reportedly undesirable location.

Unemployment remained low. Some other indicators of the employment market showed improvement, while others did not.