The 2015 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey

Area of Science:

• Medical workforce analysis
• Radiology human resources

Background:

• The American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Human Resources conducts annual surveys to assess the radiology workforce.
• Understanding the current and future workforce is crucial for strategic planning in radiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the current demographic and subspecialty distribution of radiologists.
• To project future job availability and hiring trends in the field of radiology.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to group leaders identified through the Practice of Radiology Environment Database.
• Survey data collected included current employment numbers, hiring figures for 2014, and projected hiring for 2015 and 2018.
• Information on radiologist subspecialty, age, and gender was also gathered.

Main Results:

• 32% of group leaders responded, representing 39% of all practicing radiologists (12,079).
• The radiology workforce is 21% female and 79% male. Female representation is higher in younger age groups (32% <35 years).
• 12% of radiologists work part-time, with a higher proportion of women (24%) compared to men (10%). 87% of radiologists are subspecialists.

Conclusions:

• Job opportunities for radiologists are projected to increase in 2015, similar to 2014 levels.
• Subspecialization within radiology continues to grow, though a significant portion of radiologists (61%) do not practice primarily within their subspecialty.