Examining Recent Employment Outcomes for Graduating Radiation Oncologists Across and Within the...

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Health Services Research
• Oncology

Background:

• Radiation oncology (RO) resident placement in nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas is low (<5%).
• Understanding factors influencing RO graduate practice location is crucial for equitable healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with radiation oncology residents' practice location.
• To examine county-level characteristics of communities where RO graduates practice.

Main Methods:

• A database of US RO residents (2015-2022) was created using public data.
• Logistic regression identified predictors of nonmetro job acceptance.
• County characteristics were analyzed for metro and nonmetro cohorts.

Main Results:

• Only 4.3% of RO graduates accepted jobs in nonmetro counties.
• Graduates from larger residency programs were less likely to choose nonmetro locations.
• Nonmetro and metro jobs were in counties with higher population, income, and healthcare resources.

Conclusions:

• Geographic distribution of RO graduates is linked to population and healthcare resources.
• Addressing disparities in RO services requires more than just focusing on the metro/nonmetro divide.