Learning from a year’s worth of radiology job postings
The diagnostic radiology job market continues to trend upward after a promising hike in the 2016-2017 academic year. The increasing number of clinical positions could be driving a culture of competition among young physicians, according to a report published in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology this month.
Circumstances have improved since the American College of Radiology (ACR) announced a drop in hiring projections for radiology jobs in 2013, University of Texas radiologist Cory M. Pfeifer, MD, MS, wrote in CPDR. Four years later, the ACR's 2017 Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey predicted an increase in job openings for the fourth consecutive year.
“This increased number of positions is enlightening for new radiologists, and it is likely to signal increased competition between practices for applicants,” Pfeifer wrote. “While the use of physician recruiting firms, printed advertisements and word of mouth are valuable tools in procuring new radiology talent, the ease and inexpensive use of the Internet makes web-based job postings a convenient venue for both applicants and practices.”
To solidify trends and draw feedback from the current job market, Pfeifer analyzed the ACR’s job database, which encompasses all radiological subspecialties, and evaluated boards between 2016 and 2017 for academic versus non-academic positions. The author focused on pediatric radiology and neuroradiology as markers, as well, comparing the Society of Pediatric Radiology (SPR) and American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) job banks to the ACR’s directory.
“Neuroradiology was targeted because it was cited as the most desirable subspecialty projected for 2017, while pediatric radiology was predicted as the least desirable among subspecialties with associated society job boards that make up 5 percent or more of the workforce,” Pfeifer said.
Pfeifer found that while the ACR Career Center showed increases in the number of advertised positions over time—416 at the beginning of the study compared to 576 at the end—just an average 3 percent of those jobs were for pediatric specialties. Neuroradiology opportunities were greater, with 13 percent prevalence.
The ACR’s job site also appeared to be more geared toward private practice jobs, the author wrote, while specific sites like the SPR’s Career Center offered 72 percent academic positions. Throughout the year, SPR advertised 97 unique attending-level positions and 19 unique domestic fellowship positions, while ASNR’s job listings offered 93 unique positions and 31 unique fellowship openings. Fifty-five percent of advertised ASNR jobs were academic.
“This study demonstrates continued growth in the number of diagnostic radiology jobs described in prior job board analyses and workforce surveys,” Pfeifer wrote.
All job boards peaked in late winter and early spring, according to the study, which is in line with prime job-seeking seasons. The first peak occurs just after the onset of the fiscal year, while the second comes at the end of fellowship season. Fellows still looking for a job by April should adjust their expectations since work is statistically more scarce at that time, Pfeifer said.
Using the SPR website as an indicator, this data tell us there are 1.5 job opportunities per pediatric radiology fellow each year, while neuroradiology hopefuls have to fight a harder battle. If ASNR job board statistics are used, they’d work out to 0.35 jobs per neuroradiology fellow each year, but using ACR Career Center data, that number jumps to 1.13 jobs per fellow.
Pfeifer said components like advertising costs and Internet availability can impact these results, but the statistics are both hopeful and helpful.
“It must be emphasized that Internet advertisements are only an indication of the job market,” he wrote. “A large number of jobs are given outside of this process, and postings may not indicate actual jobs that are available at the time of the listing. Nonetheless, the number of posted job advertisements should fluctuate in concert with the job market as a whole.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.