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Is Diagnostic Radiology Competitive in 2023?

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by Danielle Pratt in Residency

Is diagnostic radiology competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into diagnostic radiology? Is diagnostic radiology IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for diagnostic radiology programs?

In this article, you’ll learn everything about diagnostic radiology’s competitiveness in 2022. In the process, you’ll learn what to focus on – and what not to – to maximize your chances of matching into this desirable specialty.

Summary:

  • Diagnostic Radiology Overall Competitiveness: Moderately High
  • Research Importance: Moderate
  • USMLE Importance: Moderately High
  • Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Moderate
  • Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Moderately High

Table of Contents

Is Diagnostic Radiology Competitive in 2022?

One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate, or in other words, the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.

Among US Seniors, the unmatched percentage was 16.8%, making it moderately competitive among US residencies. The match rate for diagnostic radiology is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. However, diagnostic radiology is considerably more competitive than pediatrics, emergency medicine, child neurology, or even neurology in the 2022 match.

For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.

Diagnostic Radiology US Senior Unmatched Percentage 2022 Match

Diagnostic Radiology Match Rate

What is the Diagnostic Radiology match rate for US seniors, DO seniors, and IMGs? The “match rate” is the % of people who applied to a particular specialty as their preferred specialty who successfully matched into the specialty.

  • US Senior Diagnostic Radiology Match Rate (2022 Match): 83.2%
  • DO Senior Diagnostic Radiology Match Rate (2022 Match): 67%
  • US IMG Diagnostic Radiology Match Rate (2022 Match): 37%
  • Non-US IMG Diagnostic Radiology Match Rate (2022 Match): 42%

See below for more on matching into Diagnostic Radiology as a DO or IMG.

Diagnostic Radiology Match Statistics 2022

In 2022, there were 1,155 diagnostic radiology positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 1,568 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.

In the 2022 Match, diagnostic radiology ranked #9 for most total positions offered, behind:

  • Internal medicine: 9,809 positions
  • Family medicine: 4,926 positions
  • Pediatrics: 3,016 positions
  • Emergency medicine: 2,921 positions
  • Psychiatry: 2,047 positions
  • Anesthesiology 1,969 positions

How many people matched into diagnostic radiology 2022

How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Diagnostic Radiology?

According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each diagnostic radiology program received 644 applications on average. Other data include:

  • Applications received (Diagnostic Radiology): 644
  • Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Diagnostic Radiology): 224
  • Applications receiving holistic review (Diagnostic Radiology): 453
  • Interview invitations sent (Diagnostic Radiology): 123
  • Applicants interviewed (Diagnostic Radiology): 111
  • Applicants ranked (Diagnostic Radiology): 98

Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:

  • 35% of the applications for diagnostic radiology were rejected via standardized screen,
  • 70% of diagnostic radiology applications received a holistic review,
  • 19% of diagnostic radiology applicants received an interview invitation, and
  • 15% of all diagnostic radiology applicants were ranked to match

Diagnostic Radiology application outcomes 2021 program director survey

Diagnostic Radiology is Moderately Reliant on Screens

Diagnostic radiology relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, diagnostic radiology PDs respondents reported that 35% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked slightly below the average of other residency specialties.

Diagnostic Radiology Applicants Screened Out and Interviewed 2021 PD Survey

USMLE Scores for Diagnostic Radiology

Step 1 scores for diagnostic radiology for matched US seniors reflect its moderately high competitiveness.

Diagnostic radiology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):

  • 25%ile: 237
  • Median: 246
  • 75%ile: 253
Step 1 Diagnostic Radiology Scores (2022 Match)

Step 1 Diagnostic Radiology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)

Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for diagnostic radiology for matched US seniors reflect its moderately high competitiveness.

Diagnostic Radiology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):

  • 25%ile: 246
  • Median: 253
  • 75%ile: 262
Step 2 CK Diagnostic Radiology Scores (2022 Match)

Step 2 CK Diagnostic Radiology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)

See this article for more on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK percentiles for each specialty and the overall percentiles.

Matching into Diagnostic Radiology as a DO

Matching into diagnostic radiology as a DO is moderately competitive, with a 67% match rate and 15% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 253 DO seniors applied for diagnostic radiology; 169 matched.

Diagnostic Radiology is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)

Diagnostic Radiology is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)

For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.

Is Diagnostic Radiology IMG Friendly?

Diagnostic Radiology is moderately IMG-friendly, with an overall 40% match rate and 8% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 86 US IMGs and 159 non-US IMGs applied to diagnostic radiology; 32 US IMGs and 66 non-US IMGs matched.

Diagnostic Radiology is Moderately IMG-Friendly (2022 Match)

Diagnostic Radiology is Moderately IMG-Friendly (2022 Match)

We can see that non-US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (42%) than US IMGs (37%) in diagnostic radiology.

US and Non-US IMG Match Rate 2022 Match

For diagnostic radiology, US IMGs had a slightly lower match rate (37%) than non-US IMGs (42%) in the 2022 Match

For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.

Diagnostic Radiology-Friendly IMG Residency Programs

For a list of the most IMG-friendly diagnostic radiology programs, see this article.

How Much Do Diagnostic Radiology Make per Year? Per Hour?

Diagnostic Radiologists have an average annual salary of $437,000. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.

Diagnostic Radiology Annual Salary

Diagnostic Radiologist make $437,000 per year on average

However, annual salaries can be misleading. Some specialties work much more than others. By considering the estimated hours worked per year, diagnostic radiology receives an estimated hourly salary of $170.46/hr.

Diagnostic Radiologist Estimated Hourly Salary

Diagnostic Radiologists make roughly $170/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year

See this article for more on physician annual salaries and estimated hourly wage by specialty.

How Important is AOA for Diagnostic Radiology?

AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.

Having AOA membership confers a greater advantage to matching into some specialties more than others. Often this AOA advantage is greatest for the most competitive specialties.

AOA Membership Advantage for Diagnostic Radiology 2022

AOA membership correlated with a 17% match rate advantage for diagnostic radiology in the 2022 Match

In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 15% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a moderate advantage to matching into a diagnostic radiology residency.

A number of schools do not have AOA chapters. Even in those schools, many of them rank students against each other. Regardless of AOA status, we can see that class rank is an important factor for successfully matching into a diagnostic radiology program.

For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.

How Many Publications for Diagnostic Radiology Residency in 2022

Research is an important characteristic for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into a diagnostic radiology residency?

In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into diagnostic radiology was 8. The mean number of research experiences was 4.6.

How many publications for diagnostic radiology 2022
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Diagnostic Radiology?

You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into diagnostic radiology. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 3% when applying into diagnostic radiology. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 3% higher than for those without one when applying into anesthesiology.

Should I get a PhD for diagnostic radiology 2022

Having a PhD correlated with a 3% match rate advantage for diagnostic radiology in the 2022 Match

Note that applicants with PhDs are relatively rare among diagnostic radiology residents. In fact, only 4.2% of matched applicants into diagnostic radiology had a PhD in 2022.

MD-PhD for Diagnostic Radiology Residency 2022

4.2% of matched applicants to diagnostic radiology had an MD-PhD in 2022

Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Diagnostic Radiology?

Does attending a top medical school help with matching into diagnostic radiology? According to the program director survey results above, 29.4% of diagnostic radiology PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.9.

Similarly, we can look at the advantage to attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a 7% advantage in match rate for those attending a school in the top 40 for NIH funding vs. those who did not.

Top 40 med school diagnostic radiology match 2022

Graduating from a medical school ranked in the top 40 by NIH funding correlated with a 7% match rate advantage for diagnostic radiology in the 2022 Match

Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Diagnostic Radiology?

Medical training can take a long time. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPH’s or MBA’s.

But how much of an advantage – or disadvantage – does an MPH (Master of Public Health) or MBA (Master of Business Administration) confer when applying into diagnostic radiology? As it turns out, not much. In fact, the match rate for US seniors with other degrees was only 1% higher than the rate for those without other degrees.

These statistics imply that having a second degree that isn’t a PhD doesn’t appear to help your chances of matching into diagnostic radiology.

Diagnostic Radiology other degree MBA MPH advantage 2022

Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a 1% match rate advantage for diagnostic radiology in the 2022 Match

What Are the Best Diagnostic Radiology Programs?

While diagnostic radiology may be moderately competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So, which are the best diagnostic radiology residency programs?

Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable diagnostic radiology residency programs would include:

  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • University of California-San Francisco
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Stanford Health Care
  • Duke University Hospital
  • Johns Hopkins University

Concluding Thoughts

So how competitive is diagnostic radiology in 2022? Based on the statistics, moderately so. It is not among the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery or orthopedic surgery. Nor does it require extensive amounts of research. While extra credentials like an Ivy League education, or having another degree provide a slight advantage, they are not completely necessary to match into a diagnostic radiology program.

That said, diagnostic radiology is still highly competitive, especially for the most desirable programs. While all specialties need good test scores, USMLE scores in diagnostic radiology are a very important part of the match process. This is evident in how reliant diagnostic radiology is on using standardized screens to weed out applicants.

While it is true for all specialties, USMLE scores – and particularly Step 2 CK – will be emphasized moving forward, particularly given how reliant diagnostic radiology is on standardized screens to weed out applicants.

To learn more about how to master – not memorize – for impressive USMLE scores and higher-class rankings, sign up for a free consultation. You can learn more about how Yousmle can help you to make the most of your time, to excel in your classes, Board exams, and the extracurriculars that are critical to matching.

Looking for a Diagnostic Radiology Residency Advisor?

Looking for a diagnostic radiology residency advisor? Want help writing your personal statement? Need effective strategies for interviewing? Do you have things on your application – e.g., low USMLE scores, failed USMLEs, no research, IMG status, or others – you need help overcoming?

Be sure to check out our Residency Advisor service.

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Cardiology is key for impressive USMLE scores. Master cardiology from a Harvard-trained anesthesiologist who scored USMLE 270 with these 130+ high-yield flash cards. You’ll be begging for cardio questions - even if vitals make you queasy.

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