Is radiation oncology competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into radiation oncology? Is radiation oncology IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for radiation oncology programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about radiation oncology’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:
- Radiation Oncology Overall Competitiveness: Low
- Research Importance: Moderate
- USMLE Importance: Moderate
- Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Low
- Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Low
Table of Contents
Is Radiation Oncology Competitive in 2022?
One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate – the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.
Among US seniors, the unmatched percentage was 1.9%, making it less competitive among US residencies. The match rate for radiation oncology is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. Only two specialties were less competitive in the 2022 match ( emergency medicine and child neurology).
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
Radiation Oncology Match Rate
What is the Radiation Oncology 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 Radiation Oncology Match Rate (2022 Match): 98.1%
- DO Senior Radiation Oncology Match Rate (2022 Match): 0%
- US IMG Radiation Oncology Match Rate (2022 Match): 67%
- Non-US IMG Radiation Oncology Match Rate (2022 Match): 54%
See below for more on matching into Radiation Oncology as a DO or IMG.
Radiation Oncology Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, 185 radiation oncology positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 162 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
Radiation oncology ranked #21 in terms of total positions offered in the 2022 Match, far behind other residencies:
- Internal medicine: 9,809 positions
- Family medicine: 4,916 positions
- Pediatrics: 3,016 positions
- Emergency medicine: 2,921 positions
- Psychiatry: 2,047 positions
- Anesthesiology: 1,969 positions
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Radiation Oncology?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each Radiation Oncology program received 112 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (Radiation Oncology): 112
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Radiation Oncology): 14
- Applications receiving holistic review (Radiation Oncology): 92
- Interview invitations sent (Radiation Oncology): 48
- Applicants interviewed (Radiation Oncology): 37
- Applicants ranked (Radiation Oncology): 36
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 13% of Radiation Oncology applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- Only 82% of Radiation Oncology applications received a holistic review,
- 43% of Radiation Oncology applications received an interview invitation, and
- 32% of all Radiation Oncology applicants were ranked to match
Radiation Oncology is Moderately Reliant on Screens
Radiation Oncology relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, radiation oncology PDs respondents reported that 13% of applications were rejected via a standardized screen. This ranked near the lower end of residencies.
USMLE Scores for Radiation Oncology
Step 1 scores for radiation oncology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Radiation oncology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 228
- Median: 243
- 75%ile: 253
Step 1 Radiation Oncology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for radiation oncology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Radiation oncology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 241
- Median: 251
- 75%ile: 259
Step 2 CK Radiation Oncology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
See this article for more on the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK percentiles for each specialty and the overall percentiles.
Matching into Radiation Oncology as a DO
Matching into Radiation Oncology as a DO appears competitive. Data is limited for the number of applicants as there were no reported matches.
Radiation Oncology is not DO-Friendly (2022 Match)
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is Radiation Oncology IMG Friendly?
Radiation Oncology is moderately IMG-friendly, with an overall 58% match rate and 11% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 12 US IMGs and 24 non-US IMGs applied to Radiation Oncology; 8 US IMGs and 13 non-US IMGs matched.
Radiation Oncology is Moderately IMG-Friendly (2022 Match)
We can see that US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (67%) than non-US IMGs (54%) in Radiation Oncology.
For Radiation Oncology, US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (67%) than non-US IMGs (54%) in the 2022 Match
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
Radiation Oncology-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly radiation oncology programs, see this article.
How Much Do Radiation Oncologists Make per Year? Per Hour?
Radiation Oncologists earn an average of $394,000 per year. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.
Radiation Oncologists make $394,000 per year on average (Assistant Prof. Median)
However, annual salaries can be misleading. Some specialties work much more than others. Radiation oncologists earn an average of $158 per hour based on the number of hours worked per year.
Radiation Oncologists make roughly $158/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year (Assistant Prof. Median)
See this article for more on physicians’ annual salaries and estimated hourly wages by specialty.
How Important is AOA for Radiation Oncology?
AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.
Having an 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 correlated with a 0% match rate advantage for Radiation Oncology in the 2022 Match
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was no greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership did not provide an advantage to matching into a radiation oncology residency.
Several 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 in successfully matching into some residencies.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
How Many Publications for Radiation Oncology 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 radiation oncology residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into radiation oncology was 13.3. The mean number of research experiences was 4.5.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Radiation Oncology?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into radiation oncology. It appears that having a PhD shows no advantage when applying to radiation oncology. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is no higher than for those without one when applying to radiation oncology.
Having a PhD correlated with a 0% match rate advantage for Radiation Oncology in the 2022 Match
Note that those with PhDs are relatively common among radiation oncology residents. Over 19% of matched applicants into radiation oncology had a PhD in 2022.
19.7% of matched applicants to Radiation Oncology had an MD-PhD in 2022
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Radiation Oncology?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into Radiation Oncology? According to the program director survey results above, 38.5% of Radiation Oncology PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.6.
Similarly, we can look at the advantage of attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a -1% advantage in match rate to those attending a school in the top 40 for NIH funding vs. those who did not.
Graduating from a medical school ranked in the top 40 by NIH funding correlated with a -1% match rate advantage for Radiation Oncology in the 2022 Match
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Radiation Oncology?
Medical training is long. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPHs or MBAs.
But how much of a benefit – or disadvantage – does having an MPH (Master of Public Health) or an MBA (Master of Business Administration) confer when applying to radiation oncology? Not much, it turns out. The match rate for US seniors with other degrees was 0% higher than the rate for those with 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 radiation oncology.
Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a 0% match rate advantage for Radiation Oncology in the 2022 Match
What Are the Best Radiation Oncology Programs?
While radiation oncology may be moderately competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So, which are the best radiation oncology residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable radiation oncology residency programs would include:
- Harvard
- Johns Hopkins
- Cornell
- University of California San Francisco
- Yale University
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is radiation oncology in 2022? Based on the statistics, it’s among the least competitive. There were only two specialties with a higher match rate for US seniors, and IMG match rates also ranked highly while DOs missed out. Although PhDs are more common than average, vast amounts of research and extra credentials like AOA memberships or Ivy League educations do not seem to affect the match.
With so few spots available, it is still a highly competitive specialty, especially for the most sought-after programs. While it is true for all specialties, USMLE scores – and particularly Step 2 CK – will be emphasized moving forward, particularly given how reliant radiation oncology 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 make the most of your time and excel in your classes, Board exams, and the extracurriculars critical to matching.
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