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The Most DO-Friendly Radiation Oncology Programs in the US

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by Yousmle Staff in Residency

Are you wondering how DO-friendly (or unfriendly) radiation oncology is as a US medical specialty? Do you want to know your chances of matching in this highly competitive field? Would you love to figure out what radiation oncology programs a DO would stand the best chance?

This article will give you the most up-to-date information on whether radiation oncology is  DO-friendly or not. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as a DO in radiation oncology.

Summary:

  • Radiation oncology is a highly competitive US medical specialty but there are DO-friendly residency programs
  • Most residency programs accept at least some DOs, while others are DO favored
  • Most DOs do not apply to radiation oncology residency programs.
  • See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where DOs have recently been the most welcome
  • Be sure to bookmark this page – and sign up for the newsletter – to keep up with the latest residency and USMLE trends and maximize your chances of matching

Table of Contents

What’s the Difference Between a DO and an MD?

Let’s start with some definitions.

DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy

In the US, there are two main branches of registered physicians:

  • Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch are licensed as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
  • Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional training in muscle and joint manipulation. Doctors who train in Osteopathy are licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and have the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE

To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:

  • COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge in addition to allopathic medical knowledge in order to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
  • USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
  • The organization that administers the “Match.” In the match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.

Note that prior to the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty.

For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances

Radiation Oncology is not DO-Friendly

Looking at the % of spots filled by DOs in the 2022 Match, we can see radiation oncology was not DO-friendly, and it ranks below all residencies.

Additionally, the DOs still have a low probability of being accepted into radiation oncology in the 2022 Match, as seen by the match rate of 0% for DOs in this field:

Here are the same data represented in a table:

% DO Applied that Matched% DO Unmatched% Positions Filled by DOTotal Positions OfferedTotal # All ApplicantsDO Senior MatchedDO Senior UnmatchedDO Senior Total
**Radiation Oncology0%100%0%185162
**Plastic Surgery0%100%0%194340
Vascular Surgery8%92%1%8414311213
Neurological Surgery43%57%4%24037991221
Dermatology50%50%7%544834383876
Orthopaedic Surgery56%44%13%8751,43511186197
Interventional Radiology59%41%12%169226201434
Otolaryngology60%40%6%361556211435
General Surgery62%38%12%1,6222,400200125325
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation64%36%33%53272517699275
Obstetrics and Gynecology65%35%16%1,5032,044241130371
Anesthesiology66%34%16%1,9692,560313161474
Diagnostic Radiology67%33%15%1,1551,56816984253
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics74%26%9%392458371350
Psychiatry87%13%18%2,0472,56037857435
Child Neurology89%11%9%18818217219
Neurology92%8%15%1,0141,24915013163
Pathology93%7%12%63182775681
Internal Medicine94%6%15%9,80911,5981,503931596
Emergency Medicine95%5%25%2,9212,81373638774
Family Medicine96%4%27%4,9165,0551,345621407
Pediatrics97%3%19%3,0163,15356520585

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

Here is a list of radiation oncology programs for DOs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology
ACGME residency program codeResidency program nameCityState% residents US DO graduates% residents US MD graduatesOsteopathic Recognition# applications submitted (2021 NRMP Main Match)% applicants interviewed (2020 NRMP Main Match)# categorical positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match)# categorical positions filled (2021 NRMP Main Match)# advanced positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match)# advanced positions filled by (2021 NRMP Main Match)
4300121002University of Alabama Medical Center ProgramBirminghamAL092No10523.80032
4300811017Yale-New Haven Medical Center ProgramNew HavenCT093No14123.90033
4302811054Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium ProgramSt LouisMO0100No12228.80033
4303521063Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ProgramNew YorkNY0100No13926.10066
4303521119Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ProgramNew YorkNY0100No11725.90033
4303621074Duke University Hospital ProgramDurhamNC0100No14844.60022
4303812078Cleveland Clinic Foundation ProgramClevelandOH091No14329.80022
4304121087University of Pennsylvania Health System ProgramPhiladelphiaPA0100No150284400
4304812134University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ProgramDallasTX0100No12940.50033
4304822099University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center ProgramHoustonTX0100No14227.10066
4305421107University of Washington ProgramSeattleWA0100No136360022
4301021112MedStar Health/Georgetown University Hospital ProgramWashingtonDCNo1257.70021
4301021113National Capital Consortium ProgramBethesdaMDNo
4301112022University of Florida ProgramGainesvilleFLNo12214.20022
4302731140University of Mississippi Medical Center ProgramJacksonMSNo040.50011
4303021142University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine ProgramOmahaNENo575.10011
4303200002Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital ProgramLebanonNHNo8513.80010
4303313135Rutgers Health/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ProgramNew BrunswickNJNo11332.70032
4303500146Stony Brook Medicine ProgramStony BrookNYNo24516.70010
4303511068New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus) ProgramNew YorkNYNo13132.10011
4303511071University of Rochester ProgramRochesterNYNo27832.50020
4303511072SUNY Upstate Medical University ProgramSyracuseNYNo758.50021
4303512145Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell ProgramNew Hyde ParkNYNo7052.60032
4303521061Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine ProgramBronxNYNo10842.60022
4303521067NYU Grossman School of Medicine ProgramNew YorkNYNo12128.90033
4303521070SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University ProgramBrooklynNYNo2986.50020
4303521122University at Buffalo ProgramBuffaloNYNo2798.20010
4303522064New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital ProgramBrooklynNYNo30942.90000
4303611073University of North Carolina Hospitals ProgramChapel HillNCNo13225.70032
4303611075Wake Forest University School of Medicine ProgramWinston-SalemNCNo11011.80011
4303811077Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ProgramClevelandOHNo1589.30011
4303811079Ohio State University Hospital ProgramColumbusOHNo11241.40022
4303821076University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine ProgramCincinnatiOHNo87330022
4303912137University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center ProgramOklahoma CityOKNo24342.10021
4304021081Oregon Health & Science University ProgramPortlandORNo12700022
4304111086Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University/TJUH ProgramPhiladelphiaPANo30339.40010
4304121123Temple University Hospital/Fox Chase Cancer Center ProgramPhiladelphiaPANo12133.60022
4304121129UPMC Medical Education ProgramPittsburghPANo12032.40022
4304131127Allegheny Health Network Medical Education Consortium (AGH) ProgramPittsburghPANo7413.30010
4304521092Medical University of South Carolina ProgramCharlestonSCNo8360020
4304700129University of Tennessee College of Medicine ProgramMemphisTNNo165180010
4304712128Vanderbilt University Medical Center ProgramNashvilleTNNo13213.90022
4304811097University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals ProgramGalvestonTXNo6621.90021
4304821098Baylor College of Medicine ProgramHoustonTXNo10689.90020
4304821100University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Joe and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine ProgramSan AntonioTXNo013.60031
4304831144Texas A&M College of Medicine-Scott and White Medical Center (Temple) ProgramTempleTXNo00000
4304912102University of Utah Health ProgramSalt Lake CityUTNo11727.10022
4305111104University of Virginia Medical Center ProgramCharlottesvilleVANo2773.50044
4305111106Virginia Commonwealth University Health System ProgramRichmondVANo28515.70033
4305500001West Virginia University School of Medicine ProgramMorgantownWVNo1855.50010
4305621108University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics ProgramMadisonWINo11936.80011
4305621109Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals ProgramMilwaukeeWINo9110.60022

Concluding Thoughts

There may be contributing factors to radiation oncology not being as DO-friendly as other specialties. Radiation Oncology has limited residency positions annually and is highly competitive. Even highly qualified applicants may not match to a Radiation Oncology residency program.

DOs may choose other programs instead of radiation oncology due to a lack of familiarity. But, as more programs include osteopathic principles, this may change.

Are you despairing at your chances of matching into radiation oncology as a DO? Then, check out Never Forget, where you can learn how to master – not memorize – for the impressive USMLE scores to match at your dream residency. And if you’re looking for a residency advisor, look at our residency advisory services.

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Want FREE Cardiology Flashcards?

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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