Radiation Oncology
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"At UC Irvine the number of very competitive applications has increased from three dozen in 1997-98 to over 150 in 2002."
- Dr. Jeffrey Kuo, program director of the University of California Irvine radiation oncology residency program
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Why pursue Radiation Oncology as a career?
2010 Radiation Oncology Salary
Overview of Residency Training
To become a radiation oncologist, five years of residency training are required. Only the latter four years are spent fully immersed in radiation oncology, and residents must first complete an internship or postgraduate year 1 (PGY1). This preliminary year can be completed in medicine (i.e., medicine preliminary year) or surgery (i.e., surgery preliminary year). Some residents choose to complete this year in a transitional program.
According to the AMA and AAMC, there are over 600 residents training in 81 ACGME-accredited radiation oncology residency programs. Ninety-five percent are USMDs, 4% are international medical graduates, and 1% are osteopathic graduates.
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Radiation Oncology residents in the United States |
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# of total residents |
% USMDs |
% IMGs |
% osteopathic graduates |
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608 |
95% |
4% |
1% |
| Data adapted from Brotherton S, Etzel S. Graduate medical education, 2009 - 2010. JAMA 2010; 304(11): 1255 - 1270. | |||
2010 Match Data
Radiation oncology is one of the most competitive specialties. In the 2010 NRMP Match, 14.5% of U.S. medical school seniors failed to match. Securing a residency position in the specialty is very difficult for international medical graduate and osteopathic applicants, as shown in the above table.
Why pursue Radiation Oncology as a Career?
Radiation oncologists discuss reasons why they chose to pursue a career in the field:
Stephanie Weiss, MD
Geraldine Jacobson, MD
2010 Radiation Oncology Compensation/Salary
Find out how much a radiation oncologist makes
Excelling in your Core Clerkships
In a recent NRMP survey of radiation oncology residency program directors, 67% cited "grades in required clerkships" as a factor in selecting applicants to interview. Our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success shows students proven strategies for success in core clerkships. Nineteen U.S. medical school have made our book a required or recommended text for third-year medical students. Read reviews of the book and Q & A with the authors. The first chapter is available free to read. The book can be purchased through our online store or at Amazon.
Radiation Oncology Residency Application
Almost all residency programs require applicants to submit their completed application through the Electronic Residency Application Service, also known as ERAS. ERAS does not, however, allow applicants to submit their curriculum vitae or CV as part of this application. Instead, ERAS requires all applicants to transfer information from their CV to the ERAS Application Form. It is the ERAS Application Form that is then sent to programs for review along with the the rest of your application.
Once the application is received, program directors will read it closely and carefully. The application will be used to assess the quality of your written communication skills. Programs place considerable emphasis on communication skills because effective communication has been shown to directly affect the quality of care given to patients.
Therefore, it is imperative that all information in your application is well communicated and error-free. In our experiences reviewing and editing applications, errors are common.
We have considerable experience reviewing and editing the ERAS Application Form can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful.
Our ERAS Application Review/Editing Service can be purchased through our online store. All clients will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match.
Important Information for the Aspiring Radiation Oncologist
Predicting the future of radiation oncology
The future of radiation oncology: the evolution, diversification, and survival of the specialty
The Future of Radiation Oncology in the United States From 2010 to 2020: Will Supply Keep Pace With Demand?
Radiation oncology of the future
Radiation oncologists in the United States