The radiology job market, as has been the case in the last several years, continues to be flat, which means that radiologists looking for work should be adaptable, according to Edward Bluth, M.D., head of the American College of Radiologists Human Resources Commission, and colleagues.
That was one observation Bluth and his colleagues made after compiling this year's annual workforce survey, published recently in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
They predict that there will be 1,114 new hires in 2014, with the largest numbers in breast imaging, interventional radiology, neuroradiology and general radiology. Most of the new job possibilities will be in private practice, with the greatest job availability in the Midwest.
"In this tight job market, radiologists must be flexible and open to all options for professional employment," Bluth and his team wrote. For example, while there probably are enough jobs for every radiologist looking for work, they might not be the right jobs in the right place.
"Several of the [available] jobs are in areas where they don't have family or hadn't thought about living," Bluth said, according to Diagnostic Imaging.
Then there's the question whether a job candidate can adapt to requirements of a particular employer. Will he or she, for example, be willing to work at nights, as is required by more and more radiology departments and practices?
An analysis of the American College of Radiology job board published in JACR in January suggested that for every job posted there are two radiologists seeking jobs.
Physician recruiter Craig Fowler told Diagnostic Imaging that in today's job market, radiologists are going to have to make some compromises. They might have to accept fewer vacation days, he said, or accept salaries that are lower than the national average in order to practice in more desirable geographic areas.
Things could change dramatically over the next several years, though. For example, according to Bluth and his team, thousands of radiologists are approaching or are older than 65 and their retirement decisions will impact job availability. The same can be said for the likely increase in healthcare coverage resulting from the Affordable Care Act.
"Although the projections for job openings based on immediate needs appear to be flat, the job picture may change dramatically in the future," Bluth and his colleagues wrote.
To learn more:
- read about the results of the annual workforce survey in JACR
- see the article in Diagnostic Imaging