DO in Radiology on the West Coast-next to impossible?

[Doc driven]

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Thanks for the time. I haven't even started DO school yet. Radiology does look cool. However, it seems like you have to do away rotations at the place you want to match. It also seems that almost all DO radiologists end up in the midwest because the DO match is first. Then, a lot of them end up living in the midwest forever because the hospitals out there like them. Are these rumors? I mean is it possible or even worth trying to get a job on the west coast. The reason I ask is I do not want to live in the Midwest forever; I might want to be a radiologist on the west coast though. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Terpskins99]

Thanks for the time. I haven't even started DO school yet. Radiology does look cool. However, it seems like you have to do away rotations at the place you want to match. It also seems that almost all DO radiologists end up in the midwest because the DO match is first. Then, a lot of them end up living in the midwest forever because the hospitals out there like them. Are these rumors? I mean is it possible or even worth trying to get a job on the west coast. The reason I ask is I do not want to live in the Midwest forever; I might want to be a radiologist on the west coast though. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

I'm a 3rd year planning to go into rads. My thoughts...

You don't have to do an away rotation at the location, but it helps. Most likely it'll serve as a source for another recommendation letter. Chances are you will apply to many residency sites regardless of what your degree status is and if you do match you'll do so at a place you didn't rotate at.

The biggest hurdle in becoming a radiologist anywhere is securing the residency. The next biggest hurdle is passing boards (which appear to me to be among the most challenging in medicine... particularly the oral boards). Once you accomplish this, you shouldn't have too much difficulty landing a job in any general region of the country. Now, securing a generous salary for that region of the country is another story.

 

[Doc driven]

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate it. It sounds like the tough part is becoming a radiologist, not getting a job. I like it better that way. It looks like an interesting and challenging field doable with hard work.👍

 

[(nicedream)]

Agree with Terp, in my experience people match where they don't rotate, but rotations supply LORs - especially for DOs who don't have home programs. As far as Midwest, that depends on if you're from there. I'm not, and only interviewed at one place in the Midwest - most were in the Northeast. Not from there either by the way, but the Midwest is more geographically selective. Didn't apply anywhere out west.