Matching radiology as a DO student

[OCcalistud18]

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Hi,

Currently an OMS-1 focused on trying to match radiology and I'm wondering how important grades are and what is a good formula to give me the best chance of matching. My gpa is ok, about a 3.45 as of now. However, I'm wondering how much this will affect my chances. Do I need to improve it? What should I focus on now?

 

[Doctoscope]

GPA means literally nothing. PDs probably won't even look at them. Don't fail any classes, get some research done to check boxes, and kill boards. High board scores are very important for matching rads, especially as a DO.

 

[MrBigglesworth]

GPA doesn't matter per say, but you do need to know your material and be a good test taker. If you have a 4.0 and do horrible on your boards, you will not get it. But a decent grade (not failing) and doing well on your boards will give you a fighting chance. After a good board score, learning radiology later on and doing well on your away rotations is what will get you in.

 

[matchpalmedical]

Step2CK, publications within specialty, and LORs from radiologists are the most important factors.
Also be sure to network to obtain said research/LORs/rotation opportunities.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Step2CK, publications within specialty, and LORs from radiologists are the most important factors.
Also be sure to network to obtain said research/LORs/rotation opportunities.

Not sure why this person was banned but they’re correct.

Boards>>>>letters>research>>>preclinical grades. FWIW, I didn’t have any research when I matched and still had plenty of interviews. It’s mostly about boards, letters, and making sure you have no red flags like repeating a course/year/rotation or bad comments on your mspe.

The best part of rads is that it’s probably the only competitive specialty that still has a lot of spots (like ~1,200 I think). And almost every program is good and will give you what you need for whatever kind of career you want to build for yourself.

So as long as you get the scores and have no red flags you can be a radiologist as long as you don’t get picky with the “tier” of program you want to go to.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Radiology is going to decline in competitiveness (-7% in apps from MDs alone this year) due to AI. In four years, I surmise it will be like rad onc/EM in terms of competitiveness

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Our local Uni matched 4 in rads with over 100 grads. Looks like it is getting less competitive. Groups in our area are working understaffed with difficulty recruiting. I think it's more important to choses a specialty you might enjoy than worry about AI. All specialties suffer from encroachment. AI, midlevels, etc. See ER and Urgent Care where NPs are swarming in. Do something you like rather than worrying about things you can't control.

 

[OCcalistud18]

GPA doesn't matter per say, but you do need to know your material and be a good test taker. If you have a 4.0 and do horrible on your boards, you will not get it. But a decent grade (not failing) and doing well on your boards will give you a fighting chance. After a good board score, learning radiology later on and doing well on your away rotations is what will get you in.

What's your opinion on research? Is there a specific number of publications I should be aiming for?

 

[OCcalistud18]

Not sure why this person was banned but they’re correct.

Boards>>>>letters>research>>>preclinical grades. FWIW, I didn’t have any research when I matched and still had plenty of interviews. It’s mostly about boards, letters, and making sure you have no red flags like repeating a course/year/rotation or bad comments on your mspe.

The best part of rads is that it’s probably the only competitive specialty that still has a lot of spots (like ~1,200 I think). And almost every program is good and will give you what you need for whatever kind of career you want to build for yourself.

So as long as you get the scores and have no red flags you can be a radiologist as long as you don’t get picky with the “tier” of program you want to go to.

Got it. What exactly do you mean by tier? I'm hoping to stay close to socal which is where I'm from.

 

[OCcalistud18]

Our local Uni matched 4 in rads with over 100 grads. Looks like it is getting less competitive. Groups in our area are working understaffed with difficulty recruiting. I think it's more important to choses a specialty you might enjoy than worry about AI. All specialties suffer from encroachment. AI, midlevels, etc. See ER and Urgent Care where NPs are swarming in. Do something you like rather than worrying about things you can't control.

Yeah I figured I might as well go for it and not worry about what might happen in the future. Personally I don't think AI is anywhere near in taking over.

 

[DO2015CA]

Got it. What exactly do you mean by tier? I'm hoping to stay close to socal which is where I'm from.

You can try but Cali is a tough cookie to crack for competitive specialties as a DO. Apply broad and if you match there, great. Otherwise move back after training. Good luck

 

[MDMechEngr]

You can try but Cali is a tough cookie to crack for competitive specialties as a DO. Apply broad and if you match there, great. Otherwise move back after training. Good luck

With 3 in-state DO schools and only 3 DO matched radiology, OP will need to be a OCcaliDOstud to match.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Got it. What exactly do you mean by tier? I'm hoping to stay close to socal which is where I'm from.

Barring extreme circumstances like exceptional connections this is probably unlikely. DOs wanting competitive specialties need to be geographically flexible. You can absolutely match into excellent programs if you sacrifice location. You may not match at all if you don’t. Look at programs in your desired region and see if they have any DOs. If not, there’s your answer.

 

[OCcalistud18]

With 3 in-state DO schools and only 3 DO matched radiology, OP will need to be a OCcaliDOstud to match.

I'm wondering where you got these stats from. My school is in California and one student matched radiology at USC. I'm having a hard time believing there were only two other students in the entire state especially since most believe it is not as competitive as it once was.

 

[MDMechEngr]

I'm wondering where you got these stats from. My school is in California and one student matched radiology at USC. I'm having a hard time believing there were only two other students in the entire state especially since most believe it is not as competitive as it once was.

2024 Match Results by State, Specialty, and Applicant Type

This report includes the numbers of positions offered and filled by state, specialty, and applicant type for the 2024 Main Residency Match. 2024 Match Results by State, Specialty…

www.nrmp.org

Charting shows 64.6% matched, but I would think that percentage is a lot lower for CA specifically.

 

[OCcalistud18]

2024 Match Results by State, Specialty, and Applicant Type

This report includes the numbers of positions offered and filled by state, specialty, and applicant type for the 2024 Main Residency Match. 2024 Match Results by State, Specialty…

www.nrmp.org

Charting shows 64.6% matched, but I would think that percentage is a lot lower for CA specifically.

Is there no way to figure this out?

 

[gyngyn]

Ask your Student Affairs Dean (or designated career counselor) about the history of success for matching Radiology from your school.
Be sure ask both how many applied as well as where they matched.

 

[Doctoscope]

Is there no way to figure this out?

There is no way to know exactly how many CA DO students applied rads and how many matched, but it's a safe assumption that DOs have trouble matching in coastal cities, even more so for competitive programs.

It's not that you CAN'T match in CA, it's that if you ONLY want to match in CA you will make it much much more difficult for yourself.

 

[Ho0v-man]

There is no way to know exactly how many CA DO students applied rads and how many matched, but it's a safe assumption that DOs have trouble matching in coastal cities, even more so for competitive programs.

It's not that you CAN'T match in CA, it's that if you ONLY want to match in CA you will make it much much more difficult for yourself.

This.

I and I’m sure plenty of others in this thread are familiar with cases of only applying to certain programs/locations only for those people to end up soaping into a different specialty…usually in an undesirable location anyway.

 

[vm26]

Radiology is going to decline in competitiveness (-7% in apps from MDs alone this year) due to AI. In four years, I surmise it will be like rad onc/EM in terms of competitiveness

I cannot comment on competitiveness of matching, however as of now there is a massive shortage of radiologists without any foreseeable rescue from AI. Our group uses some AI, its rudimentary, serves its limited purpose, and also has major legal disclaimers (essentially the Radiologist is responsible). Who knows what we have with AI in 4 years, it potentially can exponentially advance in capability. The medical legal issue will be a sticking point-who's liable, the rad signing off or the company that produced the AI software?

Rad-onc is also a wide open market. Do not know details but would imagine difficult to match. No mid-level can extend/replace a physician.

EM is in a different world flooded by mid-levels and way too many training spots in part due to private equity training programs

 

[gyngyn]

Rad-onc is also a wide open market. Do not know details but would imagine difficult to match.

Although rad/onc has historically been an extremely competitive Match, in recent years it has become one of the easier non-primary care matches. There have been unfilled positions in many programs (even some very fancy names).

 

[AJS59]

Although rad/onc has historically been an extremely competitive Match, in recent years it has become one of the easier non-primary care matches. There have been unfilled positions in many programs (even some very fancy names).

Out of mild curiosity on the rad-onc stuff: Is the easier matching due to poorer job outlook? Rad-Onc right now ranks highly on salary #s and work life balance is good, comparatively, but wondering if both of those factors are likely to tank if the job market is getting rougher

(This is coming from someone with interests in Rads - DR & IR, as well as Rad Onc, and trying to read the tea leaves a little bit)

 

[DO2015CA]

Out of mild curiosity on the rad-onc stuff: Is the easier matching due to poorer job outlook? Rad-Onc right now ranks highly on salary #s and work life balance is good, comparatively, but wondering if both of those factors are likely to tank if the job market is getting rougher

(This is coming from someone with interests in Rads - DR & IR, as well as Rad Onc, and trying to read the tea leaves a little bit)

Rad onc job market has been in the toilet for 10ish years. Will only continue as we find other ways to treat cancer without radiation

 

[Splenda88]

It's amazing how competitive rad has become. Medical students really follow job security and the $$$.

I knew a guy at my school (MD) who matched at U. of FL with a failed CS and crappy steps 1/2 in 2015. One my classmates (now a neuro radiologist) matched with 215 step 1 and 220+ step2 in 2018.

About a year ago, I heard the chief radiologist at my hospital said he could not find a radiology because everyone he interviewed was requesting to work from home, 550k+/yr and 8+ weeks vacation.

Anesthesia is having a similar thing right now. You don't pay them 600k+ and 10+ wks vacation, they won't work for you.

 

[gyngyn]

Out of mild curiosity on the rad-onc stuff: Is the easier matching due to poorer job outlook?

Yes.

 

[Ho0v-man]

It's amazing how competitive rad has become. Medical students really follow job security and the $$$.

I knew a guy at my school (MD) who matched at U. of FL with a failed CS and crappy steps 1/2 in 2015. One my classmates (now a neuro radiologist) matched with 215 step 1 and 220+ step2 in 2018.

About a year ago, I heard the chief radiologist at my hospital said he could not find a radiology because everyone he interviewed was requesting to work from home, 550k+/yr and 8+ weeks vacation.

Anesthesia is having a similar thing right now. You don't pay them 600k+ and 10+ wks vacation, they won't work for you.

When I applied I met a resident who got 12 interviews, half of which were university programs with a step 1 score 1 point above passing. It’s a different world now.

 

[Splenda88]

When I applied I met a resident who got 12 interviews, half of which were university programs with a step 1 score 1 point above passing. It’s a different world now.

It definitely is.

The job market for physicians seem cyclical. My friend who is radiation oncologist told the market for radonc is getting a little bit better now.

 

[Melkor]

Rad market is great right now. Not hard to find jobs doing 800k-1+mill with 15+ weeks off or you can do tele and make 6-700k w/12 weeks off and live wherever the hell you want. Once med students get wind of this, apps will surely increase. There isn't a better specialty out there imo.

 

[Splenda88]

Rad market is great right now. Not hard to find jobs doing 800k-1+mill with 15+ weeks off or you can do tele and make 6-700k w/12 weeks off and live wherever the hell you want. Once med students get wind of this, apps will surely increase. There isn't a better specialty out there imo.

This is insane money.

 

[Dr. Robb Bassett]

Hey there,

First off, props to you for thinking ahead and being proactive. That mindset alone already sets you apart in a sea of applicants who often wait too long to get strategic.

Radiology is definitely competitive, and while a 3.45 GPA might not be top-of-the-pack on paper, it's far from a dealbreaker—especially this early in the game. You're still in OMS-1, which means you've got time, and more importantly, moves to make.

Let’s zoom out a bit. Instead of asking, “Is my GPA good enough?” maybe try asking:

• “What story am I building with my application?”
  
  
• “How can I show programs I’m the kind of resident they'd trust at 2 a.m. in the reading room?”
  

Grades do matter, sure—but they're just one part of the picture. Think about how you can make your application radiate in other areas:

• COMLEX/USMLE STEP II scores: These still carry serious weight. Prioritize strong prep—especially if you’re aiming for a high-step specialty like rads.
  
  
• Letters of recommendation: These can really open doors. Start building genuine relationships with mentors who know your work and can speak specifically to your skills.
  
  
• Research: Having even a couple solid, radiology-related projects (case reports, poster presentations, anything!) can make you look serious and focused.
  
  
• Clinical performance & audition rotations: When the time comes, how you show up on rotations will matter a lot.
  
  
• Extracurriculars & leadership: Don’t discount unique involvement—tutoring, interest groups, or projects that show initiative can add color to your app.
  

Should you try to improve your GPA? If you can, sure. But don’t obsess over chasing perfection. Aim for consistent, upward momentum. Programs love to see a positive trend—it says a lot about grit and growth.

You’ve got a little bit of time, and it sounds like you’re already in the right headspace to make this happen. Keep stacking wins, and keep checking in with yourself. Ask: “Am I growing in a way that not only builds my CV, but builds my confidence as a future radiologist?”

You’ve got this, just one strategic move at a time.