3102 - A Geographic Comparison of the Medical Physics Job Market and Accredited Residency Program Distribution

05:00pm - 06:00pm PT

Hall F

Screen: 33

POSTER

Presenter(s)

Fatima Madondo, BS, student - Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, WA

F. Madondo¹, D. Myagmarsuren², E. Chen³, and J. Weygand⁴; ¹Dartmouth-Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH, ²Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, ³Cheshire Medical Center, Keene, NH, ⁴Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH

Purpose/Objective(s):

The medical physics job market is facing a crisis, with significant challenges in recruiting physicists, particularly in non-academic and rural settings. A mismatch between the locations of training programs and available jobs may be contributing to workforce shortages in underserved areas. This study examines the geographic distribution of medical physics residency programs relative to job opportunities across the USA to identify disparities and inform workforce strategies aimed at improving access to high-quality radiation oncology care.

Materials/Methods:

The geographic distribution of therapeutic medical physics residency programs and job opportunities was analyzed using multiple data sources. Residency positions were obtained from the CAMPEP website and an AAPM Students and Trainee Subcommittee spreadsheet. Job market data were collected from AAPM job postings (9/12/2024–2/11/2025) and institutions with a technology company's linear accelerators, identified via the technology company Treatment Locator. Residency spots and job openings were aggregated by state, expressed as percentages of the national total, and grouped into nine U.S. regions (Pacific West, Mountain West, West North Central, East North Central, West South Central, East South Central, South Atlantic, Middle Atlantic, New England) for comparison. A chi-squared test was used to assess statistical differences between the distribution of residency positions and job openings at both the state and regional level.

Results:

A total of 612 medical physics job openings and 154 residency spots were identified and used in the analysis. Chi-squared analyses at both the statewide (p = 0.0358) and regional (p = 0.0088) levels revealed significant mismatches between the geographic distribution of residency positions and job market demands.

Conclusion:

This analysis identified a significant discrepancy between the distribution of medical physics residency programs and job availability at both state and regional levels, with many areas facing high job demand but limited training opportunities. Such misalignment may exacerbate recruitment challenges, particularly in underserved regions. These findings represent an initial step in understanding workforce distribution and training gaps in medical physics, highlighting the need for further research to better align residency training with job market demands.