New Study Shows Most New Cancer Radiation Oncology Specialists Work in Big Cities, Not Small Towns
Mount Sinai research finds fewer than 5 percent of new radiation oncologists take jobs in nonmetropolitan areas
A new study from Mount Sinai's Department of Radiation Oncology reveals that most new radiation oncologists—doctors who treat cancer with radiation—are choosing to work in large metropolitan areas rather than in rural communities. The study, which appears in the latest edition of International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, suggests this trend could make it harder for people living in less populated areas to get the cancer care they need.
Kunal Sindhu, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai led the research team. They analyzed job locations of recent residency graduates from 2015 to 2022. The team discovered that only 4.3 percent of new radiation oncologists accepted their first jobs in rural counties, and most of those were in areas close to cities.
“Cancer affects people everywhere, not just in big cities,” said Dr. Sindhu. “We need to make sure that patients in rural areas can get high-quality care without having to travel long distances.”
The researchers also found that new doctors were more likely to work in counties that had:
- Higher populations
- Greater household income
- More hospitals and health care services
- More primary care physicians per person
These results suggest that new doctors prefer to start their careers in communities that already have strong health care systems and resources.
Dr. Sindhu’s team, which included Mount Sinai medical student Catherine Yu, now plans to study the full group of radiation oncologists working in rural areas—not just recent graduates. They hope to learn more about who chooses to practice in these areas and why, with the goal of encouraging more doctors to do the same.
According to the researchers, if most new radiation oncologists continue to choose jobs in large cities, patients in rural communities could face longer travel times, delays in treatment, or fewer options for care. Dr. Sindhu and his team hope the study will help health care leaders find new ways to improve access to cancer treatment in underserved areas.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
-------------------------------------------------------
* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.