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No Radiation Oncology Jobs in Canada? :(


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Sorry, I don't really have anymore info on this than you do. I would try posting to the SDN forums. I find that I get a lot more responses to my posts there, especially if they pertain to the residency and beyond levels... I think eventually the forums here will have more residents and practicing physicians but right now the SDN seems to have more.

 

Ruraldoc

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I'm just curious as to what everyone on here thinks about the lack of jobs in Radiation Oncology throughout the entire country? How long is this going to last?

 

Employment is always an issue with RO. However, it's not always as dismal as some might be led to believe. The market usually occurs in waves and the belief is that we are currently on the upswing right now.

 

I've heard that there is currently an excess of Radiation Oncologists in Canada and an increasing shortage of jobs for graduates. For example, someone told me that only 2 of the 4-5 Toronto grads in the program will be offered jobs and that it's practically impossible to find a job without doing a fellowship after residency. Is it really this bad?

 

In terms of excess ROs, I think that pertains more to academic centres, which is expected since this is a very academic field. However, if you're willing to move around the country (or out of the country) and/or work in the community, then that's not so much of an issue.

 

With regards to Toronto, very rarely do they even offer jobs to ANY of their residents, let alone two. And yes, fellowships are a stark reality in RO, but once again, that pertains moreso to academic centres, especially in large centres, like Toronto.

 

Looking at the CARMS data from 2006 and 2007, it seems that the number of applicants designating rad onc as their first career choice has decreased by almost 20% and there seems to be an increasing number of rad onc spots going unfilled after the first iteration (ie. 2 spots in 2006, 5 spots (18%) in 2007 were unfilled) and 2 spots remained unfilled even after the second iteration in 2007.

 

I've also heard that the number of applications to rad onc programs from CMGs overall has dropped again for 2008. Can anyone confirm this? I've been told that it is becoming harder for Canadian trained Rad Oncs to find jobs south of the border in the US b/c American graduates are saturating the market? Is the current situation gonna get a lot worse in Canada before it gets better?

 

I'm not sure about the exact stats, but the general idea of your statements are true. There have been less applicants over the years, and as a result, a decrease in the number of overall spots. I feel it's a by-product of a couple of things. One, not many people know much about the field. Two, those that do know, are scared off by the jobs. However, you can look it that as both good and bad. The good being that there will be less competition for jobs when you graduate.

 

I'm not too knowledgeable on the situation in the States. It wouldn't surprise me though if their market was saturated. Who wouldn't want to work 9-5 and make 1 million dollars in a nice, cushy private practice?

 

Once again, the job situation, as I've been told by residents and staff alike, is that it goes in waves. We're currently in a 'not good' situation, but we're on the upswing. I believe a lot of that will be because of retiring ROs, aging patient population and a lot of new satellite centres opening up.

 

My advice? If you're matching soon and you really love the field, then I think now is a good time to get into it.

 

Thanks

 

You're welcome.

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I did a 2 week selective at UBC during my third year. Jobs are tough to come by in Vancouver. Looking at the rad oncs at UBC, most of them are in their mid-40s to 50s, so I expect they'll be working another 20 years or so. However, the aging population grows as well. They're also opening a Fraser Valley cancer centre so they'll need more ROs there.

 

But as it stands in VAncouver, jobs are hard to come by. Rad onc has lifestyle, pay and technology beat compared to most specialties!

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I attended an info session on radiation oncology. The ROncologist told us that, currently, the Canadian RO residency program is training 10~15% excess number of residents for the # of jobs available in Canada.

 

I ruled out RO that day.

 

Hey Scholastica,

 

When did this info session on RO take place if you don't mind me asking?

 

Thanks :)

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Hi

 

The info session took place @ UofA as part of the careers week in February. When asked about the job availability for RO's, the radiation oncologist said there currently are more residents trained (or in the process of taining) than the number of jobs available across Canada.

 

Hope this helps.

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Hi

 

The info session took place @ UofA as part of the careers week in February. When asked about the job availability for RO's, the radiation oncologist said there currently are more residents trained (or in the process of taining) than the number of jobs available across Canada.

 

Hope this helps.

 

thanks Scholastica

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  • 5 months later...
hey ... does anyone know why there are only 12 spots for rad onc listed on the CARMS website for 2008-2009 (it looks like there is a huge drop in the # of spots for other specialities too)?

 

 

seems to me that not all the available spots have been confirmed yet...

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  • 2 months later...
Hey,

 

Does anyone have any updates on the job situation for Rad Onc.

 

Has it changed much in a year? (better, same, worse?)

 

Thanks !

 

Lack of job is the sad truth of this wonderful specialty with amazing technology, financial renumeration, lifestyle, and direct impact on patient's quality of life.

 

Last year I heard, a couple of UBC rad onc residents switched out, one even close to finishing the program - due to lack of job and inflexible choice of location for job.

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Lack of job is the sad truth of this wonderful specialty with amazing technology, financial renumeration, lifestyle, and direct impact on patient's quality of life.

 

Last year I heard, a couple of UBC rad onc residents switched out, one even close to finishing the program - due to lack of job and inflexible choice of location for job.

 

wow .. that sounds awful for someone who's close to finishing to have to switch out :( .... guess things aren't much better if not worse for now. thanks for the update though.

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  • 2 weeks later...
wow .. that sounds awful for someone who's close to finishing to have to switch out :( .... guess things aren't much better if not worse for now. thanks for the update though.

 

wow ... this is soo backwards from the rad onc situation in the US whereby it is currently the 3rd most competitive specialty to match to behind plastics and derm !!!

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wow ... this is soo backwards from the rad onc situation in the US whereby it is currently the 3rd most competitive specialty to match to behind plastics and derm !!!

 

Interesting...is one able to work in America after completing a Canadian Radiation Oncology residency program?

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Interesting...is one able to work in America after completing a Canadian Radiation Oncology residency program?
both US and CAD Rad Onc programs are recognized and board certified by the ABR so it doesn't matter too much whether you do your residency in canada or the us for training. as far as getting a job afterwards, it's easier if you have citizenship or are a perm resident, but if not it's still doable i'm sure :)
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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

I'd really like to go into this speciality, but the lack of jobs is scary; I definitely want to remain near my hometown. I know that by the time we're finished, about 7 years will have gone by, and a lot can change, but it's a bit of a gamble.....does anyone else have ANY input about this?

 

Seems like such great work!

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Guest copacetic

Jobs for highly focused and nuanced specialties are in general hard to come by in canada. Everything is centralized to major urban academic centers, and most of the time you need a fellowship, or second degree of some kind on top of your MD to even be considered. Its not like the states where they have more of a free market and more people, and more options outside of the major urban centers. Canada is more urbanized that the US, which contributes to the centralization of job opportunities. Having said that, there will always be job oppurtunities for well qualified, well connected people.

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I'd really like to go into this speciality, but the lack of jobs is scary; I definitely want to remain near my hometown. I know that by the time we're finished, about 7 years will have gone by, and a lot can change, but it's a bit of a gamble.....does anyone else have ANY input about this?

 

Seems like such great work!

 

WoW ... hard to believe I started this thread 3 years ago !!!

 

The take home message is to go into a specialty that you enjoy and can see yourself doing for an extended period of time.

 

At the time, one of my concerns about rad onc in canada was the job market. Having done med school in the states, my experience with rad onc was very different because over there, rad onc is and continues to be an ultra competitive specialty (like derm and plastics) because of the intellectual rewards, excellent lifestyle and lucrative job market. This was in sharp contrast with the rad onc stories I was reading about in canada (ie. lack of jobs).

 

Having been back in Canada for several years now, I can tell you there are MANY specialties with little to no jobs in Canada right now: Pathology, Cardiology, GI, ICU are some examples. The current job market for Rad Onc is decent and expected to get even better over the next little while due to increased demand and as satellite clinics continue to grow across the country and a further reduction in the number of residency spots (despite an increase in the number of applicants). The decision to decrease the number of residency positions to 18 spots (for english programs) was a group collaboration between the rad onc program directors' at this year's CARO meeting in order to keep the number of trainees in the field small, to further ensure/enhance an optimal environment during and after residency.

 

Graduates from our program, over the past few years have not had any difficulty landing jobs. Of course, big cities like Toronto, Vancouver have saturated markets so this makes it naturally more challenging to find a job regardless of specialty and the trend is you pretty much have to do a fellowship to be considered.

 

I can't count the numerous times I've been told by trainees in other specialties what a great field rad onc is and how they wish they would have discovered it earlier on in med school.

 

Hope that helps :)

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DubTzer, forgive me, I should know, but are you in a Rad Onc program right now? Which one? I am looking to get employed in my hometown of London, Ontario, so hopefully it's not as saturated as you described like the big cities (Toronto, Vancouver).

 

Thanks so much!

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