Diagnostic Radiology Has 16% Fewer Applicants Than Four Years Ago
On the day programs opened ERAS 2027 applications, 1,894 people had applied to diagnostic radiology, against 2,260 at the same point of ERAS 2023. Programs interviewed 55% of the applicants who sent a gold signal and 3% of those who didn't.
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That is a 16% decline, comparing the same day of each cycle. Of the 20 specialties with at least 300 applicants, three shrank; diagnostic radiology had the steepest decline. Over full seasons, the change from ERAS 2023 to 2026 was −11%. By applicant type, the same-day change since ERAS 2023 was −16% for MDs, −18% for DOs and −15% for international graduates.
Below are five seasons of AAMC ERAS data for diagnostic radiology: who applies, how many applications they send, how signals are used and how often programs interviewed applicants who did and didn’t signal them, split by MD, DO and international medical graduate.
The mix of MD, DO and international applicants has barely changed
In ERAS 2026, 2,182 people applied to diagnostic radiology. The pool was 59% MD, 15.6% DO and 25.4% international graduates. 3.9% applied to no other specialty, a count that treats required preliminary and transitional years as another specialty.
Applicants are down 4.7% from the same day last year
| Season | All | MD | DO | Intl. grads | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERAS 2027so far, vs. same day of 2026 | ▼−4.7% | ▼−1.7% | ▼−2.5% | ▼−14.2% | ▼−18.1% |
| ERAS 2026vs. 2025 | ▲+2.6% | ▲+1.4% | ▼−2.2% | ▲+10.0% | ▼−9.3% |
| ERAS 2025vs. 2024 | ▼−6.5% | ▼−7.3% | ▼−11.2% | ▲+0.2% | ▼−15.8% |
| ERAS 2024vs. 2023 | ▼−8.4% | ▼−9.3% | ▼−3.4% | ▼−9.7% | ▼−10.4% |
The median applicant sends 51 applications, down from 69
By type in ERAS 2026: MDs 53, DOs 61.5, international graduates 34. The middle half of applicants sent between 28 and 78. The overall median is the fourth highest of 23 specialties covered here.
On the programs’ side, the median diagnostic radiology program received 461 applications in ERAS 2026, against 672 in ERAS 2023.
About 30% of a program's applicants signal it
In ERAS 2027, 99% of diagnostic radiology applicants used gold signals, and the median signaling applicant used 6 gold and 9 silver.
At the median program, 28% of applicants had signaled it, up from 23% in ERAS 2026. The median program received 141 signals; the busiest tenth received 235 or more.
Signals per applicant by season: 2024: 6 (gold), 9 (silver) · 2025: 6 (gold), 6 (silver) · 2026: 6 (gold), 9 (silver) · 2027: 6 (gold), 9 (silver).
See which diagnostic radiology programs a signal moves most.
A gold signal multiplies the interview rate about 16-fold
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| Did not signal | Silver signal | Gold signal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All applicants | 3% | 37% | 55% |
| MD | 5% | 50% | 71% |
| DO | 1% | 28% | 50% |
| Intl. graduates | 0.6% | 2% | 18% |
At 99% of programs, signaled applicants were interviewed at a higher rate than those who didn’t signal.
These are last season’s rates. Track who is sending diagnostic radiology interview invites this season.
A DO's signal returns 70% of what an MD's does; an international graduate's, 25%
An MD who signaled a diagnostic radiology program was interviewed at 71% of the median program, the fourth highest of 21 specialties with interview data. For DOs, diagnostic radiology ranks the sixth least DO-friendly of 16.
An international graduate who signaled (18%) did better than an MD who didn’t (5%), one of the few specialties where that holds.
These are outcomes by group, not the effect of belonging to one. The groups differ in exam timing, visa needs and U.S. clinical experience, and none of that is controlled here.
The most common backup is internal medicine, chosen by 26%
| Also applied to, ERAS 2026 | Share of applicants |
|---|---|
| Transitional YearPGY-1 year | 74% |
| Internal Medicine (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 68% |
| Internal Medicine (categorical) | 26% |
| Interventional Radiology (Integrated) | 24% |
| General Surgery (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 23% |
| Internal Medicine (primary care) | 12% |
Rows marked PGY-1 year are preliminary and transitional programs, which specialties that start at PGY-2 require. Categorical programs in another specialty are the real backup plan.