Radiology Is Losing Applicants. For MDs, a Gold Signal Still Opens Most Doors.
Diagnostic radiology has 16% fewer applicants than at this point four years ago, and the decline runs through MDs, DOs and international graduates alike. For an MD, the odds have held up: the median program interviewed 71% of MDs who sent it a gold signal.
By Rezumab · · Data as of September 23, 2026
When programs opened ERAS 2027 applications, 1,894 people had applied to diagnostic radiology. On the same day of ERAS 2023, 2,260 had. It is the steepest decline of any specialty with at least 300 applicants.
Since ERAS 2023, MD applicants are down 16%, DOs 18% and international graduates 15%. Compared with the same day last year, the pool is down 5%, with international graduates down 14%.
Rezumab read every radiology table in the AAMC’s ERAS data: five seasons of applicants and applications by MD, DO and international graduate, gold and silver signals, and how often 163 programs interviewed applicants at each signal level. Here’s what an MD applicant should know.
Every applicant group is shrinking
MDs account for 63% of the drop, so the specialty’s decline is mostly fewer U.S. MD students choosing it. The data doesn’t say why. It does show that the ones who apply increasingly qualify for fee assistance: 13% of MD applicants in ERAS 2025, 17% this 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% |
Programs are getting a third fewer applications
Fewer applicants each sending fewer applications adds up. Opening-day applications to radiology are down 44% since ERAS 2023, while the number of programs has held at about 191. The median program received 461 applications in ERAS 2026, down from 672; from MDs alone, 259, down from 388.
Last cycle the median program in the AAMC’s interview data invited about 93 applicants for a median of 6 first-year positions.
For MDs, a gold signal usually works
Show as table
| Did not signal | Silver signal | Gold signal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD, 2025 | 8% | 63% | 75% |
| MD, 2026 | 5% | 50% | 71% |
| DO, 2025 | 3% | 33% | 53% |
| DO, 2026 | 1% | 28% | 50% |
| Intl. graduates, 2025 | 0.7% | 4% | 17% |
| Intl. graduates, 2026 | 0.6% | 2% | 18% |
At the median program, an MD’s gold signal led to an interview 71% of the time in ERAS 2026, and 87% of programs interviewed at least half of the MDs who sent them one. Silver signals are worth less and lost ground when the silver allotment grew: 63% in ERAS 2025, 50% in 2026. An MD who didn’t signal was interviewed 5% of the time, down from 8%.
The gap by applicant type is wide. A DO’s gold signal converted 50% of the time at the median program, and an international graduate’s 18%. 40% of programs interviewed no DO who hadn’t signaled them.
One in four MD applicants now also applies to interventional radiology
| Also applied to, ERAS 2027 | MD | DO | Intl. graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transitional YearPGY-1 year | 84% | 85% | 57% |
| Internal Medicine (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 73% | 54% | 60% |
| General Surgery (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 21% | 16% | 28% |
| Interventional Radiology (integrated) | 25% | 29% | 31% |
| Internal Medicine (categorical) | 10% | 22% | 36% |
| Internal Medicine (primary care) | 4% | 6% | 20% |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | 3% | – | – |
| Anesthesiology | 2% | 8% | – |
| Family Medicine | – | 9% | 16% |
| Diagnostic Radiology/Nuclear Medicine | – | – | 12% |
Share of each group’s radiology applicants who also applied to that program type. Diagnostic radiology starts at PGY-2, so a preliminary or transitional year is required. A dash means the program type wasn’t among that group’s most common. Source: AAMC ERAS Statistics; Rezumab analysis.
25% of MD radiology applicants also applied to integrated interventional radiology this cycle, up from 16% in ERAS 2023. IR is a separate residency and one of the fastest-growing in the match. Categorical internal medicine, the usual non-radiology backup, draws 10% of MD applicants, against 22% of DOs and 36% of international graduates.
37% of MD applicants told programs they prefer a suburban or urban setting and 56% stated no preference, against 71% of international graduates with no preference.
What the numbers mean for an MD applicant
Fewer students are competing. MD applicants on opening day are down 16% since ERAS 2023, and the number of programs hasn’t fallen.
That hasn’t made interviews easier yet. The median program’s rate for MDs with a gold signal slipped from 75% to 71%, and for silver from 63% to 50%.
Gold signals are the strongest lever. Where an MD spends 6 gold signals matters more than any other choice in the application; silver signals help, and unsignaled applications add little.
Think about IR deliberately. A growing share of MDs apply to both. The two residencies draw on the same interest, and IR’s pool is growing while diagnostic radiology’s shrinks.