Academic Radiology Staffing Trends

 

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The academic radiology workforce has faced significant changes over the past decade, with increasing workforce pressures, faculty recruitment challenges, and shifts in employment trends. According to a study by Malhotra et al. (2025), the trends in part-time academic radiology faculty across gender and rank highlight a notable decline in part-time faculty and the potential implications for academic institutions. The authors raise concerns that academic practices may be losing faculty to more flexible employment opportunities in non-academic settings, which could impact the future sustainability of academic radiology departments. While previous workforce surveys have reported on part-time hires in radiology broadly, Malhotra et al. (2025) aimed to understand the following underlying factors better:

• Quantify the proportion of part-time academic radiology faculty across different ranks.
• Examine gender disparities in part-time employment.
• Evaluate whether the proportion of part-time faculty has changed over the past decade.
• Discuss potential reasons for declining part-time employment in academic radiology.

A critical motivation for the study was prior research suggesting that radiologists—particularly women—were more likely to seek part-time positions. However, given the unique pressures in academia, it remained unclear whether similar trends applied to academic radiology faculty. The study utilized data from the AAMC Faculty Roster, a comprehensive national database of faculty members at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)--accredited U.S. medical schools. Using the Faculty Administrative Management Online User System (FAMOUS) tool, the researchers retrieved annual data from 2015 to 2024 on both full-time and part-time academic radiology faculty on the clinical educator track. The analysis focused on: a) Year-wise counts of full-time and part-time faculty by gender. b) Trends in the proportion of part-time faculty at different professorial ranks (assistant, associate, full professor). c) Annual growth rates and linear regression modeling to assess whether part-time employment declined statistically significantly. The results indicate a substantial decline in part-time academic radiology faculty, with notable gender differences. Here are several notable discoveries from the study.

Decline in Part-Time Faculty: The number of full-time academic radiology faculty increased from 3,276 in 2015 to 4,515 in 2024 (+3.6% annually). a) In contrast, part-time faculty decreased from 234 in 2015 to 84 in 2024 (-10.8% annually). b)This decline in part-time faculty began before the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that external workforce stressors were not the sole cause. Although, prior part-time faculty may have converted to full-time employment. Which is not clear from the study.

Gender Disparities in Part-Time Employment: a) Women consistently had higher part-time employment rates than men at the assistant and associate professor levels. b) The proportion of part-time women decreased from 10% (116/1134) in 2015 to 3% (47/1497) in 2024. c)The proportion of part-time men decreased from 5% (118/2376) in 2015 to 1% (37/3102) in 2024. d) At the whole professor level, no statistically significant gender difference was found in part-time employment.

Differences Across Faculty Ranks: a) Assistant Professors: Women had higher part-time representation than men (e.g., 33 vs. 16 in 2023). b) Associate Professors: Women also had a higher proportion than men. c) Full Professors: The number of part-time men was slightly higher than part-time women in later years, but the overall part-time numbers were minimal.

Competitive Workforce Pressures: a) Academic radiology faculty had significantly lower rates of part-time employment than private radiology practices. b) The study authors suggest that academic institutions may lose radiologists to more flexible non-academic competitors, particularly private practice settings that offer more adaptable work schedules. The decline in part-time faculty in academic radiology may stem from several factors:

• Reduced availability of part-time positions due to increased clinical demands.
• Retention challenges as part-time faculty may transition to full-time roles or leave academia for private practice.
• Gendered expectations in work-life balance, with women historically seeking part-time roles at higher rates.
• COVID-19 and post-pandemic restructuring may have led institutions to consolidate positions and reduce part-time roles.

A significant concern raised by the study is that academic institutions may struggle to retain radiologists if they cannot provide flexible work arrangements. Previous workforce surveys have shown that: a) 16% of radiologists worked part-time in 2018, a rate that has remained stable since 2014. b) 27% of women radiologists worked part-time in 2014, compared to 9% of men. c) Only 3% of radiologists in academic settings were hired for part-time work in 2021. This suggests that while demand for part-time work remains, academic institutions offer fewer part-time opportunities than private practices, which could drive faculty attrition.

To address these challenges, academic radiology departments may need to: a) Re-evaluate faculty retention strategies by offering more flexible work arrangements. b) Increase part-time opportunities to accommodate faculty who prioritize work-life balance. c) Develop structured career pathways that provide clear promotion and tenure options. d) Monitor gender disparities to ensure equitable access to part-time positions at all ranks. The study provides critical insights into the declining trend of part-time faculty, but further research is needed to explore: a) Longitudinal career trajectories of part-time academic radiologists. b) Reasons behind faculty decisions to transition to private practice. c) Institutional policies on part-time employment and their impact on faculty retention. d) Potential interventions to make academic radiology more competitive in retaining top talent.

So, what are my conclusions from the study? First, the findings of this study highlight a significant decline in part-time academic radiology faculty over the past decade, with gender disparities persisting in junior ranks. Women, who were historically more likely to work part-time, have seen their representation in part-time academic positions decline sharply. Second, given that academic practices offer fewer part-time opportunities than private practice, there is growing concern that radiologists seeking flexible work arrangements may leave academia altogether. Third, academic radiology departments must reconsider their approach to part-time employment to remain competitive in faculty recruitment and retention. More flexible work options could help sustain a diverse and robust academic workforce while ensuring that radiology faculty do not migrate disproportionately to private-sector opportunities.

 

References

Malhotra, A., Futela, D., Gandhi, D. S., Wu, X., Payabvash, S., Wintermark, M., & Duszak, R. (2025). Trends in proportion of part-time academic radiology faculty by gender and rank [Pre-proof]. Journal of the American College of Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2025.02.001