by
Keri Stephens, Contributing Reporter | March 12, 2026
Radiologists are vacating their jobs at an increased pace, a new study from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute shows. Published in the
Journal of the American College of Radiology, turnover jumped 61% from 2013 to 2022, rising from 5.3% to 8.5% among more than 39,000 radiologists — with the highest rates between 2020 and 2022.
Study authors Eric Christensen, Ph.D., research director at the Neiman Institute, and Jay Parikh, M.D., professor of radiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, point to persistent, systemic challenges in healthcare that demand urgent attention.
Why radiologists are leaving
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Rising patient volumes are intensifying stress, driving burnout and higher turnover, particularly among early-career radiologists and those in fast-paced urban settings. While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pressures, turnover remained elevated afterward. “The increase in turnover began before COVID and stayed elevated,” Christensen says. “By 2019, turnover had nearly doubled and remained high,” signaling that workforce issues predate the pandemic.
The study found a U-shaped workload-turnover curve: moderate workload reduced turnover, likely due to higher responsibility and reward. But once workloads surpassed 12,940 work relative value units (wRVUs) annually, turnover increased.
While prior research links excessive workload to burnout, burnout was not directly measured in this study. Instead, turnover began rising at different workload levels: 13,380 wRVUs for nonacademic radiologists and 8,820 wRVUs for academic radiologists. Christensen and Parikh say the lower threshold in academic settings likely reflects additional demands, where teaching and research are often squeezed by clinical duties.
Gender and location also influence retention. Female radiologists were 6% more likely to leave than their male colleagues, particularly in nonacademic settings, while turnover odds were 12% higher for radiologists in metropolitan areas. Interestingly, academic practice was linked to lower turnover, even though academic practices tend to have more female radiologists and are often in metropolitan areas — both factors that otherwise predict higher turnover.
