May 27, 2025 — A new study from Mount Sinai's Department of Radiation Oncology reveals that most new radiation oncologists are choosing to work in large metropolitan areas rather than in rural communities. The study, which appears in the latest edition of International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, suggests this trend could make it harder for people living in less populated areas to get the cancer care they need.
Kunal Sindhu, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai led the research team. They analyzed job locations of recent residency graduates from 2015 to 2022. The team discovered that only 4.3 percent of new radiation oncologists accepted their first jobs in rural counties, and most of those were in areas close to cities.
“Cancer affects people everywhere, not just in big cities,” said Dr. Sindhu. “We need to make sure that patients in rural areas can get high-quality care without having to travel long distances.”
The researchers also found that new doctors were more likely to work in counties that had:
- Higher populations
- Greater household income
- More hospitals and health care services
- More primary care physicians per person
These results suggest that new doctors prefer to start their careers in communities that already have strong health care systems and resources.
Dr. Sindhu’s team, which included Mount Sinai medical student Catherine Yu, now plans to study the full group of radiation oncologists working in rural areas—not just recent graduates. They hope to learn more about who chooses to practice in these areas and why, with the goal of encouraging more doctors to do the same.
According to the researchers, if most new radiation oncologists continue to choose jobs in large cities, patients in rural communities could face longer travel times, delays in treatment, or fewer options for care. Dr. Sindhu and his team hope the study will help health care leaders find new ways to improve access to cancer treatment in underserved areas.
* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
May 15, 2025 
