Radiology may no longer be the fairest of all choices for U.S. medical school seniors. But it remains within the top 10 most popular medical specialties, according to results of the 2009 National Residency Matching Program.

Radiology was the fifth most popular specialty in 2007. By 2009, it had fallen three positions. Ahead of it, in order of preference, were neurological surgery, dermatology, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, and otolaryngology.

Medical students still see radiology as an attractive and highly competitive specialty. But all metrics suggest that radiology may have reached or approached the peak of its popularity, said Dr. Howard P. Forman, chair of the American College of Radiology's Committee on Radiologist Resources.