Clinical Radiology

Clinical Radiology ST1

Clinical Radiology is the use of imaging to diagnose, treat and monitor various disease processes. Rapid advances in technology and our understanding of the features of disease on diagnostic images allow imaging to be used at earlier and earlier stages of the diagnostic process. Similarly, changes in the characteristics of disease with treatment can be detected by imaging, which is frequently used to monitor progress.

Clinical Radiologists are medical specialists who provide a diagnostic imaging service to patients referred to them by family practitioners and hospital doctors. Not only do radiologists use imaging techniques to monitor disease processes and guide patient management, but they also perform minimally invasive interventional procedures such as drainages, embolisations and radiofrequency ablation of tumours.

Since 2022, Clinical Radiology applicants with a preference for Interventional Radiology (IR) have the option to be recruited from ST1 into posts on a dedicated IR pathway. They will still be required to cover all the essential diagnostic requirements of the Clinical Radiology curriculum, complemented by early exposure to IR. These trainees will be expected to transfer to the IR sub-specialty curriculum from ST4 if they are progressing satisfactorily and their supervisors are confident they have the necessary aptitude for the sub-specialty. Trainees on the IR pathway will be able to revert to CR only before ST4 if they choose to do so. Trainees that select CR only at recruitment will still have the ability to enter IR sub-specialty training from ST4 if they choose to and are successfully selected.

Summary of change for recruitment process 2024-2025

There are changes to the 2024-2025 process. Please ensure you check the specialty guidance for 2024/2025 carefully. You must also read the medical recruitment handbook before applying to ensure you have understood the application process, and all relevant documentation that you will need to submit especially relating to foundation competences.

If you are required to submit a Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training 2024 (CREST) form with your application and do not do so then you will not be offered another opportunity to upload it and your application will not proceed to the next stage of the process. You can find it here.

Process

The Royal College of Radiologists & NHS England (NHSE) London Recruitment Office are acting as the national recruitment office for Clinical Radiology ST1, coordinating the national process for recruiting trainees into Clinical Radiology ST1 posts.

This training programme is for completion of CCT subject to satisfactory progression.

Please note the national Clinical Radiology ST1 person specification can be downloaded via the National Specialty Training Website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/person-specifications/person-specifications-2025/clinical-radiology-st1-2025

Two specialties, Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine will be using the same selection process but will require separate applications.

As part of the selection process, all applicants to Clinical Radiology ST1 will be required to sit the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA). This will be used for shortlisting.

There will be a cut off score below which applicants will not be shortlisted. Applicants will also be ranked based on their score. If the available interview appointments are oversubscribed, they will be offered based on ranking order in the first instance.

Applicants who have been invited to interview who have applied to both specialties will have a single interview, with the score being used for selection to both clinical specialties.

Please note that applicants who wish to apply to both specialties will need to complete separate application forms for Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Radiology. The final rank and score for candidates will be comprised of, Interview score (60%) and self-assessment verified score (40%). The portfolio self-assessment will take place online. Applicants will be required to assign themselves a score as part of their Oriel application form. Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited to upload their evidence and then have their self-assessments verified by a panel.

Reasonable adjustments and Disability Confident Scheme:

For information regarding reasonable adjustments and Disability Confident Scheme please refer to the Medical Specialty Recruitment website

Eligibility Criteria for recruitment to Specialty Training – Competences:

All applicants applying to medical specialties are required to have essential competences or equivalent depending on the level they are applying for. For more information on competences please refer to the Person specification

Please upload all required evidence of competences to your online application form when completing the application form online. For those experiencing difficulties when uploading evidence, please ensure you contact the team via the PGMDE Support Portal.

Eligibility to work in the UK

All medical practitioners are on the shortage occupation list, so all specialty recruitment applicants will be exempt from the resident labour market test.

NHS England (NHSE) is responsible for the sponsorship of Medical and Dental trainees for their Skilled worker visa application in England. The Medical Specialty Recruitment website has guidance for applicants requiring a visa.

Fitness to Practice

If you have made a positive declaration in the FTP section, you must follow this up by completing our form on the support portal, you must contact London recruitment office via support portal by the close of the application window. Failure to provide the outlined information by the close of application may result in your application being withdrawn.

Key Dates & Information

A full timeline can be found on the Medical Specialty Recruitment website

MSRA Window: 2nd January – 13th January 2025

Evidence verification upload dates: 13th February – 19th February 2025 (dates subject to change)

Verified self-assessment score appeals: 27th February 2025 (by 5pm) – 4th March 2025 (subject to change)

Interview Dates: 10th – 14th March 2025

Interview venue: Remote Interview via a virtual interview system called Qpercom Recruit (access to a microphone, camera and good Wi-Fi connection is essential). Instructions on using the system will be sent out no later than a week before interviews.

Posts commence from: between August 2025 and October 2025 (see individual preferences for more details)

Successful completion of this placement will lead to a Certificate of Completion of Training in Clinical Radiology.

The expected duration of this programme is 5 years; however, the actual duration may depend on the circumstances of the individual.

There is a strict application policy and we will not accept applications submitted after the submissions deadline. All applications must be made via Oriel

The Supplementary Applicant guidance also contains detailed information about how to complete your application form, the shortlisting process, evidence verification process, interview process and preferences. We therefore recommend that all applicants read the Supplementary Handbook thoroughly before starting to complete an application form.

Shortlisting Process

As part of the selection process for 2025 all applicants to Clinical Radiology ST1 will be required to take a Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA).

Attendance at the test is mandatory and can be taken between 2nd and 13th January 2025.

The MSRA is a computer-based assessment which forms our short-listing process. The assessment has been fully researched and evaluated and has been shown to have high predictive validity.

Applicants will be invited to attend the MSRA exam, further information will be sent after the application closing date.

Verification Process

The portfolio self-assessment will take place online. Applicants will be required to assign themselves a score in their Oriel application form. Approximately the top 850 candidates in the MSRA will be invited to upload their evidence. These scores and evidence will be verified by a panel.

Interview Process

Length of interview: Two stations, up to 10 minutes each.

Interview structure: Document checking, two interview stations. The interview stations will cover different criteria from the person specification. The final score will be comprised of the combine Verified Self-Assessment score and Interview score.

Preferencing Posts

Preferencing will be made available via Oriel at a later stage, information will be sent to your registered email account with instructions on how to complete preferencing. You should only preference training placements that you are prepared to train and work in for the duration of your training, which will be at least five years. The preferencing window will reopen between offer iterations.

You will have the option to preference both Clinical Radiology posts and posts that include a preference for Interventional Radiology. Further information can be found in the supplementary applicant handbook.

Contacts / Enquiries

Please visit the PGMDE Support Portal where you will find a series of FAQs, and you will be able to submit an enquiry to the Recruitment Team.

Number of Indicative Posts Available

Please see the Medical Specialty Recruitment website for updated post information

Please note that post numbers and post information are subject to change.

Applicants’ are required to demonstrate they have 18 months’ or less experience in radiology (not including Foundation modules) by time of the intended start date.

Please state the number of months of radiology experience you will have by the start date of 7th August 2024 (not including Foundation modules). This should reflect the information you have provided in your employment history. (Characters allowed: 5)

The Royal College of Radiologists and the London Recruitment Office, are committed to improving the effectiveness of selection into Clinical Radiology. One way of assessing the effectiveness of a recruitment process is by comparing an applicant’s selection centre score with their subsequent performance in training judged by examination results and ARCP outcomes. I consent to my selection centre score being shared between London and South East Recruitment and the Royal College of Radiologists. (Yes/No)

The self assessment guidance for 2024/2025 is found here; please ensure you have read this fully.

As part of your application for Clinical Radiology ST1, you are required to complete a self-assessment of your previous experience and achievements with submitting documentation as evidence.

There are 7 domains, with descriptors of typical levels of experience which have been assigned scores. You should use your discretion to align your experience and achievements compared to these descriptors and choose a score which best reflects your situation. Include documentation to support your decision.

All achievements should be dated after the commencement of your first relevant undergraduate degree, and in any case, within the last 10 years prior to 21st November 2024.

Where an achievement specifies ‘national’, for applicants achieving this within the UK, national refers to activity within England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole. Local would mean at the level of a hospital single Trust or University.

For each domain, please select the descriptor and score which most truly reflects your experience. When more than one descriptor is appropriate for you for a particular domain, choose only the one which results in the higher score. Include evidence which supports your score.

If an achievement legitimately may fit under multiple domains, it is valid to claim in both categories (for example, academic work which was presented orally then subsequently published).

To receive a domain score at verification you will need to provide a response if there is an additional question after the domain category selection. If you have scored yourself a 0 for a domain please write not applicable in the box. Please note that not every domain asks for additional clarification.

Please note scores are finalised when the form is submitted. This means they cannot be edited in the event of a mistake, or an additional achievement completed after the deadline.

Only include achievements which are fully completed at the time of submission. Do not include anything which is still in progress. For example:

• do not include qualifications if you have not yet been awarded an outcome
• do not include articles submitted for publication if they have not been accepted
• do not include a presentation if you have not yet presented it

You should be honest with your evaluation and not attempt to gain unfair advantage by exaggerating or misrepresenting achievements. If this is identified, it could be considered a probity matter which could lead to outright rejection of your application and, in extreme cases, fitness to practice proceedings.

Your scores will be reviewed by trained assessors and based on your evidence can be revised up or down.

Please check your responses before submitting as once your application is submitted no changes can be permitted.

I confirm I have read the 2024/2025 self assessment guidance before submitting my application [Tickbox]

I confirm I understand I am not able to request changes to my self assessment score following submission of my application. [Tickbox]

• Multiple significant exposures to the work of a clinical radiology department
• One significant exposure to the work of a radiology department
• Attended a radiology based course or conference of at least 1 day in length
• None of the above

A significant exposure means a period of at least 3 whole day equivalent time attached to a clinical radiology department. For example:

• A taster week/observership placement.
• A student-selected component, elective, or similar part of a degree course.
• A radiology based clinical (not lab) research project involving presence in a department/working with a radiologist.

Multiple exposures must be meaningfully different; for example, more than one of the above types. A taster week in different settings would qualify for the highest descriptor, but not two taster weeks offering the same experience. Other experience that could be included would be activities such as

• More than two attendances at MDT preparation and meeting outside the taster week setting
• More than two attendances at radiology based list such as one stop breast clinic or interventional radiology list outside the taster week setting
• A combination of these with 3 episodes or more

Evidence for this section could include:

• Letter confirming placement from clinical supervisor/education lead.
• Official university documents confirming radiology-based placement/component.
• Details of a radiology-based project with evidence of your involvement from your supervising consultant.
• Course/conference certificate.

How does the evidence you have provided demonstrate your commitment to Clinical Radiology? [Words allowed: 100]

• Hold/have held a national level leadership or managerial role involving radiology
• Hold/have held a national level leadership or managerial role not involving radiology, but relating to healthcare OR Hold/have held a local/regional level leadership or managerial role involving radiology
• Hold/have held a national level leadership or managerial role outside healthcare OR Hold/have held a local/regional leadership or management role not involving radiology but relevant to healthcare
• Hold/have held a local/regional leadership or management role outside healthcare
• None of the above

Any roles claimed above must have been for a minimum period of 6 months.

Roles outside healthcare include voluntary activity, arts, and other sciences, but not paid employment.

Appropriate evidence would include confirmation of election/appointment, evidence of attendance at committee meetings, letters from chair or senior figure within relevant organization.

Evidence should specify the applicant by name, the role, and major responsibilities thereof.

Elaborate on your role pertaining to the evidence you have provided [Words allowed: 100]

• Have made a major contribution to a national or international teaching programme
• Have made a major contribution to a local or regional teaching programme
• Have evidence of providing organised teaching or training
• None of the above

For the purposes of this section a formal teaching programme should have a duration of at least 3 months in total.

A major contribution means a leading or organising role, such as a formal teaching fellowship or personally organising a formal, multi-session teaching course. National or international programmes should be open to all relevant learners in that discipline and would usually form part of a formal qualification such as Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, specialty diploma, etc.

Local or regional programmes would be organised at the level of, for example, a single hospital Trust, and could include Foundation Programme teaching or similar activities. Formal teaching outside medicine e.g. to school students or in the community can also be included.

One-off, small group teaching would qualify in the 3rd descriptor, as would evidence of solely delivering a single session to a larger local or national programme.

Appropriate evidence would include (evidence of teaching in a paid for course is not deemed appropriate evidence):

• Official documentation indicating your role as an organiser or deliverer of teaching
• Contemporaneous feedback collated or countersigned by a 3rd party

Elaborate on the teaching and training experience you have had so far and how this will support a career in clinical radiology [Words allowed: 100]

• Hold a formal masters level teaching qualification or above
• Hold a formal teaching qualification awarded at postgraduate level (e.g. CILT, PGCert, PGDip) or FHEA
• Evidence of other training in teaching methods after study of at least 2 days (e.g. Train the Trainers)
• No formal qualification in teaching/education

Evidence should be in the form of an official degree certificate or transcript clearly stating the qualification and indicating the level of study.

For this section only, formal teaching qualifications obtained prior to studying medicine can be scored (e.g., if you completed a PGCE before your medical degree).

• I have led 2 or more audits or quality improvement project relating to radiology which can be shown to have resulted in changed practice
• I have led an audit or quality improvement project relating to radiology which can be shown to have resulted in changed practice
• I have led an audit or quality improvement project but not meeting all criteria above
• I have contributed to, but not led, an audit or quality improvement project
• None of the above

Leading an audit/Quality Improvement (QI) project would usually include a major role in conception, data collection, analysis, and presentation. If your evidence does not demonstrate this, please select a different descriptor appropriately.Evidence required:

• A letter from supervising consultant or QI/audit project stating level of involvement to satisfy the requirements described in the table above. The letter must be signed (can be digital signature to reproduce a physical signature) and include:

  • 1. consultant name and GMC number (or corresponding national medical registration equivalent)
  • 2. date
• Copy of audit project presentation outlining scope and impact (findings and improvements achieved) of project or, a summary of the project detailing scope and impact of the project.

Demonstration of changed practice could be via a closed-loop second audit cycle showing better compliance to gold standard, or by improvement in a quality metric, etc.

Relating to radiology means that diagnostic imaging formed a major part of the project.

Expand on your QIP/audit experience and your role in the project [Words allowed: 100]

• I hold a postgraduate research degree (PhD, MD, MDRes, etc) Or a research Masters
• I have at least one peer-reviewed publication relating to radiology as first author Or A postgraduate qualification with no substantial research component
• I have at least one peer-reviewed publication, not relating to radiology, as first author OR A case report related to radiology OR At least one oral or poster presentation relating to radiology at national or international level, as first author
• At least one peer-reviewed publication, not as first author OR A case report not related to radiology OR At least one oral or poster presentation at national or international level, as first author
• At least one oral or poster presentation, at any level OR Involvement in a research team as part of an elective, intercalated degree, extended student research and enterprise project, academic foundation programme , academic summer school or other research taster
• None of the above

Please note, as mentioned above, intercalated and additional undergraduate degrees have been removed from scoring according to national speciality recruitment policy. (Points scored in this section are only for postgraduate achievements).

All activity in this section should be scientific. Relating to radiology means the project should involve diagnostic imaging. This does not preclude papers in other fields, such as surgery, oncology, and so forth if they have a significant imaging focus. Publications and presentations can relate to audit/QI activity.

Presentations should be proffered papers which have been through a process of peer-review and:Copy of letter of acceptance of oral/poster presentation or copy of event programme citing presentation to include:

• the name of presenter or first author
• the institution convening meeting
• the date of the meeting/presentation

Evidence could include:

• Degree certificate
• Your Open Researcher and Contributor IDentifier (ORCID) summary
• Citation including DOI/indexing service identifier (for example PMID)
• Conference catalogue

• Prize awarded by a recognised radiology institution/specialist society or at national/international level meeting
• Prize awarded by a recognised regional level institution or meeting
• Two or more prizes awarded by a local organisation or meeting
• One prize awarded by a local organisation or meeting
• None of the above

To be eligible, a prize must have been open to all peers at that level of training and geographic region. i.e. all medical undergraduates and/or postgraduates within a nation, region, or specific locality. A single hospital Trust, University or similar would constitute a “local” organisation.

Elaborate on the work you did for the award/prize [Words allowed: 75]