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What to expect working as a Radiologist in the UK

• June 10, 2020

 

As a Radiologist, your job is to diagnose and treat disease and injury, using medical imaging techniques such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET), fusion imaging and ultrasound.

In short, Radiologists are responsible for reporting most imaging procedures and performing most interventional procedures. The job is therefore very rewarding, since many conditions such as Cancer can often be identified, diagnosed and treated.

As an international Radiologist you are likely to be expected to enter into the NHS at Consultant level, as this is a Consultant-led.
 

What should I know?
 

Whilst Radiologists do spend a very large amount of their working week writing imaging reports, they do have contact with a variety of people, whether it be the wide range of specialist doctors, radiographers and other healthcare professionals or patients and their families. You will have more contact with patients, especially if you work in ultrasound, fluoroscopy or breast imaging.

Additionally, it is important to note that on-call work can be particularly busy as a Radiologist, particularly if you work between sites. You will be working under pressure, often undertaking emergency procedures, writing reports and communicating results to medical colleagues.
 

A Normal Day for a Radiologist

Working as a Radiologist within the NHS will mean that no two days are the same. However, normal daily tasks for radiologists in the UK may include:

• Obtaining patient histories from patient interviews, electronic records, referring clinicians or dictated reports
• Preparing comprehensive reports of findings
• Performing diagnostic imaging procedures, such as MRI, CT, PET, ultrasound or mammography
• Reviewing the information gathered from diagnostic imaging procedures
• Communicating the results of the diagnostic information to physicians and patients
• Performing interventional procedures including percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, nephrostomy catheter placement, image-guided biopsy or transhepatic biliary drainage.

During such tasks you will likely be exposed to radiation, infections and disease and thus will be required to wear specialised protective equipment often.
 

Roles:

There are various areas of specialist interest within Radiology which include:

• Breast
• Cardiac
• Emergency
• Gastrointestinal
• Head and Neck
• Interventional
• Musculoskeletal
• Neuroradiology
• Oncology
• Paediatric
• Thoracic
• Vascular
• Uro-Gynaecological

It is important to note that whilst these interests are encouraged by the NHS, the only subspecialty that is recognised by the GMC for separate specialist registration to become a Consultant in the UK is interventional radiology.
 

Relocating to the UK

If you are an international Radiologist who would like to relocate to the UK , email your CV to [email protected] and we can support you in securing an NHS post and on your relocation journey to the UK.

Are you a member of our Facebook group? When you join IMG Advisor, you join a community of doctors all looking to relocate to the UK and join the NHS. We post a series of blogs and vlogs to the group each day. We will also be on hand to answer all of your relocation queries.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have over 60 videos covering everything you need to know about relocating to the UK and joining the NHS.

Listen to BDI Resourcing on the go with IMG Advisor the Podcast! You can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Buzzsprout. We have a number of episodes with tips and advice on relocating to the UK and the routes you can take to achieve this.

Finally, we have just launched our new Instagram, so if you are a member, feel free to follow us to view our posts and IGTV: @bdiresourcing

References

Cmescience.com. 2020. A Day In The Life Of A Radiologist. [online] Available at: <https://cmescience.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-radiologist/> [Accessed 14 May 2020].

Health Careers. 2020. Clinical Radiology. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors/clinical-radiology> [Accessed 14 May 2020].