Let's Do This: 2024-25 Radiology Applications Updates Are Now Here (Part 1)
Part 1 of our hot take on the changes to the 2024-25 radiology application, what it means for you and of course, how to smash it (the RadCast way)!
Application updates are like buses. You wait for what seems like days for one to arrive and then BAM, five arrive at once. Last night on the 15th of October, Xmas seems to have come early. Yes, radiology application updates have finally all arrived and you know that means one thing. It’s time for the annual RadCast application breakdown. So grab your Arriva pass, go to the top floor and hear what the RadCast roadmen at the back of the bus have to say.
But just before we do, make sure to RSVP for the RadCast Radiology Application 2024-25 Overview Talk (date to be confirmed)
We know many of you will be unfamiliar with the application process. Who or what is Ariel, why does everyone bi*tch about the MSRA and do I need to wear trousers for a virtual interview?
Firstly, we’re talking about Oriel and not the Little Mermaid.
Secondly, don’t ask about the MSRA.
Thirdly, please wear trousers both prior to, during and after the interview.
But in all seriousness, there’s a lot of confusion which can be a huge stressor. That’s why we’re doing a virtual Zoom talk where we’ll go over the changes to this year’s application process. For those of you that can’t make it, we’ll be uploading the recording to our YouTube channel (make sure to subscribe) and on our Clinical Radiology Application & Interview Course (CRAIC).
To RSVP, use the button below:
Now, with that out the way, let’s crack on with our radiology application breakdown.
Key Application Deadlines
Whether you use Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or a half ripped piece of paper that you then stuff down your back pocket alongside the tissues with your snot on it, make sure you have the following dates in your diary.
Advert published on Oriel - by 5pm, 23rd October 2024
Applications open on Oriel - at 10am, 24th October 2024
Applications close on Oriel - 4pm, 21st November 2024
Invitations to MSRA, MSRA window & results to candidates - to be confirmed
Evidence verification upload - 13th to 27th February 2025
Invites to interview - 26th February 2025
Interviews - 10th March to 14th March 2025
Initial offers released - by 5pm, 25th March 2025
Of course, these dates are all subject to change so make sure you bookmark and check out the official recruitment website via the button below:
Addressing The Elephant In The Room: Competition Ratios
Imagine no radiology training bottlenecks, it’s easy if you try. No competition ratios before us, above us only sky. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the radiology reporting room will be as one.
Now I bet you didn’t know that John Lennon was a budding radiologist alongside his somewhat successful career as a musician. But unfortunately, radiology has the same training bottlenecks as other specialties with fierce competition ratios.
As you can see from the table below, the number of radiology applications has skyrocketed from 1128 (in 2020) to a whopping 3719 (in 2024). Whilst that’s amazing and makes us feel like we’re the ‘cool kids on the block’, the number of radiology posts has only gone up by a fraction or actually gone down (350 in 2023 vs 312 in 2024). Indeed, if we do some fancy GCSE maths *cough* which we had to Google *cough*, the percentage increase in applications since 2020 is 230% vs a measly 0.32% increase in the number of training posts over the same time period.
So why are we telling you this? To ruin your day? To scare you from applying? To ruin Xmas? No, we’re not the Grinch (although Muhammad does look like it). Rather, we’re telling you this to hammer a very important point, a point which we’ll repeat till the application season closes. Every point counts. Whether it’s on the MSRA, portfolio or interview, you need to do WHATEVER it takes to secure the bag. You can not be complacent. You must give it 110%.
With that being said, let’s now go through the latest portfolio scoring criteria and outline any major changes.
Domain 1: Commitment To Specialty
There are NO MAJOR changes to this domain. However, we want to clarify two main things:
Clarification on what constitutes a “significant exposure” to radiology
TLDR: do not get the same radiology exposure across two taster weeks. If you do, you’ll score 6. You need different exposures across your two taster weeks to score 10
Similar to last year, the assessors have clearly defined what a “significant exposure” is in radiology. Of course, a taster week still remains on that list (for obvious reasons) but additional things candidates can do include meeting the radiologist when they are preparing for the MDT or going to radiology specific lists e.g. symptomatic breast clinics.
As was the case for last year, candidates need more than one significant exposure to be able to claim the full 10 points. In terms of a taster week, it has to be at least 3 days (whole day equivalent) and if you’re going to use the other examples, you need to have done a minimum of 3 attendances e.g. attended a symptomatic breast clinic on three separate occasions.Radiology courses & conferences counts towards commitment to the specialty
Like last year, candidates were able to get 2 marks if they attended a “radiology-based course or conference of at least 1 day in length”.
In terms of what courses/conferences are acceptable, the main requirement is that it has to be “radiology-based”. So that of course includes things such as the BIR, RCR and SRT conferences. Also, you may wish to check out our Radiology Crash Course. It was specifically designed for final year medical students and junior doctors to help them understand the fundamental aspects of radiology required for wards, A&E etc. The course lasts for 1 day and candidates will receive CPD credits as per the CPD scheme of the Royal College of Radiologists. You can sign up directly via the button below:
Domain 2: Leadership & Management
There are NO MAJOR changes to this domain.
Now, this domain pissed off a LOT of candidates last year. We fully expect it to do the same this year. We think this is a shame and we were hoping the recruitment leads would make this domain a bit more realistic. Alas, that’s not the case but no point crying over spilt milk.
To get top marks you need to have held a national level leadership or managerial role involving radiology for a minimum of 6 months. One example of this could include being part of the amazing team over at IR juniors. What about RadCast? We know, we know. A lot of you have asked us about this and at present, we don’t really have anything concrete. We don’t really want to rush this and want to make sure that whatever we develop has long term benefit for you and the community we serve.
So, what could you do in the interim? Probably not much since you need to have held the position for 6 months and it’s October right now. But if you’re preparing for next year, one suggestion we always give is for you to reach out to your nearest medical school/foundation school and see if you can help! Perhaps reach out to the undergraduate radiology society? See if you can help shape their programme? Help them build networks with the radiology department and forge a teaching programme? This has often proved successful with both the candidate and medical school benefitting. Similarly, ask your foundation school if you can help out.
Domain 3 & 4: Teaching & Training, Formal Teaching Qualifications
There are NO MAJOR changes to both of these domains.
So what about those of you who are looking at both domains and currently sitting on a big fat zero? Help is at hand through the 2-day MedEd course delivered by our collaborative partners at Health Careers Portal. To find out more, please get in touch with them about their next planned MedEd course via hello@healthcareersportal.com
Domain 5: Audit & Quality Improvement (QI)
There is ONE BIG change to this domain.
Specifically, the major change is pertaining to the evidence required to score points for your audit/QI project. In the past, you could have submitted your presentation slides or a formal portfolio assessment from a supervisor confirming your role.
This year, to gain any points you need to submit the following:
A letter from the audit/QI supervising consultant or lead stating level of involvement. The letter must be signed (can be digital signature to reproduce a physical signature) and include:
consultant’s name and GMC number (or corresponding national medical registration equivalent)
date
AND
Copy of the audit/QI project presentation outlining scope and impact (findings and improvements achieved) or a summary of the project detailing scope and impact of the project
In a nutshell, they are making the evidence required to gain points in this domain more rigorous and you’ll only be given the points if you submit both pieces of evidence in your application.
As we said in previous application cycles, you shouldn’t lose a signal mark here. There’s just no excuse. Struggling with ideas for an audit/QI, don’t stress! The RCR have done all the hard work for you and given you audit/QI templates via their AuditLive website.
Domain 6: Academic Achievements
This is the domain with the MOST changes when compared to previous application cycles.
So, let’s break it down 1-by-1:
Distinction between research degree & non-research degrees - in the past, there was no room for post-graduate degrees that did not have a research component e.g. PGCert. This year, that’s changed with candidates likely being able to score 4 out of the 5 marks for such postgraduate degrees. Yes, we think you will be able to double score in both the “formal teaching qualification” and the “academic achievements” domain if you hold a PGCert in say medical education (as per the wording anyhow).
Case reports in radiology - last year, case reports were all lumped together. So whether it was radiology focused or not, you only got 1 out of 5 marks. That has changed this year with candidates now being able to get 3 out of 5 marks for a case report related to radiology. If it isn’t related to radiology, you’ll get 2 out of 5 marks.
Letters to the editor - like case reports, letters to the editor got you 1 out of 5 marks last year. This year, it seems they are likely to still be worth 1 out of 5 since they aren’t specifically mentioned but may fall under the “involvement in a research team” domain.
Evidence required to gain the points - in a similar vein to the audit/QI domain, the assessors have been very specific this year about what evidence you’ll need to submit to gain any points in this domain. Specifically for:
Presentations:
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
Additional postgraduate degrees:
degree certificate
Publications:
your Open Researcher and Contributor IDentifier (ORCID) summary
citation including DOI/indexing service identifier (for example, PMID)
conference catalogue
Domain 7: Prizes and Awards
There are NO MAJOR changes to this domain. However, we want to clarify two main things:
Clarity on undergraduate/postgraduate merit/distinction awards
Last year, there was a lot of confusion arising from the “distinction award of final year primary medical qualification (or equivalent)” statement. Many candidates felt they could claim for getting a distinction in an individual module during their medical degree e.g. distinction in the final surgical exam (yuck). We advised candidates that this wasn’t the case since we felt that it meant candidates who got a distinction/honours for their medical degree OVERALL could get the top marks e.g. MBChB (Honours). So please, don’t claim these points for the distinction you got in the “pretending to know how to use a stethoscope OSCE module”. It won’t count.Clarity on scholarships and elective bursaries
Many candidates last year were able to claim points in this domain for their scholarship/bursary. This will remain the case for this year provided your scholarship/bursary meets the following criteria “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”.
For many of you, you may be scratching your head thinking “how the flip do I find a radiology competition to enter”. Unfortunately, you’ve missed the boat for our Roentgen competition but don’t fret, RadCast is here to save the day! Specifically, we have 2 national (really international) prizes up for grabs as part of our Clinical Radiology Application Course. The successful candidates will be informed prior to the application window closing meaning they can claim for the points for winning a national prize in this domain. You can find out more about the competition by clicking on the button below.
Self-Assessment Process Has Changed
In previous years, candidates would basically dump every piece of evidence under the Sun that they thought was relevant to that domain into their portfolio. Honestly, we think that if candidates were to print out their portfolios, we’d have lost the Amazon rainforest by now. That’s changed this year with the new process being:
Up to four pieces of evidence will now be accepted for each domain.
Evidence for each domain should be uploaded as one continuous pdf
Index sheet. You will list the evidence you are submitting for verification. Only the first four pieces of evidence will be reviewed
Addition of questions to be completed at point of application relating to the unverified score you have selected
Please note, you will be asked to “assess” your portfolio as part of the Oriel application form i.e. look through the portfolio domains and score yourself on what evidence you have. However, you will NOT be asked to upload evidence of this until you are shortlisted for an interview. One thing to note is that if you give yourself a score of 0 in your portfolio, you will not be invited to sit the MSRA.
Our Final Thoughts (Part 1)
Well that was a lot to take in. So much so that Substack (the thing we use to write these newsletters) is telling us that we’re about to reach our word limit (first time for everything hey). So, make sure to check out part 2 of this “deep dive” as we turn our attention to IR themed tracks, the radiology interview format and finally, the ranking process!
As always, reach out to us via hello@radcast.co.uk if you have any questions about the application process, our courses or radiology in general (we don’t give out relationship advice #sorrynotsorry).
Till next time (like literally part 2 of this newsletter),
From your ‘did you check the addendum’ friends,
Muhammad, Uzoma and Jamie
RadCast Co-Founders