URGENT: ST3 Radiology Applications Are OPEN!
We've done a deep dive into the ST3 application for clinical radiology.
Yesterday was a momentous day for clinical radiology.
Why?
Well for the first time ever, probably since X-Rays were invented in 1895, candidates could now directly apply to join clinical radiology at the ST3 level with 17 training posts (jobs) being available.
So what?
Alright jeez, relax. I know you guys may not get as excited as us when it comes to radiology application news but trust us, this is BIIIIGGGGG; you can clearly tell we get easily excited in radiology!
Why is it so important?
For a long time, there were 2 main routes into radiology. The first was the standard ST1 route which to be fair, was the main route 99.9% of candidates went through. But what if you had “too much experience for radiology”. You see, there is a small clause when you apply to ST1 radiology which states that you must have 18 months (or less) of formal radiology experience which is irrespective of the country you gained the experience in. So what do you do if you have more than this? Unfortunately, that meant you weren’t eligible to apply for the ST1 route. Instead, they often had to go through the Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) route to become a recognised Consultant Radiologist in the UK.
This entry into ST3 changes the game and provides one further route for applicants.
Do I Have To Do The MSRA?
Nope! There is no MSRA. The applicants final score will consist of their interview score and the verified self-assessment score.
Fine, I’ll apply then!
Hold your horses bucko! It ain’t that easy. The requirements are quite strict! For example, candidates who are eligible must have:
FRCR Part 1 (or equivalent)
Hold full GMC registration
36 months experience after full GMC registration (and evidence of achieving the foundation competencies)
Evidence of achievement of ST1 competencies in clinical radiology at the time of the application and ST2 in clinical radiology by the time of appointment
At least 24 months of experience in clinical radiology (not including foundation modules)
The above is just an example of some of the requirements to be deemed eligible to apply. We’d strongly advise you to look at the official documents which you can view on Oriel.
One key thing to be aware of is that you need to demonstrate you’ve acquired the ST1 & ST2 competencies in clinical radiology. To do so, you need to get an “Alternative Certificate to Enter Clinical Radiology Specialty Training” form completed. Here, a Consultant who is FRCR’d has to sign you off as demonstrating the ST1 & ST2 competencies. There are a few requirements as to who can sign you off so once again, please check out the official documentation on Oriel.
Are the portfolio requirements the same as the ST1
In terms of the self-verification, yes it’s the same. But in terms of what they’re looking for, it’s a lot more strict than the ST1 portfolio criteria.
Now, we can’t go through them all one-by-one but here are the domains they’re going to ask about:
Additional undergraduate degrees and qualifications
Postgraduate degrees and qualifications
Additional achievements e.g. prizes/awards
Presentations/posters
Publications
Teaching experience
Training in teaching
Quality improvement
Leadership and management
Radiology reporting statistics
Now most of you will be familiar with most of those domains apart from the final one. Yes, they’re going to ask you to upload evidence of your reporting numbers. The more you have, the more you score with candidates getting top marks if they have over 3500 examinations reported over the last 2 years. Like I said at the beginning, this ST3 post is really geared towards candidates who are already doing radiology training.
Are Interviews The Same?
Nope! In fact, when we reviewed them it’s very similar to the interview format pre-2018. Specifically, you’ll have 3 x 10 minute (30 minutes in total) with the interview consisting of:
Prioritisation - 10 minutes - candidates will be given an on-call scenario and asked to discuss how they would manage cases and explain why
Logbook - 10 minutes - candidates will be asked to discuss their clinical experience in radiology to date and asked to discuss different modalities and how they would use them for clinical situations
General Questions - 10 minutes - exploring candidates responses to different work situations based on their own experiences
Once again, you can see this interview is tailored towards candidates who have prior radiology experience e.g. with on-calls and have spent a considerable amount of time in the radiology department.
When’s the deadline to apply?
The official deadline to apply is 4pm (GMT) on Monday the 11th of April 2022. However, the application leads have said that if there is a large volume of interest, they can close the applications early. This has happened before (Round 4 applications in 2021) so if you’re interested and eligible to apply, please get your applications in ASAP.
The latest up-to-date deadlines are available on the official recruitment post on Oriel.
Should I Apply?
Of course that’s entirely up to you. But this is a golden opportunity for applicants who have radiology experience under their belt, maybe not in the UK, to enter radiology training at the ST3 level. Having reviewed the criteria, it is very strict but that’s purely because they want to make sure that applicants applying meet the expectations at the ST3 level. Before you do make your application, please do check the latest application guidance on Oriel and make sure you’re actually eligible to apply!
If you do need any support with your application, then please do get in touch. We’d be more than happy to guide you. All you need to do is email us by clicking on the button below.
Till next time,
From your ‘sits in the dark all day’ friend,
Muhammad
RadCast Co-Founder