Winter Is Coming: Radiology Application Updates
A mega-update on the radiology applications including ACFs, Person Specifications, MedEd Course and why you need to fear our scalpel wielding CST friends!
We always struggle writing the introductions to these newsletters. We never feel "hi” is enough so we always feel the need to start with a bang with some quirky, grandiose intro. But fu*k it. We’ve got too much to discuss and we can’t waste any precious time. So here goes nothing…
Hi.
So RadCasters, we’re going to start this off being as blunt as we can. There’s a sh*t load of juicy, deep, info-rich content in this newsletter. So read this newsletter properly, with a cup of tea preferably, and you better make sure you laugh at all our cringe jokes! We’re watching you.
Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) Applications Are OPEN
For those of you looking to blend your clinical work with your academic interests, then definitely check out the Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF). Now, we’re not going to bog you down with how the ACF pathway works but just know, ACF applications for Clinical Radiology are now OPEN on Oriel.
Now having reviewed what ACF vacancies are available, it’s a shame to see how few there are! We’re not sure why this is the case but it means that competition for each ACF post is likely to be more fierce this year. So, you’ll need to make sure you smash the white space answers so you can be shortlisted for interview. Fortunately, we offer a white-space answer review service so if you’re interested, please make sure to get in touch via the button below. It’s strictly on a capacity basis and once we’re full, we won’t be able to take on any more.
Also, the deadline for ACF applications is on the 2nd of November at 4pm (GMT)!
Clinical Radiology Person 2023 Specification Available To Download!
Every year, the Person Specification is released in advance prior to the application season starting. And guess what. Every year, candidates ignore it altogether and cry their salty tears when they ask about evidence of leadership at the interview. Well guess what, you were given plenty of notice!
You see, the Person specification is basically your blueprint of what type of evidence they may ask to see as part of your portfolio and/or at the interview. By going through it, you’ll be able to quickly spot areas where you may lack any evidence of which you can then fix. That way, you can rest easy at night knowing you can’t be thrown off guard by being asked to show evidence of some specific skill/characteristic that is mentioned in the Person specification.
Now, we’ve done some of the hard work for you and compared the 2023 Person Specification with the 2022 edition. For the most part, it’s the same apart from 2 key areas:
There is no mention of intercalated degrees e.g. BSc being a desirable criteria
There is no mention of postgraduate membership examinations e.g. MRCP/MRCS being a desirable criteria
So what does this mean? Well, based on what we’ve said in the past, there has been an unanimous decision to remove points across all specialty applications for intercalated degrees. The Person specification for radiology may be reflecting these changes. However, we did not anticipate the changes for the postgraduate membership examinations. What it means, we’re not sure. This could be an indication that they are removing points for postgraduate membership exams altogether but we won’t know this for sure until November when applications open. Please note, they still mention higher degrees like PhD/MD which makes sense as it’ll be tied to the research domain.
Now, we aren’t telling you all this to stress you out. Honestly, we aren’t that cruel. But, we tell you this so you can now really prioritise your efforts i.e. work on the other portfolio domains and of course, the notorious MSRA exam *vomits*. Plus for those of you planning on how to build your portfolio for November 2023 applications, perhaps this is an indication to hold fire as you may not necessarily have to spend time, and more importantly that precious cash, on things like MRCP/MRCS if they have no benefit for the application.
You can access (for free) the Person Specification by signing up to our Clinical Radiology Application Course (CRAC) via the button below:
What Does Core Surgical Training (CST) Have To Do With Radiology Applications?
Typically, our scalpel wielding friends have often laughed at us from afar because we’ve had to do the multi-specialty recruitment assessment (MSRA) as part of our radiology applications. Well guess what, karmas a bit*h. As of this year, the MSRA has been introduced as part of the CST applications. So what’s the significance for you, a radiology applicant?
Well, historically there was always a proportion of candidates who considered radiology as a “back up” specialty when in fact, they wanted to apply for something else. However, the number of candidates doing this was limited because they realised they would need to sit the MSRA and honestly, who the hell can be bothered with that? We definitely couldn’t. So, unless they were applying for a specialty that also needed the MSRA e.g. GP, neurosurgery, ophthalmology etc they wouldn’t also chuck in a radiology application. This was particularly true for candidates wanting to do CST. That’s all changed now.
Since CST will now require the MSRA, there is nothing to honestly stop these candidates throwing in applications to radiology as a “back up”. What does that mean for you? In a nutshell, more competition. Remember, your MSRA score and rank is reflective of how the candidates did overall applying for radiology as a specialty. More applicants, more competition, more likely fluctuations in MSRA score/rank. Plus the portfolio required for CST has notoriously been one of the most ruthless meaning that honestly, most serious CST candidates have portfolios that can only fit in wheelbarrows.
Once again, we’re not telling you this to make you crap your pants. It’s to make you realise that the rules of the game have changed and that there are now additional players that you have to compete with. You can still win and of course, we are there to support you throughout the journey. Just work on the high yield things such as portfolio and MSRA prep. Remember, learn the rules, play the game, crush your opponent.
Enrol Onto Our Final MedEd Course For This Year
As Cohort 4 of our MedEd programme comes to a close, we’re now welcoming candidates to enrol onto Cohort 5 which will likely be the last MedEd cohort before the end of 2022. Remember, applications will open in November with portfolio evidence being submitted in December. Anything after this point will not count towards your portfolio score.
Over the 8 week MedEd programme, we’ll give you an A-to-Z overview of the key educational principles ranging from the role of learning objectives to understanding the different learning theories, we’ll get you up to speed and take your teaching to the next level. Honestly, we know the science of pedagogy (a fancy way of saying learning) can be SOOOO boring and that’s why we’ve sprinkled some of our RadCast love, which is hugely addictive, to the mix to make our MedEd programme fun, interesting and actually useful!
Plus, there are opportunities to deliver national/international radiology focused teaching through the RadCast Academy National Teaching Initiative (RCANTI) which can help beef up your portfolio.
If you’re interested, send us an email via the button below:
Final Remarks
As we get closer to applications opening up, we know that you’ll undoubtedly be nervous and tense. This is a critical time for you in terms of your own career journey and we know there is a lot on the line. Remember, we were there at one point too. But, whilst we had to navigate this treacherous journey alone, we will be there for you every step of the way. No, this isn’t some melodramatic sob story but we really mean it. Our doors are always open for each and every one of you. All you need to do is get in touch via hello@radcast.co.uk and we’ll support you however possible, even if that means Muhammad having to tell one of his lame jokes. So please do feel free to get in touch.
Remember, winter is coming. Radiology application season is around the corner. Now is the time to go big or go home.
Till next time RadCasters,
Uzoma, Muhammad and Jamie
RadCast Co-Founders