Dr Kishore is an IR trainee in the West Midlands.
These tips were originally published on his Twitter.
• Firstly, expect a culture shock, especially those that came from busy ward jobs
• There is a massive change in the pace of work and level of responsibility as a first year
• Don't be surprised at feeling like a spare-part
• Think of 1st year as an apprenticeship
At the very start:
•You may just be observing
• Keep yourself engaged - test yourself on the anatomy being shown
• Look at how reports are structured and the type of language being used
• Ask lots of questions, write down interesting pathologies to read up later
• Learn skeletal anatomy in order to report x-rays from the ED pile
• Then move onto CT head anatomy and start doing CT heads
• Later on do the same for CTPAs and CT abdomens
• Ultrasound - start with abdomens, learn the anatomy and develop scanning technique
• Give yourself at least 3 solid months to revise for part 1 FRCR
• Most training schemes have timetabled anatomy and physics teaching
• Question books are the best form of revision (try to get these from the library or senior trainees, as you'll never use them again)
During the second half of 1st year, focus on preparing for on-calls:
• Do as many acute CT sessions as you can
• Do MRI spines and US abdomens as some places do these on-call
• Start taking phone calls, discussing scans, and learn to protocol scans under supervision
Day-to-day:
• Look through the on-call scans reported the day before
• Ask others to spot quiz you on anatomy
• Learn what normal looks like before focusing on the abnormal
• Focus on picking up the main pathologies in a scan, the smaller details will come with time
Finally, congratulations on getting your training number!
• Radiology is a great specialty with many rewarding moments
• Enjoy the journey, learn lots, and ask questions when stuck. Good luck!