The aim of the Radiology Academies Project was to deliver training in dedicated, well-resourced training facilities that would enable the UK to train the increasing number of consultant radiologists it needs to meet the burgeoning demands for imaging in the 21st Century. The Academies Project is now a well-established success story and is viewed as a model for Radiology training nationally.

The recent document on the future of Radiology Training in the UK, ‘Radiology Training 2016-2026: a vision and a solution’, published by The Royal College of Radiologists and largely illustrated by photographs from the Imaging Academy, calls for the establishment of ‘Academies in all parts of the UK to raise the game significantly in Radiology training’.

The Imaging Academy has three seminar rooms, a dedicated PACS Room with twelve reporting workstations, a skills laboratory/ultrasound training room, and a suite of Apple Macs as used in the electronic FRCR exams.

One of the key advantages of the scheme is its large numbers of trainees, providing enormous opportunities for peer to peer learning and the potential to find colleagues to work with for exam preparation, case analysis and research. We aim to maintain these standards and seek to improve the training scheme so that we can enable trainees to fulfil their potential and become the best radiologists they can be.

The Academy hosts numerous Radiology training courses including on-call Radiology and FRCR 2B revision courses. Academy trainees are encouraged to help run the courses and are often eligible for heavily subsidised or free places as a result.

Our Training Programmes

Core Modular Training
Years 1 – 3

The initial six months are based mainly at the Academy, during which time the trainees receive intensive teaching which includes Part 1 focused physics and anatomy teaching, ultrasound teaching and practice, teaching on MSK plain film reporting and an introduction to many aspects of most Radiology subspecialties.

Click for an overview of 2020/21 timetable

Click for MSK week example

Consultant and other healthcare professionals provide this small group teaching. Nine weeks of those six months are spent in a Radiology department mainly focusing on ultrasound.

Many resources are provided by the academy IMAIOS, Stat DX and various ultrasound simulation tools including biopsy and intussusception models.

During the next two and a half years of core training, two are spent undertaking core module attachments. These are three-months in length and cover Chest, Neuro, Urogenital, Musculoskeletal, Paediatrics, Vascular, Gastrointestinal, Breast and Nuclear Medicine imaging.

The remaining six months are completed as a district general hospital (DGH) attachment during the ST2 year, where trainees typically learn to become independent practitioners of fundamental radiological skills.

Click for a sample ST2 timetable

These two and half years are supported by a structured teaching programme every Thursday afternoon which takes place at the Academy and helps to prepare trainees for the FRCR 2A and 2B examinations. In addition, there are regular, timetabled consultant tutorials each week, most of which take place in the hospital.

A big hurdle during the second year will be commencing on-call rota. Most trainees will be expected to participate in on-call from August of their second year. However, they should be prepared after participating in the on-call preparation course, having done plenty of supervised inpatient cross-sectional imaging reporting, passing assessments in plain film reporting, CT reporting and practical ultrasound.

Advanced Training
Year 4

The aim of the year 4 programme is for the trainee to finish the year competent to run CR, US, general CT and MR reporting lists solo at a pace expected of a new consultant. This is achieved through a senior DGH attachment for six-months and a six-month Higher Subspecialty Training Block at NNUH.

The feedback from trainees is that the DGH placements are uniform of a very high standard. Many of the DGH departments have sub-specialist interests such as Interventional Radiology, Oncology, Gastrointestinal and Neuroradiology, which trainees will select to meet their training needs. During their Higher Subspecialty Training Block, trainees become Lead Registrar and are expected to gain valuable experience in image-guided biopsy and drainage procedures.

Year 5

The scheme offers subspecialty training in Thoracic, Vascular, Urogenital, Musculoskeletal, Gastrointestinal, Breast, Nuclear Medicine, Head & Neck, Cardiac, and Oncology.

The Academy also offers subspecialist training in Interventional Radiology. Trainees are appointed by competitive recruitment prior to starting the 3-year programme at the beginning of ST4.

Our Training Courses

Core Radiology Training

The Radiology Academy has a new part I course (starting 2009) that has been designed to meet the demands of the new FRCR part I examination (FRCR I takes place in March of the first year)

The objectives of the course are broad to prepare candidates for the part I examination and to teach fundamental principles of Radiology so that they can start reporting as soon as possible.

Part I course (Year 1)

The course is divided into six broad sections that cover conventional radiography, ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and anatomy.

Each area is taught through didactic teaching, seminars and electronic learning programmes at the Radiology Academy interspersed with clinical attachments at Norwich and local DGH departments where supervised reporting and US practice take place.

Core Modular Training (Years 1-3)

This takes place over the next two and a half years with three-month core modular attachments in the chest, neuro, urogenital, musculoskeletal, paediatrics and gastrointestinal Radiology and nuclear medicine.

There is also a 6-month DGH attachment where StRs typically flourish learning to become independent practitioners of fundamental radiological skills.

These two and half years are supported by regular teaching focussing on the FRCR IIa examinations which take place every Thursday afternoon.

There is also a programme of external speakers, experts in their fields, who come to teach and lecture each term at the Academy. A new development of subspecialty symposia will start in 2010 to support core modular training.

Advanced Training

This is divided in to 1 year of consolidation and 1 year of subspecialty training …

… with the option of extending
subspecialty training back into year 4 to meet training requirements in specific areas such as intervention and nuclear medicine.

The aim of this year 4 programme is for the StR to finish the year competent to run CR, US and general CT and MR reporting lists solo at a pace expected of a new consultant. This is achieved through a senior DGH attachment for 6 months and a 6-month attachment at the N&N where StRs become leads in CT and US.

Subspecialty training (Year 5)

The Imaging Radiology training scheme offers a number of subspecialty training programmes including musculoskeletal, breast, chest, intervention, oncology, gastrointestinal, urogenital, vascular and head and neck with access to other subspecialty modules available at Addenbrooke’s and Papworth.

Hospital Attachments

Most trainees will spend at least 1 year in a Radiology department at one of the regional District General Hospitals (DGH’s).

The feedback from trainees is that the DGH placements are uniform of a very high standard.

Many of the DGH departments have sub-specialist interests such as intervention, oncology, gastrointestinal and neuroradiology, which trainees will select to meet their training needs.

The District General Hospital Radiology placements are at:

  • Basildon General Hospital
  • Colchester General Hospital
  • Ipswich General Hospital
  • James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn
  • Queen’s Hospital, Romford
  • Southend General Hospital
  • West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds

The initial six months are based mainly at the Academy, during which time the trainees receive intensive teaching which includes Part 1 focused physics and anatomy teaching, ultrasound teaching and practice, teaching on MSK plain film reporting and an introduction to many aspects of most radiology subspecialties.

Click for an overview of 2016/17 timetable.

Click for a detailed view of one week’s timetable.

Consultant and other healthcare professionals provide this small group teaching. Nine weeks of those six months are spent in a radiology department mainly focusing on ultrasound.

Many resources are provided by the academy IMAIOS, Stat DX and various ultrasound simulation tools including biopsy and intussusception models.

The remaining six months are completed at a district general hospital (DGH) attachment during the ST2 year, where trainees typically learn to become independent practitioners of fundamental radiological skills.

Click for a sample ST2 timetable.

These two and half years are supported by a structured teaching programme every Thursday afternoon which takes place at the Academy and helps to prepare trainees for the FRCR 2A and 2B examinations. In addition, there are regular, timetabled consultant tutorials each week, most of which take place at the Academy and in the hospital.

A big hurdle during the second year will be commencing the on-call rota. Most trainees will be expected to participate in on-call from August of their second year. However, they should be prepared after participating in the on-call preparation course, having done plenty of supervised inpatient cross-sectional imaging reporting, passing assessments in plain film reporting, CT reporting and practical ultrasound.