Know the specialty
What you should know about a career in Clinical Radiology
The 2027 person specification explicitly expects applicants to understand modern imaging, the consultant radiologist's role, training structure and career options. This needs more depth than a generic Why Radiology answer.
What radiologists actually do
Person specification · specialty understanding
Clinical radiologists interpret imaging, advise referrers, contribute to MDT decisions, prioritise imaging, communicate urgent findings and increasingly work across image-guided and patient-facing pathways. The role is clinical even when much of the work is image-based.
Training pathway
RCR curriculum
Clinical Radiology training is normally five years. Training builds from core modality and reporting skills into increasing independence and subspecialty experience. Interventional Radiology has an indicative six-year training pathway.
FRCR examinations
RCR exams
First FRCR comprises Anatomy and Physics and is intended during ST1. Final FRCR Part 2A assesses broad clinical radiology knowledge and Part 2B assesses applied clinical radiology. Exams sit alongside workplace-based assessment and curriculum progression.
First FRCR Physics practice
Optional exam-preparation resource
If you want to see what the early exam workload looks like, The Physics Bank provides question-based First FRCR Physics practice and full mock papers. It is most relevant once you are approaching ST1 rather than something an applicant needs to complete before applying.
Final FRCR Part 2A practice
Optional later-training resource
The 2A Bank is a large SBA question bank for the written Final FRCR Part 2A examination, including full-length mocks. It is a later-training resource, but it gives prospective applicants a concrete sense of the breadth of knowledge developed through Radiology training.
Diagnostic and interventional careers
Career understanding
Radiology includes broad diagnostic practice and multiple subspecialties, while Interventional Radiology adds image-guided therapeutic work. Applicants do not need a fixed subspecialty plan, but should understand the breadth of the career.
Training roadmap
What Radiology training looks like from ST1 to CCT
The curriculum is capability-based rather than a rigid year-by-year checklist, and local rotations vary. Still, there is a useful broad progression: early general foundations, increasing acute independence, then more advanced and special-interest practice.
ST1: foundations, supervision and First FRCR
General foundations
ST1 is deliberately broad. Timetables should include general cold and acute Radiology across ultrasound, CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, plain-film reporting and procedures, with organised First FRCR Anatomy and Physics teaching. Early reporting and protocol decisions are supervised closely.
ST2–ST3: acute work and increasing independence
Breadth + acute progression
The mix expands into special-interest work, radionuclide imaging, MDTs and on-call/acute sessions. The curriculum expects progressive capability in prioritising referrals and reporting acute plain films, CT and MRI rather than an abrupt jump to independent practice.
ST4–ST5: advanced and special-interest training
Advanced training
Later training increasingly concentrates on advanced general Radiology and selected special interests while maintaining core acute capability. Trainees prepare for consultant-level responsibility and complete the remaining FRCR requirements and curriculum outcomes.
Interventional Radiology pathway
Indicative six-year pathway
IR extends the indicative pathway to six years and adds progressively more complex image-guided procedures, peri-procedural care and emergency intervention. A trainee interested in IR still needs broad diagnostic Radiology competence.
Less-than-full-time training
LTFT
Radiology can be undertaken LTFT. The RCR curriculum notes that LTFT trainees complete training pro rata and should undertake a pro-rata share of out-of-hours work appropriate to their stage.
FRCR
The FRCR exam pathway: what each stage is for
Applicants only need a sensible overview. The exams become major milestones once training starts, and understanding their sequence helps explain why early Radiology training feels different from later subspecialty training.
First FRCR Anatomy
Early training · First FRCR
An early-training examination in radiological anatomy across imaging modalities. It tests recognition of normal anatomy in the way radiologists actually encounter it rather than traditional dissection-style anatomy alone.
First FRCR Physics
Early training · First FRCR
Covers the scientific basis and safe use of imaging, including image formation, radiation, equipment and modality principles. Local programmes are expected to provide organised Physics teaching during ST1.
Final FRCR Part 2A
Core clinical training · written SBA
The broad written single-best-answer examination in general Clinical Radiology. Preparing for it requires knowledge across organ systems and modalities rather than narrow subspecialty expertise.
Final FRCR Part 2B
Later training · applied clinical Radiology
The applied final examination assesses practical clinical Radiology rather than another large factual SBA syllabus. Candidates need to integrate image interpretation, communication and clinical judgement. Check the RCR for the current format and regulations.
Exams are only one part of progression
Curriculum progression
Radiology training is capability-based. Workplace assessment, supervised clinical work, procedures, acute capability, communication and ARCP evidence continue alongside the FRCR milestones.
Imaging basics
The main imaging modalities: what applicants should actually understand
You do not need FRCR-level physics for interview. You should understand why different modalities exist, their broad strengths and limitations, and the fact that choosing the right test is part of Radiology.
Plain radiography
X-ray
Fast, cheap and widely available, with a major role in chest, skeletal and line/tube imaging. It uses ionising radiation and gives a projection image rather than cross-sectional anatomy.
CT
CT
Rapid cross-sectional imaging with excellent spatial resolution and a central role in acute care, trauma, cancer and vascular imaging. CT uses ionising radiation and may use iodinated contrast; protocol and phase selection matter.
MRI
MRI
Excellent soft-tissue contrast without ionising radiation, particularly valuable in neuro, MSK, pelvic, cardiac and many oncological problems. It is slower, more sensitive to motion and has important safety and implant considerations.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound
Real-time, portable and radiation-free. It is particularly useful in abdominal, vascular, obstetric, small-parts and procedural imaging, but is operator-dependent and limited by factors such as body habitus and gas.
Fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy
Real-time X-ray imaging used for dynamic contrast studies and image-guided procedures. It is a good example of Radiology being both diagnostic and patient-facing.
Nuclear medicine and PET
Functional imaging
These techniques use radiopharmaceuticals to demonstrate physiology, metabolism or receptor activity rather than relying only on anatomy. PET/CT and PET/MRI combine functional and anatomical information and are important in oncology and other specialist pathways.
Interventional Radiology
Image-guided treatment
IR uses ultrasound, fluoroscopy, CT and other imaging to guide minimally invasive treatment. It ranges from biopsy and drainage to complex vascular and oncological intervention.
Resource map
Useful Radiology resources by career stage
The right resource depends on what you are trying to do. Applicants usually need career understanding and selection guidance; residents need curriculum and exam resources; later trainees increasingly need subspecialty and research networks.
Considering Radiology
Explore
Start with the RCR careers pages, a real taster, SRT applicant/career events and first-hand trainee conversations. The goal is to understand the job before trying to optimise an application.
Building an ST1 application
Apply
Use the Medical Hub for the live recruitment rules, AuditLive for a feasible Radiology QI project, and the RCR/SRT networks for genuine opportunities. Keep the portfolio builder on this page aligned to the current cycle.
Starting ST1
ST1
The RCR curriculum and trainee hub become the main references. First FRCR Anatomy and Physics dominate early exam preparation; local teaching should provide the foundation.
First FRCR Physics
Exam practice
The Physics Bank can be used for question-based practice and full mocks once you are preparing for the First FRCR Physics module. It is an optional study resource, not an application requirement.
FRCR Part 2A
Exam practice
The 2A Bank provides SBA practice and full-length mocks across the breadth of general Clinical Radiology. It becomes relevant later in core training rather than during ST1 applications.
Research and academic Radiology
Research
RADIANT connects trainees to research training, meetings and publications through a national network with regional leads.
Subspecialty development
Later training
Use the RCR special-interest-group directory and trainee sections of societies such as BSIR, BSGAR, BSNR, BSSR and BSCI once a genuine interest develops.
From understanding to practice
Put this topic into an interview answer
Use Understanding Radiology for original prompts and an answer structure relevant to this topic.
Explore Radiology ST1 practiceExplore the Question bank and spoken practice coming at launch.Spoken practice is launching soon. Use the free questions and guides to start preparing now.
Sources
References linked in this article
- RCR — Clinical Radiology curriculum
- RCR — Clinical Radiology exams
- Explore First FRCR Physics questions
- Explore FRCR 2A questions
- RCR — Guidance for resident job planning
- Explore BSIR Trainees
- RCR — What does a clinical radiologist do?
- NHS England — Clinical Radiology ST1 recruitment hubNHS England published the 2027 interview structure, portfolio evidence categories, scoring thresholds and 30%/70% final-ranking weights; verified 9 October 2026.
- RCR — Clinical Radiology trainee resources
- RCR — Radiology Academic Network for Trainees (RADIANT)
- RCR — Subspecialties and special-interest groups