Throughout medical school, students often receive little to no exposure to radiology as a specialty. Even during foundation training, most doctors only encounter radiology through brief interactions or short taster weeks. However, in recent years, this has started to change, and some foundation doctors are now fortunate enough to undertake full posts in radiology.

In this article, we provide a brief overview of the role, what is typically expected of foundation doctors in radiology, and the benefits of undertaking such a post.

An overview of foundation training posts in radiology

Unlike traditional foundation posts in medicine or surgery, radiology placements can vary significantly between departments. Most will include time spent in interventional radiology, learning the fundamentals of ultrasound-guided procedures, and supervising cardiac CT lists under supervision.

Many of these posts include on-call commitments that are attached to another specialty (such as general medicine), though the nature and frequency of this varies. Some posts are split across specialties – for example, between radiology and ICU. Both FY1 and FY2 roles are available depending on the deanery, although there are typically only one or two radiology posts available per trust.

Foundation doctors in radiology work closely with a broad range of professionals. While they interact regularly with registrars and consultants, they also collaborate with radiographers, nurses, radiology assistants, and technical staff. Their expertise offers valuable learning opportunities and insight into the wider workings of the department.

As of 2025, radiology posts are offered in approximately half of UK foundation schools. These include East of England, KSS, LNR, London, North West of England, Northern, Peninsula, Wales, West Midlands South, and Yorkshire and Humber. Wales currently appears to offer the highest number of radiology placements.

What to expect in the role

The day-to-day responsibilities of foundation doctors in radiology can vary between hospitals. Below is a general overview, although not all duties will apply to every post:

• Managing the cardiac CT list under the supervision of a cardiac radiologist – including preparing patients using medications
• Assisting in interventional radiology – reviewing blood results and observations, learning common procedures (e.g. drain insertions, biopsies), and potentially assisting with more complex interventions
• Learning and performing ultrasound-guided procedures such as pleural aspirations, peritoneal taps, and PICC line insertions (under supervision if required)
• Helping with patient preparation – including consent, IV access, and other pre-procedure requirements
• Providing immediate support in the management of unwell patients – such as responding to contrast-related anaphylaxis
• Participating in discussions about referrals from other specialties
• Contributing to quality improvement or clinical governance initiatives within the department
• Attending MDT meetings as required
• Gaining experience in basic image interpretation under senior guidance

How to prepare for the role

Interventional radiology (IR)

You’ll likely be exposed to a wide range of procedures, including:

• Percutaneous gastrostomy tube placements
• Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC)
• Nephrostomy and ureteric stent placements
• Liver biopsies and ablations
• CT or ultrasound-guided biopsies
• IVC filter placements
• Nasojejunal tube insertions

Familiarising yourself with the basic steps of these procedures, the relevant anatomy (especially vascular structures), and key radiological signs will help you follow cases more easily and assist effectively.

It’s also helpful to know what information is needed for a referral to IR. This includes:

• The indication for the procedure
• Relevant clinical background
• Bleeding and VTE risk
• Recent bloods, including clotting
• Relevant imaging or previous interventions

Cardiac CT

In the cardiac CT list, your main role will be managing patient heart rates to optimise image quality. You’ll frequently use metoprolol and GTN, so it’s important to understand:

• Their mechanisms of action
• Dosing
• Contraindications
• Common interactions

You may also be required to independently assess patients who become unwell in the department, including medical emergencies such as contrast reactions. Different departments will have different expectations regarding this but you may be independently assessing these patients. For your Radiology post it’s important you are familiar with the A-E approach and the management of common medical emergencies.  

Having an understanding of how to interpret radiological imaging will be important (with some trusts allowing foundation doctors to participate in reporting) and as such it is recommended looking over this skill before starting the post. Resources to aid you with this can be found here. 

Benefits of doing a Radiology Foundation Post 

• Boosts Radiology applications scoring. A post in radiology will count towards Domain 1 (commitment to specialty) in application scoring and give you full points. It can also make other Domains far easier to complete such as organising teaching programs or completing QIPs. See here for a full breakdown of scoring for radiology applications. 
• Gains transferable skills. The skills learnt during a radiology posting are easily transferable to other specialties. The opportunity to learn how to insert ascitic and pleural drains will no doubt be useful for those wishing to pursue Internal Medical Training (IMT) and other specialties. The experience in the interventional radiology suite, with plenty of opportunities to be involved in complex cases, biopsies and suturing will likely appeal to those wishing to pursue a career in Surgery.  
• Gain greater independence. As the only (or one of the only) Resident Doctors in the department you will gain greater autonomy and more confidence as a doctor. An example where this is most prominent is the independent assessment of unwell patients in the department.  
• Opportunities to engage in QIPs, teaching etc. The workload for a Resident Doctor in Radiology is likely to be more manageable than other posts. This presents a great opportunity for doctors to improve their portfolio, such as quality improvement, teaching, leadership, publications etc. . 
• Greater experience of image interpretation. Being able to interpret radiological imaging is important to the majority of specialties. A post in radiology will improve familiarity to a wide range of imaging modalities, enhancing clinicians recognition of anatomy and pathologies.  
• Greater appreciation of the role of IR in the hospital. Many Resident Doctors will have to interact with this department without fully appreciating the role and scope of this department. A post in radiology allows clinicians to observe the variety of treatments and cases that pass through the department.  

In conclusion, radiology is a newly introduced post offered by Foundation Schools that provides clinicians with the opportunity to develop skills in a part of the healthcare system they might not otherwise encounter. If you need further information about your other foundation year posts please see this article.

Useful Resources  

• Clinical Radiology ST1 Self Assessment Guidance | Medical Hub 
• Radiology Masterclass –
• Radiology Cafe – Radiology Cafe
• Radiology Interpretation | CXR, CT Head, AXR | Data Interpretation | Geeky Medics
• Radiology – Mind The Bleep

Written by Dr Matthew Page and Dr Elspeth Mabin

Edited by Dr Alex Schuster Bruce