1st year experience

[Alvin]

Just wondering what a typical day to day routine of a 1st year reg is like?

I think the experience would vary not just site-to-site but also what type of shift you’re rostered on for the day. But generally the day starts like this…

1. Get coffee ????
2. If on diagnostics, check in with the boss you’re reporting to for that session
3. Protocol studies – this means going through all referrals and specifying the type of imaging technique required to answer the given clinical question. This can be a bit of a steep learning curve at first, but you’ll soon come to appreciate that the majority of referrals follow simple rules on how to protocol. Some sites have SRMO’s who may handle the bulk of this.
4. When with a consultant, a decent amount of time is spent getting feedback on cases you report, which is where you learn a variety of things. Broadly speaking; how to approach reporting that particular study, image interpretation, pitfalls, pathology etc.
5. Reviewing studies with radiographers – primarily to determine whether further imaging (beyond the protocol you specified) is required. Sometimes the radiographers are alerting you to a significant finding they have identified with the patient on table, which may necessitate escalating to the relevant team (eg. discussing with ED or NSx an intracranial bleed) or discussing with your consultant.
6. If on interventional, read up on all the cases for that day. Pre-procedural checks. Review prior imaging. Discuss with boss. Coordinate with nurses and radiographers. Talk to teams. Review patients post-op. Honestly, for a first-year, it’s mostly about getting everything organised and checked so the day runs smoothly and efficiently – rather than learning the procedure. Again, some sites have SRMO’s who assist greatly with this.

There’s often tutorials throughout the day or during lunch. They can be didactic or case-based. There’s also MDT’s, which usually consultants or more senior reg’s run.

Do you have to run every report by a consultant?

At my site, every reg report in-hours gets verified by a boss before being published. After hours, reg reports get published as preliminary (meaning it is publically viewable). The next morning (ideally), a boss will amend or verify those reports.

How much interventional work is done in 1st year? TIA

Depends again on site. Some sites don’t have much interventional work. Some sites have separate interventional departments. The complexity of IR caseload also varies. I would say, overall, don’t expect to do a lot. At my site, the main priority of first year is to pass exams and to get ready to report after hours.

Hope that helps ????

[Giang Trung Pham]

Thanks, Alvin, for your detailed reply.

[Olaoluwa Adesanya]

thanks for this