Choosing a specialty

Tasters in foundation training

An important aim of the foundation programme is to offer trainees experience in a variety of specialties. Doing a taster is a good way to gain experience in a specialty that is not part of your foundation programme to see if you are interested in that field. This will help you make an informed choice. I have a particular interest in radiology as I enjoy using technology and medical equipment to aid diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Like most others, my exposure to radiology was limited to a three week special study module as a fourth year medical student, apart from looking at numerous chest radiographs. I wondered whether I would enjoy the working life of a radiologist and whether my personal attributes and skills were suited to this specialty. Exposure to paediatrics during my foundation year 2 (F2) emergency medicine rotation made me realise that I enjoy working with children. So I wanted to combine both interests and explore clinical radiology in paediatrics.

Credit: PHOTOS.COM

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Organising the taster

My first step was to identify departments where I might be able to work. Then I sought a supervisor at Great Ormond Street for my taster week. I drew up a list of aims and objectives. I then got approval from my educational supervisor and informed the lead clinician about my plans to get study leave. This wasn't a problem: F2 trainees are encouraged to use study leave for tasters.

What's good about paediatric radiology

From the start, paediatric radiologists need to be good at solving problems. They have to decide on the best imaging modality and get a diagnosis but, at the same time, consider the amount of radiation given to patients. Radiation affects children more than adults, and paediatric computed tomography doses are weight adjusted to deliver the minimum dose of radiation needed to do an investigation. Radiologists then have to interpret results, thereby providing a diagnosis and guiding treatment. Excellent communication skills are essential as radiologists interact frequently with medical colleagues, radiographers, and other health professionals. This is especially evident in multidisciplinary meetings. In addition, a paediatric radiologist needs a caring and sensitive approach to sick children, who are often frightened of radiological investigations. Manual dexterity and good hand-eye coordination are essential for interventional procedures. I did ultrasonography sessions and participated in a wide range of cases at the tertiary centre involving various radiological modalities. It is important to have a good working knowledge of information technology as computer software is used to plan and interpret investigations. Paediatric radiology is a subspecialty and entry is through a clinical radiology training route. Job prospects are good as the specialty is expanding.

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And what's not

A downside to radiology is that specialists do not often see improvement to patient's health first hand. Interaction with patients is limited. However, this is expected to change as more therapeutic interventional procedures are done, and there is a role for joint patient management with other specialties. Another drawback is that opportunities for volunteering in developing countries are limited as technologically advanced equipment is often unavailable.

Some clinicians treat radiologists as mere service providers, demanding investigations without providing adequate clinical information, which can be frustrating. They fail to realise the importance of providing sufficient information for radiologists so that they can choose the most appropriate imaging modality.

Benefits of my taster week

I gained insight into the skills and attributes needed to become a paediatric radiologist. I experienced the workload and engaged in cases, which helped my understanding of paediatric radiology. By working and interacting with allied health professionals, I became aware of the challenges they face. As a consequence, my communication skills with health professionals in radiology improved. My decision to choose radiology for specialist run-through training during the recent Medical Training Application Service process was positively influenced by this taster, especially given my limited experience in radiology.