Any consultants about that can tell me about the CCT please?

[christinarossetti19]

Just that really, in regards to a job interview.

Thanks!

The Royal College of Radiologists works for its fellows and members, all of whom are either oncologists, clinical radiologists or interventional radiologists. The majority of them will be clinical radiologists so I have no idea why the above poster omitted that. The RCR has roles in leadership, education, training and support for its members and fellows at every point in their career, from the moment they start their specialty training (usually 2-5 years after graduating from medical school) right through to retirement.

CCT is a certificate of completion of training. It involves a demanding series of summative and formative assessments over a period of 5 to 10 (or more) years, including assessments of practical skills by supervising consultants, demanding postgraduate exams, and ongoing clinical assessments to ensure that doctors are maintaining the highest levels of care.

OP all of this is available online and I think that if you are serious about working for the RCR then you really need to speak to a radiologist or an oncologist and ideally someone who has worked with the college.

But CCT is more than the exams. I have passed membership exams in a field other than my own. However, I haven't got a CCT in that field as I don't have the multiple years of experience and work based assessments in that field. This is not massively uncommon (especially for those in other fields to have passed the general physician exams).

I am not a doctor but have a few medical family members, and I have picked up a lot from them over the years. I think you really need to at least speak to a doctor, ideally one who is in the RCR, about all of this.

@TwoUnderTwitTwoo I couldn't initially see clinical radiologists which confused me- it's a weird website IMO. #notaradiologist

OP, I’m not a radiologist but this is right on the RCR website:

https://www.rcr.ac.uk/exams-training/specialty-training/clinical-radiology-curriculum/assessment-radiology/

https://www.rcr.ac.uk/media/bhxirdkk/rcr-curriculum_interventional-radiology-arcrp-decision-aid-and-progression-grids.pdf

My husband used to be a doctor so I just ask him about this stuff, but he wasn’t a radiologist either. I quite fancy applying for the job now. Do they allow WFH?!

Oncologists and Radiologists have quite different training pathways.
Oncologists will often have done Core Training in Medicine and then from
ST3 specialise in Oncology sitting an exam that is mandatory to pass in order to gain CCT.

Radiologists may have done other specialities such as medical or surgical specialties as core training before sitting FRCR as part of their radiology CCT.

Do you understand why the two specialties are linked or the difference between medical and clinical oncology?

Not quite. Each specialty has its own training programmes, within which there are subspecialty programmes.

A rough guide for a medical school graduate going into a non-GP 'run-through' specialty and not doing anything else along the way would be:
2 years in the Foundation Training Programme. Satisfactory completion of this depends on attainment of competencies and workplace based assessments including being observed doing procedures, case presentations, being observed assessing and treating patients, etc.
Competitive entry to training.
6 (sometimes more) years in 'run-through' training, during which there are annual reviews of progression, lots of workplace based assessments, College exams.

For a graduate who wants to go into an 'un-coupled' specialty, there's competitive entry to training at the start and then at the stage of 'un-coupling' - so, for example, (using this as I've been helping a trainee with it), in psychiatry, there are 3 years of 'core' specialty training (during which there are exams etc), then trainees have to go through competitive application for 'higher' training in subspecialties, which can be 3 to 5 years long and again have lots of assessments.

In practice, most people take longer than that. Having a competitive application means having additional qualifications (like Masters degrees, early completion of mandatory exams, relevant diplomas), additional skills developed through fellowships or through gaining extra experience in specialty doctor posts or special interest sessions, research experience, etc. Many people choose or need to do College exams 'out of programme' (these need a lot of studying and practice, which is hard enough to fit in if you're just doing your standard work, let alone trying to fit in other life commitments). Maternity leave, sickness absence, etc can all extend training. A lot of people will also train part-time for some of the training programme, either for personal reasons or to do something else work-related alongside it to make themselves more competitive.

Thanks so much to posters for such detailed information. It's exactly what I couldn't work out from just Googling and, yes, the website isn't easy to navigate as an outsider.

It indeed would be great to speak to a radiologist or oncologist who knew the College. Unfortunately, I don't know any doctors personally, hence starting this thread.

Thanks again.