Radiology training in Australia and New Zealand

Radiology training in Australia and New Zealand is a five year program overseen by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR).

Radiology training can commence after two years of working as a junior medical officer (intern and resident medical officer) in an approved hospital. 

There are accredited training sites in each state and territory in Australia, as well as throughout New Zealand and in Singapore, with varied selection processes. 

Structure

The training program consists of three phases:

Phase 1: typically first year of training

• competencies: radiography attachment (1 week), report writing module, key conditions assessment (by 6 months of training)

• research: 2 critically appraised topics (CATs), research project proposal

• examinations: anatomy and applied imaging technology written examinations

Phase 2: typically second to fourth years of training

• Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) Australian Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori Cultural competence and cultural safety online module

• attachments: nuclear medicine (4 weeks), breast (8 weeks), obstetrics and gynecology (8 weeks), pediatrics (12 weeks), and procedural radiology (12 weeks)

• research: 2 critically appraised topics (CATs), Monash University basic radiology research methods online course

• examinations: pathology and clinical radiology written examinations, objective structured clinical examination in radiology (OSCER) oral examinations

Phase 3: typically fifth year of training

• subspecialty rotations

• research: 2 critically appraised topics (CATs), research project (manuscript and oral presentation)

• all experiential training requirements and work-based assessments to be completed (see below)

The time spent in each phase is variable and dependent on individual trainee progress. Upon completion of the training program, trainees are awarded the certification of a Fellow of the College (FRANZCR).

Assessments

In addition to the RANZCR examinations, a variety of other assessments are required to be completed over the course of the training program. These include:

• experiential training requirements

  • by the end of Phase 3, trainees must have completed:

    • 10,000 x-rays (including 300 pediatric)

    • 5000 CTs (including 50 pediatric, 20 CT colonography and 50 CT cardiac angiography)

    • 750 MRIs (including 20 breast and 50 pediatric)

    • 200 nuclear medicine studies (including 50 PET studies)

    • 50 bone mineral density studies

    • 600 mammograms (500 screening and 100 diagnostic)

    • 100 breast ultrasounds

• work-based assessments

  • by the end of Phase 1, trainees must have performed:

    • 50 general ultrasounds

  • by the end of Phase 3, trainees must have performed:

    • 10 reporting assessments every 6 months

    • 100 specialized ultrasounds (50 pediatric and 50 obstetrics and gynecology)

    • 35 fluoroscopic procedures (25 general and 10 pediatric)

    • 100 procedural assessments (including 10 breast)

    • 50 multidisciplinary meetings (including 15 with a pathologist present)

• critically appraised topic (CAT)

  • trainees complete a critically appraised review of an article surrounding a clinical scenario using the PICO format, and presents this for assessment

• research project

  • trainees create a primary research, audit, or systematic review manuscript for publication by a radiology journal (of impact factor >1), then present their research project at a local network or branch meeting

• director of training (DoT) review

  • trainees perform one review with their director of training every 6 months to ensure they are on track with their assessments and to discuss any concerns

• multisource feedback (MSF) assessment

  • trainees complete one assessment for every phase of training: the MSF assessment reviews a trainee's performance within the department through 8 staff members from a variety of roles (radiologists, registrars, radiographers, sonographers, nurses, administration staff, etc.)

• trainee assessment of training sites (TATS)

  • trainees critique their home and rotation sites every 6 months to enable the college to address any issues at a systemic level

NB: Details are correct at the time of writing. Please check with RANZCR for updated details.