The following list of example questions are typical of those asked at Radiology ST1 interviews
Alternatively, view the list of practice questions below. We have grouped the questions under 4 different headings:
Achievements
- Describe audit?
- Why do radiologists need to do audit?
- Describe your best audit and why?
- How would you plan an audit?
- Describe an audit cycle?
- What is a good audit?
- What problems are encountered in audit?
- If you were to design an audit how would you approach it? Talk me through the stages.
- Critically appraise this audit (you are handed an audit).
- What’s the difference between audit and research?
- Is research important in radiology?
- What research methods do you know? Explain them.
- What is your research experience?
- How would you plan a radiology research project?
- What is the value of doing research as an SPR?
- Talk us through your research.
- Who works in the radiology department?
- How would you organise the radiology department?
- What is teamwork? How can we promote it?
- Is clinical governance important in radiology?
- What do you think of risk management?
- Tell us about your presentations.
- Any awards?
- Describe your teaching experience?
- As a radiologist whom should we teach?
- Describe your preferred teaching method and explain why?
- What would you like to teach junior doctors and why?
- Tell us about a recent radiology journal you have read? What was its impact factor?
Abilities
- A clinician asks for an inappropriate investigation. How do you handle this situation?
- You are alone on your first on-call and need help. What do you do?
- What referral pathways are you aware of?
- Explain the 10-day rule.
- Explain the 28-day rule.
- What are the abnormalities on …..?
- Prioritise these scans.
- Discuss this scan and why you chose it.
- Comment on this PET-CT report. What improvements would you suggest?
- What do you think about the structure of this report?
- Do you know of any guidelines on how to deliver an effective radiology report?
- What is your understanding of CT scanning?
- What is your understanding of MRI?
- Explain how X-ray works?
- Explain how Ultrasound works?
- Why has this patient had this type of scan?
- Do you know why we use contrast?
- What further scan or radiological procedure would you like to do next?
- After reviewing this scan what would you immediately do next? Who would you contact?
- You see a patient and perform an Ultrasound. It shows liver metastasis and the patient is asking if the scan is normal. How do you handle this situation? Explain your reasons why.
- You scanned a patient for ?gallstones and found cholecystitis and an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). How would you proceed?
- A pregnant lady had been exposed to radiation and she is now upset and concerned. How do you handle this situation?
- A patient has been administered 3 x dose of radioactive agent during a nuclear medicine scan. How would you proceed?
- A patient with learning difficulties requires a CT scan. How would you handle this?
- Patient A had a CT scan that was meant for patient B. Patient B had an Ultrasound scan that was meant for patient A. How do you handle this situation?
- A nurse would like to discuss her father’s scan results. How would you proceed?
- A colleague would like you to report their father’s MRI scan. How would you proceed?
- A confused patient needs a drain. A completed consent form is with the patient. What would you do?
- What would you do if a patient were refusing an investigation? Have you dealt with a similar situation in your training?
- What role does imaging have in an elderly confused patient?
- How would you investigate a child with a limp? How would you investigate a child with a painful hip?
- You are having difficulty with a radiology colleague. What do you do?
- A fellow doctor/ your consultant comes into work drunk. What do you do?
- You are delivering a teaching session and a junior foundation doctor arrives 15 minutes late with a cup of coffee. How do you handle this situation?
- You are continually asked to report after hours and asked not to declare this on the hours monitoring. What would you do?
- You report a plain radiograph and notice a solitary lesion in the lung. The previous radiograph, which was reported a few months ago by your consultant, was suggestive of a mass, however no action was taken. How would you proceed?
- You have an unkempt colleague who dresses in jeans to work. How would you approach this situation?
Aspirations
- Why Radiology?
- Why have you decided to change from your chosen career path?
- What is it about your current job you do not like?
- Is there anything you would miss coming from a different background?
- How has your training so far prepared you for a career in radiology?
- What do you bring to radiology?
- Tell me about your experience so far and how it is related to radiology?
- Tell me about the radiology experience you have?
- What did you learn from your taster experience?
- What branch of radiology are you interested in?
- During your radiology training what other projects do you hope to achieve?
- Other than attaining your CCT what else do you hope to achieve during training?
- Describe an interesting case?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Name two good and two bad aspects about yourself.
- What are the qualities of a good radiologist?
- The NHS is in financial difficulty. What impact would this have on radiology?
- What threats are there to Radiologists?
- Have you got a good idea what a radiologist does?
- How many sessions does a radiologist do? What do they involve?
- What would you do as a first year registrar?
- Have you talked to any radiology trainees / consultants?
- Tell us about a radiologist that has inspired you.
- Recent advances in radiology?
- What were the significant radiological advances in the last 5 / 10 / 50 years?
- What is the future for radiology?
- What changes will there be during your training?
- What challenges face radiology?
- What are the difficulties that radiologists face?
- Are you aware of any innovations in radiology?
- What do you think of 24/7 radiology?
- How do you think ‘any willing provider’ has affected radiology?
- What do you think of outsourcing / teleradiology?
- What is your understanding of a radiology academy?
- Do you agree radiographers should have an extended role?
- What are your opinions on non-radiologists performing procedures?
- What do you know about skills mix? Advantages / Disadvantages.
- Are you aware of any guidelines in radiology?
- Which organisations produce guidelines?
- How does defensive practice affect imaging?
- Have you noticed a conflict between radiology and surgery?
- Tell me about the radiology examination process. Where did you get this information?
- Tell me about the training structure.
- Tell me about the role of workplace based assessments in radiology training?
- How do you assess a radiology trainee?
- Tell me about the IRMER regulations.
- How do you feel current changes in healthcare will affect radiology?
- Is clinical governance important in radiology?
- Have you seen a report get changed at some point?
- What is the purpose of discrepancy meetings?
- Do you think discrepancy meetings are useful? How do patients benefit?
- Explain the role of the radiologist in the MDT?
- How do you handle stress?
- How do you de-stress?
- What is your understanding of the EWTD and its implications in radiology?
- Are communication skills important in radiology?
- Do you think foundation year 2 (FY2) doctors should apply for radiology? Advantages / Disadvantages.
Portfolio
- Please direct me to your greatest achievement. Explain why?
- Please show me the item you are most proud of.
- What is your best achievement and why?
- Please show me evidence of teaching. Do you have any feedback? How do you use feedback?
- What have you learnt from this course? Have you reflected on this teaching?
- How would you improve your teaching methods?
- What taster experience have you done?
- Do you have evidence of a taster week?
- Did do an elective in radiology?
- What presentations have you done?
- Do you have any publications?
- Please guide me through your assessments. 360 appraisal, MSF etc…
- Direct me through your research / audit experience.
- Do you have any postgraduate exams?
- Why have you not done any postgraduate exams?
- Why have you done these exams MRCS/MRCP?