TL;DR
- A radiologist is a doctor who specialises in radiology: using medical images such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET to diagnose, treat and manage disease. In the UK the specialty is called clinical radiology, and its practitioners are consultants and trainees, not the radiographers who take the images.
- The job has six duties: choose the right imaging for the patient, interpret the images and report, perform interventional procedures, protect patients from unnecessary radiation, guide the multidisciplinary team, and teach, audit and research. Interventional radiology is the specialty's only sub-specialty in the UK.
- The route is medical school, the two-year foundation programme and a minimum of five years of specialty training. The NHS asks for communication, emotional resilience, teamwork and leadership, diagnostic problem solving, organisation and decision making.
Almost every serious diagnosis in a modern hospital passes through an image, and almost every image passes through a radiologist. The scan is taken by one professional and read by another, and the difference between the two is one of the most common confusions in healthcare job adverts.
This radiologist job description explains what a radiologist does, sets out six duties, separates the radiologist from the radiographer, describes the UK training route, lists the skills the NHS asks for and gives a job description template.
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What is a radiologist?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a radiologist simply as “a person who specializes in radiology”. In practice a radiologist is a doctor. NHS Health Careers' page on clinical radiology, the UK name for the specialty, says: “Clinical radiologists use images to diagnose, treat and manage medical conditions and diseases.” It describes the job as examining “the anatomy, pathology and clinical history of a patient as well as their previous images to select the most appropriate technique for diagnosis while minimising a patient's exposure to radiation”.
The imaging techniques the NHS lists include X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography coupled with CT or MRI, fluoroscopy, molecular imaging and nuclear medicine techniques. The NHS also describes the specialty's minimally invasive side, interventional radiology, with procedures such as angioplasty, angiography, stents, biliary drainage, needle biopsy and the treatment of internal bleeding by injecting a clotting substance.
Radiologist vs radiographer
The two titles are confused so often that the distinction belongs near the top of any job description.
| Role | Who they are | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologist | A doctor who has specialised in clinical radiology | Decides on the imaging, interprets the images, reports the findings and performs interventional procedures |
| Radiographer | A registered healthcare professional with a radiography degree | Operates the equipment, positions and cares for the patient and acquires the images |
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a radiographer as “a person who operates a machine that uses radiation”, and Prospects describes the diagnostic radiographer as someone who will “work in a range of hospital departments, acquiring images to help with the diagnosis of illnesses and injuries”, and notes that with experience radiographers may also contribute to interpreting images and helping with interventional procedures. The NHS says the radiologist will “form a close-knit team with radiographers”. An advert for one must not describe the other.
Radiologist duties and responsibilities: six duties
- Choose the right imaging for the patient. Review the clinical history, the question being asked and any previous images, and select the technique that will answer it, in the NHS's words, “while minimising a patient's exposure to radiation”.
- Interpret the images and report. Read the images, reach a diagnosis or a differential, and issue a clear, timely written report that the referring clinician can act on.
- Perform interventional procedures. Where trained, carry out image-guided procedures such as biopsies, drainage, angioplasty and stenting, and manage the patient before and after.
- Protect patients from unnecessary radiation. Justify each examination, apply the radiation protection rules and challenge requests that would expose a patient without benefit.
- Guide the multidisciplinary team. Present at multidisciplinary meetings, advise clinicians on what imaging can and cannot show, and, in the NHS's words, “collaborate with and guide colleagues as part of a wider multidisciplinary team”.
- Teach, audit and research. Train radiology trainees and radiographers, audit the department's reporting and outcomes, and contribute to research and service development.
The NHS notes that interventional radiology is the only sub-specialty formally available in UK clinical radiology, although radiologists commonly develop special interests in areas such as musculoskeletal, neurological, paediatric or breast imaging.
Training and the route in
The route in the UK, as NHS Health Careers sets it out, begins with medical school: typically excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for the five-year undergraduate degree, or a four-year postgraduate degree for those who already have a degree, with an interview and admissions test. After medical school comes the two-year foundation programme of placements in different settings, and then paid specialty training in clinical radiology, which the NHS says “will take a minimum of five years” and may be taken part time in some circumstances. Completion leads to consultant posts. The professional body for the specialty in the UK is the Royal College of Radiologists.
Other countries have their own routes and licensing, and a radiologist moving between countries should expect to have their qualifications assessed. This is general information, not professional or regulatory advice.
Skills the NHS asks for
NHS Health Careers lists the must-have skills for a clinical radiologist:
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families;
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure;
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams;
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills;
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills;
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients.
To that list, employers writing a job description usually add the specific imaging and interventional competencies the post needs, experience of the department's systems, and a commitment to teaching and audit.
Radiologist job description template
Adapt the special interests, the on-call commitment and the systems to the department. Consultant posts in the NHS follow national terms and job planning; this template is the description, not the contract.
Job title: Consultant radiologist [with a special interest in ...]
Reports to: Clinical director, radiology
Sessions: [Number] programmed activities a week, including [on-call rota]
Purpose of the role: To provide a high-quality diagnostic and [interventional] radiology service to the trust's patients, to guide clinical colleagues on imaging and to contribute to the department's teaching, audit, research and development.
Main duties:
- Justify, protocol and report [CT, MRI, ultrasound, plain film and other] examinations to agreed turnaround times
- Perform [interventional and image-guided procedures] within the scope of the post
- Apply radiation protection principles and challenge unjustified requests
- Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings for [specialties, such as paediatrics]
- Supervise and teach radiology trainees and radiographers, and support advanced practice
- Take part in clinical governance, audit, appraisal and revalidation, and contribute to service development
Qualifications and experience:
- Full registration and a licence to practise with the medical regulator, and entry on the specialist register for clinical radiology or eligibility within six months
- Fellowship of the professional body for radiology or equivalent
- Experience and competence in [special interest or interventional techniques]
- Evidence of teaching, audit and, where applicable, research
- The communication, resilience, teamwork and decision-making skills the specialty requires
The department provides: [Equipment and systems], job planning, study leave and support for continuing professional development, and a mentor for new consultants.
For the layout of the whole document, use our job description template. For the nursing colleagues who work alongside radiology on the wards, see our registered nurse job description.
Common mistakes in radiologist adverts
Radiologist when you mean radiographer. The most common mistake in imaging adverts, and it wastes everyone's time.
No special interest stated. A general post and a neuroradiology post attract different candidates. Say which.
On-call hidden. The rota and the interventional commitment belong in the first paragraph.
Nothing on the systems and the kit. Scanners, reporting systems and home reporting arrangements shape the job.
Frequently asked questions
What are the duties and responsibilities of a radiologist?
A radiologist chooses the most appropriate imaging for each patient while minimising radiation exposure, interprets the images and issues reports, performs interventional and image-guided procedures where trained, applies radiation protection, guides the multidisciplinary team on imaging, and teaches, audits and researches.
What is the difference between a radiologist and a radiographer?
A radiologist is a doctor who has specialised in clinical radiology and who decides on, interprets and reports imaging and performs interventional procedures. A radiographer is a registered healthcare professional with a radiography degree who operates the equipment, cares for the patient and acquires the images. They work as a close team.
How long does it take to become a radiologist in the UK?
Medical school takes five years, or four for a postgraduate entrant, followed by the two-year foundation programme and specialty training in clinical radiology of a minimum of five years, according to NHS Health Careers. Specialty training may be taken part time in some circumstances.
What skills does a radiologist need?
NHS Health Careers lists excellent communication, emotional resilience and calm under pressure, teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams, problem-solving and diagnostic skills, organisational ability and decision making, and first-class time and resource management.
What is interventional radiology?
Interventional radiology is the minimally invasive side of the specialty, using imaging to guide procedures such as angioplasty, angiography, stenting, biliary drainage, needle biopsy and the treatment of internal bleeding. NHS Health Careers says it is the only sub-specialty formally available in UK clinical radiology.
What should a radiologist job description include?
The special interest or interventional scope, the sessions and the on-call rota, the six duties from justification to teaching, the multidisciplinary meetings covered, the systems and equipment, the registration and fellowship required, and the department's support for development and appraisal.
Your next step: write the imaging into the advert
- State whether the post is diagnostic, interventional or both, and the special interest.
- Put the sessions and the on-call rota in the first paragraph.
- Name the scanners, the reporting systems and the multidisciplinary meetings.
- Check the title: radiologist reads, radiographer acquires.
A new consultant's first months should cover the systems, the rota and the team. Read and download our employee onboarding guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.
Want appraisal evidence, objectives and development in one place for every clinician in the department? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current appraisal process. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.
