TPD
Dr Neshe Sriskandan
Subspecialties offered
GSTT offers a wide range of specialty training including Breast (symptomatic), Chest, Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, Gynaecology, Head & Neck, Neurology, Interventional Radiology (Vascular & Non-vascular), Musculoskeletal, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Paediatrics. Training in acute radiology occurs throughout the 5 years.
Hospitals rotated through
Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital, Evelina London Hospital, Lewisham Hospital (DGH), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (DGH), King’s College Hospital
Overview of Core Training (ST1-3)
ST1s will rotate through mainly modality-based blocks (fluoroscopy, CT, US) with a 2- month attachment to Lewisham hospital. Each block is closely supervised to ensure a good foundation for specialty blocks in subsequent years. ST2-3s will rotate through core specialty blocks which aim to cover the core curriculum as outlined by RCR. There will be opportunities to spend some time at King’s College Hospital during the neurology block, and the breast rotation may include 2 days per week at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital for some trainees during their breast block. The paediatric block is undertaken at Evelina London Hospital, which is on the St. Thomas’ site.
Overview of Specialty Training (ST4-5)
Subspecialty training is predominantly undertaken at Guy’s Hospital or St Thomas’ Hospital depending on chosen subspecialty. Trainee’s rota will be discussed and agreed with their clinical supervisor to ensure they attend the relevant training sessions and MDMs to meet the expected competencies over the two-year period.
Interventional Radiology training runs from ST4-6, with a separate on-call rota in ST5 and 6.
On Call Commitments
GSTT has a busy on-call rota covering Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Evelina Hospitals.
ST1s: Shadow on-call 1 in 6 weekends (11am-7pm).
ST2: 1 in 6 weekday evenings (5-9pm) and 1 in 5 weekends (11am-7pm).
ST3 and above: on calls include twilights (5-11pm), weekends (9am-5pm/1-9pm) and nights (9pm-9am).
The on-call rotas are fully compliant with the Junior Doctors contract. There are separate consultants covering on-call for General Radiology, Paediatric Radiology, Neuroradiology and IR. There is additional consultant presence in the evenings to cover the busy CT lists.
Local Teaching
In addition to regional teaching, GSTT has an in-house weekly teaching rota which aims to cover topics requested by registrars. These occur at 8.30am and 1.15pm across both sites for pre-FRCR registrars.
ST1s have separate teaching sessions for anatomy and physics, offered prior to the FRCR Part 1 exams. The new Ultrasound Academy also aims to give ST1s more small-group hands-on opportunities to practice their US skills using the simulation kit and through practical sessions. Other departmental teaching include the Audit meeting, and Radiology Events and Learning (REAL) meeting.
Other information
We are a large training scheme in Central London with over 35 trainees and 72 enthusiastic diagnostic and interventional radiology consultants to support trainees’ education needs. We have an inclusive department to support all trainees over the 5 years of training. There is traditionally a high first-time pass rate for the FRCR exams, with many trainees successfully obtaining their fellowship/consultant job of choice after CCT.
As a Foundation trust, GSTT provides a full range of hospital services for our local communities, allowing us work through a wide range of specialties. We have one of the largest critical care units in the UK, and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. We take pride in our role within a busy hospital, and are committed to developing our services to best suit the needs of our patients. As a tertiary centre, we also provide specialist services for patients from further afield, and the department is heavily involved in the relevant MDMs. The breadth and complexity of cases is such that there is ample opportunity to develop and hone radiological skills within a highly supportive environment.
Furthermore, as a large teaching hospital, there will also be opportunities to be involved in research and education through our affiliation with King’s Health Partners (KHP).