Life as an RHCNZ Fellow

What first attracted you to a fellowship with RHCNZ?  

I wanted to go abroad for a post-training fellowship after completing my radiology training in the UK. Friends who worked for Pacific Radiology (PRG) in Christchurch spoke highly of the teaching focus and flexibility to tailor learning. It sounded like a great professional opportunity in a beautiful country, with plenty of adventures outside work. 
 

What types of experience are you gaining during your fellowship? 

I'm hoping to gain some MSK diagnostic skills, particularly in MRI which can be hard to fully achieve in the UK given the workloads in many acute hospitals. A particular interest is sports imaging which is offered in abundance at PRG. Whilst I'm here, there is also the opportunity to maintain procedural skills in fluoroscopy, CT and ultrasound. 

 
How do your supervisors guide your learning? 

There’s a strong emphasis on supervision and nurturing fellows. Consultants are approachable and keen to review reports and discuss image interpretation. The flexibility of the role means I can tailor my time to areas I want to develop, while also getting hands-on experience with procedures across different modalities. 

 
Could you make your own decisions around workload? 

The working day is incredibly flexible. I can essentially choose what I want to do within reason. Be it reading out MRI reports with the consultants, performing ultrasound guided procedures or learning how to do spinal based CT guided injections. In order to keep my general skills sharp, I also take occasional associated sessions to report acute x-ray and CT. 

 
What are your plans after you graduate from the fellowship? 

My wife plans to finish her medical training in the UK, so we’ll likely return to Bristol for a couple of years whilst that's happening. However, our plan was to use the fellowship as a taster to hopefully return to New Zealand in a few years as an established consultant. In the meantime, I'm very keen to keep reporting for PRG remotely.

Would you recommend an RHCNZ Fellowship to others in your fields? If so, why and what advice would you give to them? 

Yes absolutely, I think it’s hard to beat the amount of MRI exposure you get here as well as the focus on self-directed learning. It’s also a great opportunity to focus on other aspects of the MSK subspecialty such as procedures and ultrasound. 

 
What’s one standout moment or case from your fellowship so far? 

The general friendliness of colleagues here in Christchurch PRG has been outstanding. It can feel very daunting flying your family out to a city on the other side of the world, however I have felt very supported by my job and the people I work with. From the start, I had offers of help and assistance in both the formal and informal settings, which was very lovely. 

 
How are you finding the balance between learning and contributing as a Fellow? 

There has been a very heavy focus on my learning. Having come from the UK, I often feel as though there's a 'catch' as I'm very used to a service provision element to the job (especially if you're being paid). However, here you can be flexible to focus on what you want to learn when you want to learn it. There’s also the option to contribute, and I engage in regular associate sessions to keep my hand in acute reporting and earn a bit of extra money. 

 
What are you hoping to achieve or focus on in the remainder of your fellowship? 

I’m very keen to get stuck in with more MRI reporting, particularly focusing on the spine whilst gradually doing more advanced image guided procedures. 

Find out more about RHCNZ Fellowship Programmes here.