Diagnostic Radiography

Entry Criteria: 2022 Entry

To be eligible for the Diagnostic Radiography BSc programme, you must meet the requirements outlined under Entry Qualifications, Other Academic Requirements, and Non-academic Requirements below.

Entry Qualifications

With the exception of GCSEs, all qualifications must have been completed within the previous five years, including the year of application.

Other Academic Requirements

Non-academic Requirements

The time on the programme is split approximately 50/50 between university based learning and clinical placements.

Year 1

In year 1, you will be introduced to the principles, practice and science behind radiographic imaging, focusing on imaging relating to the thorax and appendicular skeleton (bones that support the appendages), including the pelvis, shoulder and abdomen. You’ll gain a foundation of biological knowledge suitable for health and illness, including the anatomy of human systems, their fundamental physiological mechanisms and responses to infection or tissue injury.

You’ll start to develop a range of essential patient skills, such as maintaining dignity and confidentiality, developing effective observational and communication skills, learning to appreciate cultural and ethical issues, as well as health and safety, such as infection control procedures. Our Essentials for Allied Health Professionals module brings together students on physiotherapy, occupational therapy and medicine courses to work together, so you can begin to appreciate the concept of multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Year 3

In the final year, the focus is on integrating your knowledge and practice skills, as well as expanding your interprofessional learning opportunities. You will consider contemporary issues, service improvement and policy changes impacting the medical imaging field, including the effect on service users, practitioners and other stakeholders. You will undertake and publish research, which could take the form of a systematic literature review in relation to specific imaging methods or a specific illness. Previous students have focused on imaging used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or strokes in paediatrics, for example, while another considered whether cross-sectional imaging could replace invasive post-mortem examinations. Alternatively, you could conduct more investigative research using questionnaires to collect data, which one of our past students did to evaluate the accuracy of the radiographer abnormality detection system – ‘Red Dot’ – in comparison to a traditional radiologist report.

You will be ready to graduate with the full attributes, skills and knowledge required of a diagnostic radiographer in a changing healthcare environment at home and overseas.

This degree is designed to prepare you personally and professionally to become a confident, competent and caring diagnostic radiographer, capable of using effective judgment, problem solving and with outstanding communication skills.

Covering the biological, physical, sociological and psychological sciences associated with radiography and essential skills for practice, it is designed to provide broad experience in diagnosing and assessing patients with a variety of problems, disorders and injuries.

Teaching methods include work experience in a practice placement setting, lectures, seminars, peer-assisted learning, case-based learning, problem based learning and simulated practical experience. In hands-on practice sessions in St George’s professional imaging simulation suite, you’ll undertake a range of radiographic examinations, deepen your understanding of when to adapt techniques and evaluate images critically to interpret the presence or absence of trauma or disease.  

During case-based learning in small groups, you’ll be given a case scenario and discuss the different options and possible outcomes decisions taken during the case, such as the options facing a GP whose male patient tests positive for a sexually transmitted disease and whose wife should be ideally be tested, but the patient discloses it may be the result of an extramarital affair.

We pay particular attention to developing your practical skills, so you’ll spend time practising how to use the equipment on other students and mannequins, building your confidence when speaking to patients who may be in pain and required to stay in a position that might not be comfortable.

While the St George’s programmes are recognised by many different countries, applicants are advised to check with their own individual national authorities if they wish to practise in their chosen country.

With an ongoing national shortage of skilled radiographers in both the UK and overseas, career prospects are excellent and we encourage you to prepare for your career from day one.

Careers advice and skills for employability are embedded into our teaching. For example, we always try to incorporate real-life scenarios into our teaching to make it more interesting and relevant. We also draw on our own professional experiences to give you examples of what to expect.  

On graduation, you will be eligible to register with the HCPC and apply for membership with the SoR. You’ll have developed high standards of patient care and gained substantial expertise using a wide range of sophisticated equipment, such as X-ray, ultrasound and CT and MRI scanning.

Radiographers work within the NHS and private sectors as part of a multidisciplinary team with options to specialise and advance in different areas, such as paediatrics, orthopaedics, trauma, accident and emergency, or in fields like ultrasound, CT scanning, image reporting, forensics, teaching, management or equipment.

Alternatively, you may choose to study at postgraduate certificate, diploma and Master’s level at St George’s. Modules can be studied as standalone or as part of a full MSc.

Facilities

St George’s is the only UK university based on a hospital site, St George’s Hospital, which is where the Channel 4 television series 24 hours in A&E is filmed. We offer a unique opportunity to study and work alongside the full range of clinical professionals and their patients. Based in the thriving multi-cultural hub of Tooting in South West London, our location has the added advantage of being just a short tube ride from Central London and all the city lifestyle has to offer.

The Radiology Department provides comprehensive and extensive diagnostic and interventional radiological services – X-Ray, CT scanning, MRI, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine and ultrasound, as well as 24/7 emergency services as part of the St George’s Hospital Trauma Centre.

We also have a range of specialist health and academic facilities to support your learning, listed below.

Imaging simulation suite

Our £1.8 million simulation facilities include two fully functioning ceiling-suspended X-ray tubes, four ultrasound machines, a mobile C-arm X-ray machine and mobile image intensifier, digital (DR) and computed (CR) radiography systems and picture archiving and communication system (PACS). You can familiarise yourself with and practise using all of the different equipment available in a safe, supervised environment. This enables you to get a real feel for how to manoeuvre the different parts and components of the machines, as well as practise patient positioning, imaging techniques and communication skills, both on mannequins and also safely on each other.

Dissection room

The dissection room is where present and future healthcare professionals and scientists in the hospital and University learn or refresh their anatomy knowledge directly from the human body, through access to cadaveric material and models, and plastinated (preserved) specimens. 

Pathology museum

Our on-site museum houses a collection of over 2,000 pathological specimens, including a number of original specimens donated by Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie in 1843. This space is used for small group tutorials by students across all of our courses as an educational tool to help you understand the mechanisms of disease.

Library and learning technology

Our modern health sciences library offers a wide range of books, e-books, academic journals and other resources to support you. You will also have access to online resources, such as the Canvas virtual learning environment

and our Hunter discovery service to help you find the information you need. The library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and comprises silent, quiet and group learning areas, as well as four group discussion rooms.

IT facilities

We have five computer suites housing 260 workstations. Three of these suites are accessible 24 hours a day. It’s easy to find a free space with our handy real-time computer locator. We also have 75 self-service laptops available. Free Wi-Fi covers the whole campus, including all accommodation. You can use these resources to access your course materials, discussion boards and feedback through Canvas.

Apply for this course through UCAS (the University and College Admissions Service) by 15 January in the year of entry. There are no upper age limits, so we welcome applications from mature students.

Covid-19 safety guidelines

1. Get your shot 
• Get vaccinated as soon as you can to protect yourself and others.
• Vaccinations services are available in the Atkinson Morley Wing of St George's hospital.
2. Wear a mask
• Use a face covering when in communal or crowded areas to protect our community.
• Type II masks are required on campus and available on site.
3. Make space
• Keep your distance when possible to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
4. Take a test
• Get tested twice a week to keep our community safe.
• LFD test kits are available from the University reception Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. 

Our priority is to keep our students and staff safe and support their wellbeing, while protecting our community from the risks of Covid-19 on our site, based inside a hospital. We have listened to feedback and preferences from our student community about St George’s as a place to study. 

We won’t be making any significant changes to the content of our programmes, but there will be some changes to the way they are delivered. Please see below for further details of how this may affect this course. 

If government advice changes, we may need to update our plans, but our approach is designed to make it possible to continue with much of the on-campus teaching planned. If we do need to make changes, we will update this information, and will keep current students and offer holders informed by email. 

We will also continue to update our frequently asked questions page for applicants and offer holders and current students as more information becomes available.