Welcome to the Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists
The Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, is the Professional and Academic Body for Radiologists in Ireland. It offers specialist training and post graduate examinations in Radiology. The Faculty’s objectives are to advance the science, art and practice of Radiology and its allied sciences and to promote education, study and research in Radiology. The Faculty is made up of Fellows and Members, the President and Vice-President being ex-officio members. The current Dean of the Faculty is Dr Patricia Cunningham.
Faculty Mission Statement
To serve patients and society by working with our fellows and members to advance practice, science and professionalism in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, and Radiation Oncology, in Ireland.
About The Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists
The Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists was established by Irish radiologists in 1961 to advance the science, art and practice of radiology and its allied sciences, and to promote education, study and research in radiology. It supplemented, and to some extent succeeded an earlier body, The Radiological Society of Ireland, which was established in 1931. The Faculty quickly established a structure for training Diagnostic Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists in Ireland. The first year is devoted predominantly to the study of anatomy, physics, radiography and theoretical subjects, in addition to practical experience. The remaining years are devoted to formal study of a radiology curriculum including subspecialty sections, with regular assessments by the Faculty and documentation with formal logbooks. A fifth year of training, involving sub-specialisation, is then available. Most Irish-trained Radiologists also undertake further Fellowship training overseas following completion of this programme, before many return to work in Ireland. Part I (1 year after commencing training) and Part II (at least 3.5 years after commencing training) Fellowship examinations are conducted with the assistance of external examiners, leading to the formally-recognised postgraduate qualification of Fellowship of the Faculty of Radiologists of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFRRCSI). Specialist registration is awarded, after five years of approved training, by the Irish Medical Council on the advice of the Faculty.
The Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists conducts several annual scientific meetings, the Annual Scientific Meeting in Dublin (usually in September), the Combined Spring Meeting which takes place in different venues around the country (usually in March/April), the Irish MR Imaging Meeting (IMRIM) which takes place in January each year and the Irish Society of Neuroradiology Meeting which rotates between Belfast and Dublin. The Faculty is the recognised postgraduate training body for Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology in Ireland. The Department of Health recognises the Faculty as the appropriate body to give professional advice on radiology matters through the Medical Council, the National Registration Body. Accreditation of hospitals for radiology and radiation oncology teaching is conducted by the Faculty on a five year cycle and the accreditation team includes experts form North America, the UK and / or Europe. Close relationships with other academic radiology bodies have been developed by many means, including Honorary Fellowships which the Faculty confers annually on distinguished radiology teachers who have assisted the Faculty or its Fellows in their radiological work.
As so many Irish radiologists do part of their training or subsequent work abroad, the Faculty seeks to have its programmes accredited as fully as possible with other national radiological societies. The prestige of radiology is high in Irish medicine. Diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology are central to the delivery of care to patients in the hospital and community settings, and the Faculty is continually engaged with the HSE (Health Service Executive) in efforts to optimise access to and quality of radiology services. As in many areas in healthcare, resources are limited, and increasing demands can prove challenging. The Faculty is committed to doing everything within its power to provide the best possible services to the greatest number possible; part of the Faculty’s role in this is to advocate for provision of proper resources (including staff numbers) to ensure timely, safe, quality-assured delivery of radiology services. Subspecialty diagnostic radiology groups in Ireland are generally affiliated with the Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists. The Faculty endeavours to assist the subspecialty groups by offering academic and organisational facilities. From May 1st 2011, all doctors registered in Ireland are subject to the requirements of Part 11 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 (MPA 2007). This places a statutory obligation on all registered medical practitioners to participate and engage in continuous professional development and indicate maintenance of standards of professional competence. As the body accredited by the Medical Council for Radiology and Radiation Oncology, the Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists is formally recognised by the Irish Medical Council (IMC) to administer a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) for Radiology and Radiation Oncology. Participation by Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists in the PCS is a legal requirement from May 1st, 2011.
Further information on PCS is available here: Professsional Competence Scheme
For a history of Radiology in general, this booklet, produced by the European Society of Radiology, is very informative:The Story of Radiology
For a history of Radiology in Ireland, please click on the following link:http://www.radiology.ie/about/faculty-history/