HealthManagement, Volume 9 - Issue 3, 2009

How We Do it

To qualify as a radiology student in Poland, each candidate submits an application for specialisation in radiology and imaging diagnostics to the Regional Centre for Public Health in the region in which he/she intends to go into specialisation training. Submission of applications takes place twice a year. The procedure comprises formal evaluation of the application and competition procedure that takes place, for both prospective residents and non-residents, after their completion of postgraduate medical training, in two stages: a test in general medical knowledge and an interview by the committee appointed by the relevant province governor presided by the regional consultant.


Specialisation & Radiology in Poland

On the basis of the results of these procedures, ranking lists of qualified doctors are established. Qualified doctors are referred to vacant training places in authorised centres. Specialisation may be carried out:
• At the resident's job, based on an employment contract of a limited duration concluded with the centre providing specialisation training (a resident's job is financed by the Ministry of Health);
• In a job based on an employment contract of an unlimited duration or of a limited duration equal to the duration of the specialisation training, concluded with the centre providing the specialisation training;
• During training leave granted by the employer for the period of specialisation training (the doctor's employer grants a training leave for the period of the specialisation training provided by the specialisation centre);
• Within doctoral studies provided by a competent centre (the doctoral studies are extended by the specialisation programme);
• In a job based on an employment contract of an unlimited duration concluded with a centre not entered in the list of centres providing specialisation training and during the training leave granted by the employer for the realisation of part of the programme in a training centre, or
• On the basis of a civil contract.


Within the application, the doctor may select a centre that has a vacant training place that would provide training for him and present a preliminary approval of the head of that centre. Doctors qualified for training receive a referral to authorised centres to provide specialisation training in radiology and imaging diagnostics, a specialisation booklet and a list of medical procedures. The doctor selects a specialisation supervisor from among its specialists in radiology and imaging diagnostics proposed by the head of the centre to which he was referred.


The duration of training is five years for doctors immediately after postgraduate medical training and may be prolonged by the supervisor. During the five years' period it is necessary to complete the following practical training courses:
• A course in general radiology (including a minimum of six months of CT and eight months of ultrasound) - 2.5 years;
• A course in paediatric radiology - six months;
• A course in vascular and interventional radiology - five months;
• A course in oncological radiology - one month;
• A course in MRI diagnostics - five months;
• A course in the breast diagnostics - three months;
• A course in nuclear medicine - one month and,
• An additional period at the disposal of the supervisor.


The Examination Process

Prior to sitting for the exam, each doctor submits his specialisation documents to the competent centre, within 12 months of the date of the recognition of the completion of training by the supervisor. The exam takes place twice a year and is composed of two stages:
Stage One: A multiple-choice test composed of 120 questions. A passing grade is a condition of taking the second stage of the exam. Stage Two: This takes place in selected radiological centres at the same time. It is composed of three parts, and passing one stage is the condition of taking the subsequent one.
Part I - A practical exam in US - the doctor should show the ability to perform an US examination.
Part II - The evaluation of clinical cases. Each doctor evaluates 40 cases presented on a computer monitor. The sets of examination cases are composed of a clinical description and 1 - 3 radiological pictures.
Part III - An oral exam during which three questions must be answered. Kindly reprinted with permission from Polish Medical Society of Radiology

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