We met Michael Morgan, one of our radiology registrars, to find out more about his role at CUH.
What’s your role in our hospitals?
I am one of the radiology registrars at CUH. Radiologists are involved with the capturing and interpretation of a range of different medical imaging techniques, including ultrasound, x-rays, CTs and MRIs. We also provide image guided biopsies and therapies, such as drainages. Although my role is a training position, there is a large scope for supervised service provision as a registrar.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Definitely the variety of modalities and types of pathways we are involved in as radiologists. We are able to help patients and other clinicians with a huge range of illnesses and no two days feel the same.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey.
I started my radiology training at CUH in August 2020. I recently passed my fellowship exams and am sub-specialising in paediatric radiology. The best part about working at CUH is the access to world class colleagues, both clinical and academic (or both). It is a collaborative environment which makes the steep learning curve of radiology much more enjoyable. We, as registrars, also have access to very specialised imaging techniques and pathologies that you just might not see elsewhere.
The best part about working at CUH is the access to world class colleagues, both clinical and academic (or both). It is a collaborative environment which makes the steep learning curve of radiology much more enjoyable.
What does a usual day look like?
Each day varies, but an example day might start with morning teaching at 8:15. You then may have an ultrasound list from 09:00-13:00, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting over lunch and an afternoon CT reporting session. Interventional trainees may have a dedicated procedure list during one of the sessions.
Tell us about a case study that really stands out to you.
Sometimes children can get a condition called an ‘intussusception’. Its when a portion of bowel ‘telescopes’ into another bit of bowel and gets stuck. This can cause the blood supply to that bit of bowel to become at risk, and if left long enough, die.
Ultrasound is a very good way to diagnose the condition. If picked up early enough, it can be treated with ‘pneumoreduction’. This is a procedure that uses high pressured air to push the bit of stuck bowel back into the normal position. It’s done in tandem with the paediatric surgical team under continuous x-ray guidance, also known as fluoroscopy. It’s fantastic to work collaboratively with our radiographers and surgical colleagues to provide patients with a less invasive procedure.
How do you feel your role benefits our patients
We help patients in a number of ways, from diagnosing surgical emergencies at all hours, to draining deep seated infections or following up a patient with cancer’s responses to treatment. We are involved in many aspects of care in both the primary and secondary setting. As technology advances and AI becomes another tool we can harness, I suspect we will find new and more efficient ways to help care for patients. It really is an exciting time to be a radiology registrar.
As technology advances and AI becomes another tool we can harness, I suspect we will find new and more efficient ways to help care for patients. It really is an exciting time to be a radiology registrar.