With very few jobs available right now and hiring freeze in place, do any of you have any predictions for how the situation will be in a 2-3 years? I'm wondering if I should study radiography and would love any input/advice
Basically, I am a first year radiography student almost at the end of the year. I have 2 exams and 2 essays to resit in August aswell as 4 weeks of placement. I only owe this much time and work back as I thought I was going to drop out in January,didn’t do any work butthen changed my mind and decided to stay.
One of my options is passing all my resits, completing first year and gaining an Exit Award in Diagnostic Imaging, just so I have some sort of qualification, and then dropping out. I think I can become a Radiography Assistant with this diploma if I ever need a job. Or is it really worth pushing through and complete the whole degree? In all honesty, I am mainly only doing this course as a “back up” and safety net. This course is competitive and I feel immensely privileged and ungrateful to be here :( I am not even passionate about radiography and I definitely don’t see myself working fulltime long-term in the future. Maybe for 1 or two years just to have some experience if i do end up qualifying.
Or should I just finish first year and quit, since the state of the job market is abysmal. I keep getting distracted by money and not putting in enough effort into the course as I should be. But i’m also a bit conflicted as I would make more money doing my current job full time for 5 years than I would earn being a full-time radiographer for 23 years. There is no guarantee of a Band 5 job anyway. Even my ambitions of becoming a sonographer were crushed once a Radiographer on placement told me she’s been applying for a training post for seven years and still can’t get in. I am very conflicted and anxious about the future. I don’t worry about money at the moment, since my side hustle earns me a lot of money right now. But it is a job that has high burn out, and not really something, I will be able/want to do in my 40’s and 50. I want to be smart, I do want a safety net for when I am old, but I am unsure if Radiography should be that lifeline.
i have bern qualified going onto 3 years in September and I am yet to find a role. I have been applying and have been getting rejected . i really need help, finding something. what are my chances now there are other more graduates graduating. i have been working as a Teacher assistant
I’m band 6 working in a private hospitality for almost 2 years now and I’m considering speaking to my manager to change to compressed hours. Currently I work Monday to Friday and I’m on call weekends every 4-6 weeks but since last year that on call has become much more regular. And the workload has just become a lot more busy! I’ve noticed that I have a pattern of working hard for weeks and then crashing every 5/6 weeks where I end up taking a sick day off or forcing myself to go in but being miserable the whole day. I don’t know what’s going on with me. But I think perhaps working 3/4 days a week might make it easier as I’ll have 1-2 days a week which might help. I don’t know how to pose it to my manager as we are already understaffed in our department but I don’t think my current work pattern is sustainable for me anymore.
Guys whats the lowest you can get to get into radiography idk why im scared ive only done one a level exam already and i dont want to resit (a levels has traumatised me) i do bio chem and psych. and im applying for 2027
Plus idk what unis to apply to i mainly just want city st georges uni as my firm and ive heard south bank isnt that good (no offence my lovelies) and id rather stay in london but theres not much unis here for radiography which is kinda sad.
Pls help
Hello,
I was just wanting to ask some questions in navigating the different work environment and understanding of your system.
I am a qualified radiographer in New Zealand and have been doing it for about 1.5 years. I am qualified in X-ray and CT. However, in New Zealand, we do not have diagnostic radiographers or do any reporting. I was wondering if this could possibly be a barrier for me getting a job. I am interested in working in the public sector as I prefer the type of work.
Furthermore, I am slightly confused about your pay scales. I was wondering if I could get advice on which band I should be looking at for jobs? Wondering if I would be on a higher band than 5 due to extra modality?
Also, I know that the NHS has been going through a hiring freeze (we are having similar problems). I was wondering on any advice for looking for jobs as an overseas applicant. Maybe any areas that I should be looking for work in? Furthermore, I was wondering with shift rosters whether you make an addition to the normal band scale?
Sorry for a lot of questions, but I would appreciate any answers. I have done some of my own research, but struggled to find any clear answers.
I’m due to qualify as a therapeutic radiographer in May 2026 from a London university, and I wanted to ask for some honest insight. For those who either personally studied therapeutic radiography in the UK, or know someone who did but didn’t secure an NHS Band 5 role after qualifying — what did they go on to do? I’m not being pessimistic; I’m just trying to understand alternative pathways given the current job market. From what I can see, London alone has three universities offering the course (LSBU, St George’s, and City), with roughly 20–30 students per cohort. That means around 60–90 graduates competing annually, not including applicants from outside London who also apply here. At the same time, there are a limited number of radiotherapy centres in London (e.g. Guy’s, UCLH, Barts, Royal Marsden, Mount Vernon, etc.), and based on current NHS Jobs/Trac listings, vacancies seem quite limited. Typically, departments may only recruit one or two Band 5s per cycle. I’m also aware of recent graduates who are still seeking roles due to the level of competition, which makes the situation feel even tighter for upcoming cohorts. Relocation is an option, of course, but even then, opportunities appear competitive nationwide. I’ve also looked into the private sector (e.g. HCA, Genesis, etc), but most roles seem to start at Band 6, making that route less accessible for new graduates.
So I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has navigated this situation — what realistic alternatives are there if an NHS Band 5 post isn’t secured immediately after qualifying?
hi guys i’m an international student who is aiming for the Therapeutic Radiography programme. First, UWE Bristol rejected me but City St George’s, Hertfordshire, Liverpool and Queen Margaret have offered me a place.
I’m planning to put Liverpool as my firm choice and Queen Margaret as my insurance choice. Fyi, Queen Margaret offered me a 4-year programme including a Master Degree.
I’m looking for a university which cares about future like research and hands on practical education. I do want to expose myself more to those newly created tech like Proton therapy…. and I values future more than present so the first salary basically doesn’t matter.
Can anyone studying in therapeutic radiography or someone who is currently doing this post give me some advice? Many thanks!!!!!
I’m in my first month of my first ever placement and I experienced something odd today.
TLDR - I had a patient that reminded me of a family member that I cared for at the end of their life, but I wasn’t close to them during their life, I did not feel grief when they passed, I didn’t cry etc., I just acknowledged that it was sad that they passed away. My family member was in a lot of pain towards the end and would scream when touched. Today, a patient really reminded me of my family member in a few ways, but especially the way they screamed whilst being positioned. It really affected me, I was just concentrating on my breathing and staying calm as I felt so emotional.
I’m worried that this could signal to others that I’m not fit to be a radiographer. If I can’t see people in pain, how can I do my job? Would my supervising radiographer think I’m unfit and not cut out to be a radiographer if I told them about my reaction?
Detailed Version!
Context - I cared for this family member during the last three weeks of their life, around 3 years ago. They had many terminal cancers and I bathed them, turned them so they wouldn’t get pressure sores and assisted with their personal care.
Despite being on palliative care medication for pain, my family member, who was unable to talk or communicate during the last two weeks, would scream during turning, or if I had to position them so I could clean them etc., even a comforting hand in their arm would have them moaning in agony. It was painful to listen to because obviously I hated causing them pain, it was just an incredibly painful time for them. Thing is, I wasn’t close to them in life. For almost 15 years, I saw them maybe five times, we just weren’t a close knit family, no malice between us though.
I wasn’t really emotional when they died, I didn’t have the existing emotional connection to get too upset about it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very sad whenever anyone passes away, I just personally did not feel grief and I have grieved for other family members in my life previously.
Today’s Appointment- the patient arrived, Their stature, facial expression, body position all reminded me of my family member, though as people, they weren’t identical. What was identical, was the screaming. The patient was in so much pain whilst being positioned (three projections, so around five minutes of screaming) and I almost shut down. I was observing and filling in exposure details, so I was well hidden from view, but I had to really concentrate on my breathing to keep myself together. I felt like I needed a break afterwards, but there was no opportunity to communicate this need as, before I knew it, the next patient was in. I felt really off for the rest of the day, I suspect because I didn’t decompress from the experience. I also felt I was overreacting, because I didn’t cry when my family member passed, why would I cry now?!
I want to tell my tutor about this experience so I can gain some helpful insight/strategies for dealing with this in the future and I’d also like to know who I can talk to/where I can go if I need a moment to collect myself. However, I’m worried that I’ll be seen as unfit for the job if I tell them about what I experienced. If I can’t see people in pain, how can I do my job? Would my supervising radiographer/tutor think I’m unfit and not cut out to be a radiographer if I told them about my reaction? Part of me thinks we’re all human and become affected by things, it’s natural, and then the other part of me thinks maybe I’m expected to separate these things from my work and just get on with it?
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
Hi just wondering if anyone here has managed to get onto a degree after being waitlisted? Been told to wait until August and I *might* get contacted for an offer.
hi, has anyone you know or yourself gone done either of these paths? It quite interesting it I haven’t seen much or met anyone who knows much about it.
i had thoughts about nuclear med and also therapeutic radiography.
i was told i should do ct cause everyone should know it and also interventional cause its the future.
any thoughts on nuclear physics or medical dosimetry?
also does my gpa matter a ton?😬 i mean its not bad but things saying i need 3.5 and above…
Hello!
I've got an interview coming up for a cath lab rad role, and was wondering if anyone has any tips as to what to expect? will there be an image evaluation or questions on pathology and positioning of the C-arm?
Hello,
Im a band 6 csi rad and I was offered a trainee Sonographer role interview. I was wondering if someone can provide me some tips on interview. I asked the department but they are not that much of help. TIA
I understand there’s job freezes, and people say there’s no jobs but that doesn’t seem to be my issue - I’ve applied for 12 and gotten rejected from all, without even making it to the interview stage - it’s so demoralising. I have lots of CPD certificates, I work a retail part time job, I’ve done stuff at uni like mentoring, I’ve taken part in audits etc etc - my personal tutor and AI say my personal statement is fine but it clearly isn’t if I can’t even land one interview. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong, any general tips maybe on what to include or how to structure it?
Guys help…i could only find one job for admin in a radiography ward, i couldn’t see any support workers or assistant jobs in a radiography ward. As i want to gain experience in my gap year before i start the course. I applied to one and thought i had it in the bag but they never gave a reason on why it was unsuccessful 😔😔 I have 4 work experiences in healthcare settings, got 6s and 7s in my GCSES, about to do my a levels now, already had certificates from mandatory training only two of them expired but yeah
guys pls help even trac job isn’t showing any in london
hey guys since alevels are about to start i was just wondering how strict are unis with their uni offers, i already get contextual offers but i was wondering if i narrowly miss my offer how likely am i to still get in?
i know radiography is quite competitive degree with places like liverpool giving over 200 offers while only having 70 places so is it likely they’d be less lenient with a degree like this?
Does anyone know if you can apply for radiography to the same uni through clearing after being previously rejected due to your interview score being too low? If the course is available and I meet the grade requirements, would they still consider me or not?
Hi,
Does anyone know how the interviews are at Circle Health Group for a Band 5 Radiographer? Also, what type of questions do they ask?
Just want to see the difference compared to the NHS questions.
TIA