Diagnostic Radiography

Do you want to make a difference to patient care? Radiography is one of the core diagnostic healthcare roles, helping patients get the treatment they need. It is also at the forefront of technological developments, offering a dynamic career full of potential. With hands-on, interprofessional learning and patient care at its heart, this innovative, evidence-based course, will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to become an outstanding radiographer for the modern health care setting.

• Train using advanced medical imaging technology, at the forefront of modern patient care.

• Learn using state of the art teaching facilities.

• Receive an iPad for the duration of your course.

• Take part in expert-led discussions around clinical case studies and the latest medical science breakthroughs, through our structured small groups teaching approach, including enquiry-based learning. These are also a great opportunity to learn from other students’ knowledge and experience.

• Develop empathic, technical and professional healthcare skills in a practical, innovative modern training programme.

• Benefit from close relationships and training with our hospital partners, including the Peninsula Trauma Centre, Derriford Hospital and the Peninsula Radiology Academy.

• Train alongside other health profession students to enrich your experience and understanding of different healthcare roles.

• Learn from real patients from the outset, with clinical placements starting in the first semester of Year 1.

• Practise your clinical and communication skills in the safe setting of our Clinical Skills Resource Centre (CSRC), which features specially designed replicas of hospital wards and emergency rooms, with high-specification patient-simulators.

• Utilise online systems to support your learning including the student logbook, custom-made for our students to access lecture notes, online assessment systems and lecture sessions.

• Deepen your understanding of the structure and functionality of the human body at our Life Sciences Resource Centre (LSRC), with expert-led life science sessions helping you apply this information to radiography.

• In Year 1, students will study in Plymouth, with all of their clinical placements within daily commute. In Years 2 and 3, all students will complete a semester in Plymouth for the academic delivery, and then a semester on clinical placement in the South West and other locations.

• Nurturing critical thinking and a caring approach to your practice, we’ll help you develop the clinical and communication, teamwork and leadership skills for a top career in radiography.

• The University of Plymouth BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and College of Radiographers (CoR), and once you have graduated you will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration as a diagnostic radiographer.

Course Modules

You will learn what it means to be a Radiographer, the professional responsibility this brings and your contribution to frontline patient care. These skills will be supported by basic sciences, including physics and biology to help you understand patient health, disease and the variety of diagnostic imaging equipment in use today. Plymouth-based placements will be in local healthcare providing institutions where you will develop a greater understanding of your future role and the skills required to succeed. Small group, enquiry-based learning will use patient focused scenarios to help you to bring all these new skills together, whilst aiding your development of life-long learning skills.

The second year of training focuses further on applying your skills to the real world. In addition, you will learn about patient assessment alongside other healthcare professionals. Longer clinical placements within the region will allow you to develop your skills in the work place, taking an active role in patient management. You will also further develop your understanding and importance of the medical images you have taken. Enquiry-based learning tutorials will help you consolidate and apply these taught skills through clinical scenario discussions.

This final year is all about the transition from student to practising healthcare professional. You will learn how to deal with more complex problems during longer clinical placements and conduct an NHS quality improvement or research project, this will advance your understanding of how imaging departments are run and the challenges they face. Outside of placements you will gain a greater knowledge of patient assessment, clinical emergencies and interpretation of imaging investigations. Year 3 will also guide you in career choices beyond that of employment, where your ambition may take you in a more specialised or diverse environment.

Please refer to our website for up to date information