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This post is focused on international radiographers in the UK who already have a post graduate diploma (PGD) in ultrasound from their countries, and want to practice ultrasound in the UK, but unfortunately feel stuck in X-ray, CT or MRI.
For tips on how to become a sonographer in the UK without any previous ultrasound qualification, see helpful post on this here.
Many international radiographers in UK often have extensive ultrasound skills and experiences, together with their PGD in ultrasound from their home countries.
However, at the point of job applications to the UK, it is common practice for international radiographers to spread their nets as wide as possible, exploring and applying for all the modalities they qualify for such as X-ray jobs, CT & MRI jobs, interventional radiography jobs, and ultrasound jobs; with the hopes that any of the above could work out and they'd kick-start their careers in the UK with that.
Consequently, you find that many radiographers, who were also very experienced sonographers back in their country, relocate to the UK as Band 5 or 6 radiographers.
While some of these radiographers continue as plain film, interventional, or cross sectional radiographers, some others retain their passion for ultrasound and would love to transition back to ultrasound as UK Sonographers.
Since the UK is generally somewhat of an unfamiliar territory for these internationally-trained sonographers, the problem they are often faced with is that they don't really know where to start from in transitioning back from radiography to sonography.
If you already possess a PGD in ultrasound from your country, this article will outline the different steps that you can take in the UK to help you transition back to sonography practice from x-ray, CT, MRI, interventional or mammography modalities.
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1. Formally request for shadowing sessions:
Even if you have a friend in the ultrasound department of your hospital, don't casually walk into the ultrasound room, expecting the sonographer (your friend) to let you handle the probe and scan patients or volunteers. Both of you could get in loads of trouble for even considering this.
The best way to go about it is to formally write to the ultrasound clinical lead or manager, requesting for permission to have some shadowing sessions at your free time.
The reason why you want some shadowing sessions is because having been away from ultrasound for a long time, you want to begin to re-familiarize yourself with sonography processes, the equipment, and protocols. You need hands-on refresher sessions, and shadowing sessions can help to provide these.
Also, when you practiced as a sonographer a few months or years ago, you did so in your country. Things may be slightly different in another country (UK in this case), and you don't just want to only read about these differences, you want to observe them for yourself in real time as well.
You won't be asking to shadow during your contracted active hours. You will be asking to observe during either your annual leave or on your days off. The point being that you have to make it clear to the manager you're writing to that you're seeking for shadowing sessions that will not in any way be disruptive to the service provision of your department.
With this, any supportive department/manager should be able to grant you some shadowing sessions with sonographers or radiologists in your hospital.
2. Refresh your knowledge in ultrasound:
This should actually be an ongoing exercise. If ultrasound is the goal, then you really should never take your eyes off the sonography field. Continuously refer to your PGD materials and other ultrasound text books to stay on top of your ultrasound knowledge.
When you get the approval to engage in some shadowing sessions, it is crucial to make sure you are well-versed in scanning processes and related knowledge beforehand. This preparation allows you to ask intelligent and insightful questions that project you in a positive light and absolutely reflect your years of experience in the field.
First impressions matter. The impact of initial interactions is significant, and you never know what doors may open through these seemingly ordinary shadowing experiences.
3. Write a reflection on your shadowing sessions
While self-reflection on shadowing sessions is valuable, I would encourage you to take the extra step to articulate and document your reflections in writing, and share them with the ultrasound clinical lead or manager you have been engaging with.
Sending a reflection back is important because it's a feedback, a form of professional courtesy that can help to foster positive relationships that ultimately lead to future collaborations and opportunities.
The simple act of acknowledgement is respectful and always welcome, plus it shows you are actively engaged and invested in the field of ultrasound. Based on your feedback, if there are any areas where the lead can offer more insight for your improvement or growth, they may offer this.
4. Engage in some relevant courses in ultrasound
Attending webinars or undertaking e-learning courses in ultrasound demonstrates you're still actively engaged in the sonography field, and you're making the effort to stay up to date with your knowledge and skills.
Additionally, it demonstrates an ongoing commitment of yours to education and professional development, which in turn enhances your credibility and marketability in the ultrasound job market when you start seeking fir jobs.
5. Get your UK ENIC certificate
UK ENIC is the approved UK national agency responsible for the comparison and recognition of international qualifications, to make sure they are at the same level as (equivalent to) a UK qualification.
To apply for a UK ENIC for your PGD in ultrasound, all you need is your transcript, your curriculum, your PGD certificate, letter of English proficiency, and the application fees. See a more detailed breakdown on how to apply for your UK ENIC here.
Obtaining this certification serves the purpose of preparing yourself for situations where an employer may express uncertainty about the equivalency of your ultrasound qualification to a UK qualification (CASE accredited qualification). By acquiring this certification, you proactively present tangible evidence to address any concerns they may have.
6. Approach a UK University to map your qualifications
As a piggyback to the above point, some UK/NHS employers, for mostly unclear and sometimes unfair reasons, refuse to accept the UK ENIC certificate, and insist on having international ultrasound qualifications mapped by a CASE accredited UK University first.
While this in itself shouldn't be a big deal, it is becoming a growing problem because a lot of times, most UK universities do not offer this service except you actively enroll for a Master's in ultrasound with them. Implying that it'll be very difficult to fulfill this requirement except you have the finances to undertake your Masters, which shouldn't be the case.
This essentially serves to disproportionately alienate you as an internationally-trained sonographer in the UK, by unfairly reducing your job opportunities.
While I'm not a legal expert, it is public knowledge that employers have the responsibility of making sure their hospital policies are 'neutral' and apply to everyone fairly. If a particular policy applies to everyone but places you at an unfair disadvantage, then it could very quickly spin into a case of indirect discrimination.
In this case, the potentially unfair disadvantage would be asking international applicants to map their qualifications with UK universities, when the employers themselves are not aware of any UK universities who offer that service. It is akin to an employer asking for a requirement that they are fully aware of cannot be met under normal circumstances. If concerned, it is important to consult with legal professionals or relevant authorities to assess the specific situation and determine if any discriminatory practices have been in play.
In any case, before or while applying for ultrasound jobs, I would encourage you to do your due diligence and approach any UK CASE accredited universities and ask if they can provide this service. If they can, then at least you have this under your belt and can present tangible evidence to any employer who seems fixated on getting this.
Please note that not all employers ask for this, so you can very well get back into the job market without getting this. It's just something you could consider looking into incase the need to have it arose in the future.
As highlighted above, depending on how a potential employer requests for this, it could be very discriminatory and you can push back for answers within your rights as an applicant, so watch out for this.
7. Document your voluntary shadowing sessions and reflections:
Documenting your shadowing sessions, reflections, and relevant courses attended will help to elevate your achievements. Incorporate these experiences in your supporting information, and during interviews make sure to verbally highlight these experiences as well.
It will help to showcase your commendable achievements, your proactive approach, and your unwavering passion for ultrasound, even after an extended absence.
Doing this will boost your professional profile, and position you as a candidate who actively seeks to grow and embraces the dynamic culture of sonography practice.
8. Get a mentor in ultrasound
Get yourself a sonographer colleague in the UK who can guide you, provide tips and insight about the raw technicalities of the profession, and essentially caution you from making avoidable mistakes in practice.
Mentors have a wealth of experience and knowledge you can tap from. Just by sharing their own experiences, they could provide invaluable emotional support and help you navigate through challenges and complexities at work, which in turn fosters confidence and resilience in you.
A mentor could introduce you to a broader professional network which could open doors for more collaborative opportunities, exposure to diverse experiences and maybe even job opportunities.
If you're able to achieve all or most of the above 8 points, then you're ready to start applying for UK Sonographer jobs., and with a successful interview you should be able to nicely switch from a UK radiographer to a UK sonographer.
However, if you've achieved all of the above and you feel you're still not confident to carry on scanning independently, then don't apply for full time band 7 roles, apply for trainee roles instead. These roles are relatively scarce and very competitive, which means you may have to possibly sponsor yourself in school. Read more about this here - point 2.
Also, if back in your country, you didn't gain enough clinical sonography experience before moving to the UK, and so you fill ill-equipped to proceed on your own independently, then again, apply for trainee sonographer roles. It's always best to err on the side of caution, and if you realise that for some reason you would rather have more training in the field, then that's fine, every individual is different, and learning needs/capacities differ from person to person.
But be careful however not to create the impression in the minds of future colleagues or employers that the reason why you felt you need/needed more training is a function of your international ultrasound training. This is very misleading, as there are numerous international applicants who practice as sonographers in the UK without getting retrained in a UK school. Generalisations of this nature are usually very harmful in the grand scheme of things and so one must exercise caution.
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Thanks alot for these tips MySonography Maama🤗