Listening and learning

As the Radiology Resident Doctors Forum (RRDF) and Oncology Registrars’ Forum (ORF) enter a fresh leadership cycle, we ask the chairs about their priorities for nurturing the next generation.

Forums in any healthcare specialty are important for enhancing not just practitioners’ training experiences but also their wellbeing and skills in collaboration and leadership. The RRDF and ORF, which saw a new leadership term begin at the start of the year, are no exception, bridging the gap between training environments and the College.

Elected as ORF co-chair in 2024, Dr Rubab Batool continues at its helm alongside newly appointed co-chair Dr Zeeshan Arif, while the RRDF welcomes Dr Ayo Oluboyede as its new chair. With responsibility for listening to and amplifying the voices of residents, which are fed through the specialties’ regional forum chairs across the UK, the three chairs tell Wave about their plans and priorities for this term – amid challenging times for the NHS.

The forums bring together elected resident representatives from across the UK to raise concerns, shape policy discussions and feed directly into College committees and leadership structures.

A fresh perspective

For Dr Arif, a clinical oncology registrar at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, becoming ORF co-chair was a natural progression. ‘I’ve always had an interest in leadership and management, in how healthcare systems work, and in wellbeing and improving training conditions. The previous co-chair Dr David Johnston was excellent; he did a lot to advocate for residents. When you look at work like that, you want to continue it.’

As vice chair of the Academy Resident Doctors Committee – part of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges (AoRMC), which represents residents across the country to stakeholders including national recruitment, colleges, the GMC and Department for Health and Social Care – Dr Arif is ‘part of some interesting conversations there too’.

Meanwhile continuing co-chair Dr Batool, who works as a clinical oncology registrar at Royal Berkshire Hospital, also brings a rich experience to the ORF. ‘I did a training leadership fellowship with the College, which was a great opportunity to try and make things better for people with protected characteristics,’ she says. ‘This role is broader and allows me to make a difference to all residents. There has to be a connection from grassroots training level to leadership level, and I felt I could help to strengthen it.

‘It’s a crucial time to be representing residents’, says Dr Batool, as pressures are particularly high. ‘Since Covid, there has been increased demand on service provision and reduced protected time for training, especially in radiotherapy. Oncology is becoming more and more complex and that requires continuous upskilling. Together with the service provision demand and staff shortages, this is proving difficult. ‘Then there are exams, which take a lot of time outside working hours. All of this can affect mental wellbeing and cause burnout,’ she adds.

Listening and acting

In response to the challenges, the ORF is using its influence to develop solutions. Last year, it contributed to the four-nation Guidance for resident job planning, which focuses on protecting training opportunities, improving equity across UK programmes, reducing regional variation and preventing excessive service commitments that can contribute to burnout. ‘It’s meant that we can now go into meetings with something concrete to refer to, and a gold standard to reference,’ says Dr Arif. Through his role at the AoMRC, he adds, he helped to develop a 10-point plan to improve resident doctors’ training conditions. ‘That was the result of a lot of eff ort from all sides.’

But there’s more that can be done, Dr Arif notes. ‘Reducing inequity in recruitment, increasing opportunities for residents in training programmes and improving working conditions’ are priorities. This is being considered in the wider medical training review, which we’ve been invited to be part of.’

Regular communication channels are also important, adds Dr Batool. ‘Together with the College, we started a bi-monthly resident newsletter where we invite all residents to share their experiences, and we have a dedicated WhatsApp group.’ All the while, she says, the forum is striving for the changes residents need. ‘We’re currently working with the College to provide an update on the role of the physician associate in line with the Leng Review. One thing we have been raising constantly is the shortage of substantive consultant posts due to funding issues, and the problems that are causing at resident level.’

Serving as a vital bridge between residents and leaders is what the ORF sets out to achieve, says Dr Arif. ‘My experience and interactions with stakeholders so far show that no one is out to get residents. The ORF works well to get a cohesive voice across to stakeholders, and our reach to every clinical oncology resident in the country makes us very representative, which is exactly what you need.’

‘We want residents across the UK to feel heard, valued and optimistic about the future of oncology training,’ Dr Batool adds.

Leading the RRDF

Now at the RRDF’s helm, having established her passion for supporting residents at local level, Dr Oluboyede is keen to continue the good work of her predecessor, Dr Aaron Taylor. Now an ST5 interventional radiology resident currently in Surrey, she wasn’t always sure about a career in the specialty.

‘I had notions at medical school of a radiologist sitting in a dark room on their own reporting scans,’ says Dr Oluboyede. ‘Of course, I know now that it’s so much more, but you get very little exposure to radiology at medical school so you’re almost going in blind.’

Passionate about advocating for residents, she began sharing knowledge and resources locally. ‘Whenever opportunities arose or useful resources became available – teaching sessions, journal articles, conferences, courses or projects – I made a point of sharing them with other residents. And if someone needed advice or support beyond my own expertise, I always tried to connect them with the right person who could help.

‘So, eventually I became a local RRDF rep, and then there was the opportunity to become chair. Dr Taylor did such an amazing job that I thought: I could do this and I would love to represent residents nationally.’

Smoothing the journey

Dr Oluboyede’s experience with some exams was challenging.

‘I found the FRCR 2A exam, in particular, quite tough. Having to sit it more than once can affect your confidence. During that time, I spoke to registrars and consultants who pointed me towards a number of helpful resources, and I remain incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me through that period. It’s part of what shaped my desire to take this role and support others who might be in the same position.’ Exam updates are part of the agenda of the twice-yearly RRDF meetings, and the exams team has recently agreed to a separate dedicated session around exam processes.

Some residents may also be unaware of the Professional Support Unit, she adds. ‘It offers a wide range of resources – from coaching and guidance on exam technique to career development and wellbeing support. ‘All of these things are part of the journey, and I want to help spread the word.’

Navigating present and future

Radiology is constantly evolving, as are the pressures that residents face. Many of the challenges echo those outlined by Dr Arif and Dr Batool.

‘The workload is increasing and will continue to increase with the NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan,’ says Dr Oluboyede. ‘However, this should not be at the expense of training. In fact, it’s imperative training is protected and maximised. Everyone has a stake in a resident’s training – including the patients who will ultimately be on the other side of the scan or undergoing a procedure. Five years of training, or six for those pursuing interventional radiology, is not a long time, and that time becomes even more limited when training opportunities are compromised.’

She references a recent GMC survey, in which out-of-hours supervision didn’t score highly. ‘The RRDF did a survey to find out why that is. We’re collating that information, working alongside Dr David Little, the College’s medical director for education and training, clinical radiology, to develop guidance to improve this nationally, useful for both residents and trusts.’

AI is another big area of focus for this year, Dr Oluboyede adds. ‘It is rapidly expanding and a personal interest of mine. One of the things we’re working on as a committee, led by Dr Little, is how AI should be implemented into the RCR curriculum. We developed a resident stream within the 2026 Global AI Conference to raise awareness around AI and how residents can start getting involved.

‘In the next five years, things may have changed again but having some knowledge and awareness of how it works means it will not pass you by.’ Ultimately, she adds, at such a pivotal time for radiology ‘both the RRDF and the College are committed to working together to ensure training continues to evolve alongside the specialty itself’.

Ambitions for 2026

Dr Arif shares what the ORF hopes to achieve this year

We’d like to collaborate closely with the College on ensuring there are enough consultant posts for residents who are completing their training. It is a major concern for a lot of members of the ORF, because it’s a waste of resources to train someone up and then not employ them, especially when the workforce need already exists locally.

We are striving for a more joined-up approach to exams and there is work ongoing to update processes, notably regarding exam applications.

The ongoing role of AI in oncology, from diagnostics to the delivery of treatment, is always of interest. We’d like to explore what we can do to equip residents to work collaboratively and – almost more importantly – critically alongside AI, because that will really help us in the future.

How the forums work

The resident forums bring together elected resident doctor representatives from every training programme in the UK, alongside national representatives for less than full time (LTFT) residents and academic residents. The RRDF also includes an interventional radiology representative.

Forum members are democratically elected to represent the views and interests of resident doctors within the College. They sit on boards and committees, strengthen communication between resident doctors and the College, and help ensure the resident voice is reflected in College work. The forums also offer support and guidance to resident doctors, while contributing to the College’s quality assurance of training.

Join the community

Why? ‘Having that collective representation means you carry a bit of weight into rooms and express what residents truly think – and if you can get that coherent message into the right rooms, it shapes action into what residents want.’

Dr Arif

Why? ‘The reps are incredible; they all have the same vision – to be a spokesperson for residents and equip them with the tools they need to become competent consultants.’

Dr Oluboyede

How? If you’re interested in becoming a local RRDF or ORF representative, look out for vacancies in the resident newsletters or on the College website. For more information, contact [email protected].