Radiology oncology/doctor Question

Does someone who did just a 3 year radiology oncology course get to meet Patients alone like a doctor who has gone to medical school and then specialised in radiology oncology? Or will there be a difference in what they do

Yes there is a huge difference. A doctor specialising in radiology is a radiologist, they're the ones that actually interpret scans and diagnose, someone who did a 3 year course is a radiographer and deals with the technical side of the scan.

The technical side would be diagnostic radiography right?
but what if one did a 3yr radiology oncology course and the other went to medical school and then also specialised in radiology oncology, then both would do the exact same thing in their Job right or no?

The technical side would be diagnostic radiography right?
but what if one did a 3yr radiology oncology course and the other went to medical school and then also specialised in radiology oncology, then both would do the exact same thing in their Job right or no?

As others have said, you are mixing up 3 or 4 roles here:

Radiologist - a doctor who has gone to medical school and then chosen to specialise in the interpretation of images

Oncologist - a doctor who has gone to medical school then chosen to specialise in cancer care. Along with the Dosimetrists they will be involved in designing the radiotherapy treatment plan that is delivered by the Therapeutic Radiographers.

Diagnostic Radiographer - The people who take the images (X-ray, CT, MRI) that the radiologist interprets, although you can do extra training to take on some of that role as a reporting radiographer. It requires a 3 year degree in Diagnostic Radiography

Therapeutic Radiographer - The people who deliver radiotherapy to treat patients with cancer. It requires a 3 year degree in Radiotherapy and Oncology, which is what I assume you mean when you talk about radiology oncology?

Dosimetrists - physics nerds who design the radiotherapy treatment plan to meet the requirements specified by the Oncologist.

To answer the question about interacting with patients, as a Therapeutic Radiographer you see the patients every day of their treatment, and absolutely you will have conversations with them about how they are doing, advice for coping with side effects, refer them to specialist services where required etc. It is possible to go on to be a Radiotherapy Advanced Practitioner and specialise in one treatment site (usually requires an MSc) and then you will also be more involved with the patient. This is still not an actual oncologist.

Do you mean the radiotherapy and oncology BSc? That would still be the route to become a radiographer and doing the technical side and setting up the scans on patients and not a doctor. The person who went to med school and then specialised in radiology would be an actual doctor and the radiologist. Hugely different roles and highly different salaries.

ohh thank you I get it now. I had another question, what else can radiographers do to increase their salary?

ohh thank you I get it now. I had another question, what else can radiographers do to increase their salary?

A newly qualified radiographer will start on NHS Band 5. In radiotherapy most staff make "senior" ie Band 6 after about 2 years. Getting to Advanced Practioner (Band 7) takes longer, about 10 years and will probably require an MSc.

You can also make band 7 quicker if you retrain in other roles - a Band 5 at my placement site managed to get onto a PgDip course to be a sonographer (very competitive) and will be band 7 when she qualifies.

As L-K says, you're not going to be rich, but its still a decent salary.

Doing overtime and picking up extra shifts. More experience or extra training and then taking on a management or teaching role.
It's a good salary, but you're never going to be rich.

it’s pretty much the same with other allied health subjects like nursing optometry etc right ?