FRCR Part 1 Physics Training

Members of the Medical and Radiation Physics Departments of Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals provide training in radiology physics for clinical radiology registrars.

Powerpoint presentations are available for some of these lectures by clicking here.

The latest version of the autumn/winter 2011 timetable for Hull trainees can be downloaded by clicking here (docx).

More information on radiology training can be found at the following links.

• Royal College of Radiologists
• The Society of Radiologists in Training

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First FRCR Examination in Clinical Radiology
Specimen Multiple Choice Questions
Published December 2009

The following sample MCQ were lifted on 19/04/10 from the Royal College of Radiology website. The answers are purely the opinion of John Saunderson (RPA) and other local lecturers at the time of typing. Please e-mail doubts/corrections to John Saunderson. See contacts page.

1	Concerning the Compton effect
	(a)	There is interaction between a photon and a free electron. John's answer TRUE
	(b)	The larger the angle through which the photon is scattered, the more energy it loses. John's answer TRUE [ Δλ = (2h/mc).sin2 1/2Ψ, so bigger angle of scatter Ψ means greater change in wavelength Δλ and hence photon energy]
	(c)	The wavelength change produced depends upon the scattering material. John's answer FALSE [ Δλ = (2h/mc).sin2 1/2Ψ, so only depends upon Planck's constant h, mass of electron m, speed of light c, and scattering angle Ψ ]
	(d)	High energy radiation is scattered more than lower energy radiation. John's answer Depends what you mean by "scattered more".
	(e)	The amount of scattering that occurs depends on the electron density of the scattering material. John's answer TRUE
2	Concerning digital radiography (DR):
	(a)	Phosphors may be used in the detector Craig's answer TRUE
	(b)	The receptor signal is used to determine exposure cut-off time. Craig's answer TRUE
	(c)	The image can be viewed within five seconds of the exposure. Craig's answer TRUE
	(d)	Pixel dropout is a recognised artefact. Craig's answer TRUE
	(e)	The receptor dose indicator gives a record of patient dose. Craig's answer FALSE
3	Radiological image unsharpness increases
	(a)	if shorter exposure times are used. John's answer FALSE [Shorter exposure times mean less patient movement so sharpness increases and unsharpness decreases ]
	(b)	as the object to film distance increases. John's answer TRUE
	(c)	as the target angle decreases. John's answer FALSE [Smaller target angle means smaller apparent focal size in one direction so sharper images in that direction]
	(d)	if a grid is used. John's answer FALSE [Grids remove scatter so increase sharpness]
	(e)	as the focal spot size increases. John's answer TRUE [The larger the focal spot the greater the geometric unsharpness]
4	In automatic mode fluoroscopy, the patient entrance surface dose rate
	(a)	usually increases with image intensifier field size. John's answer FALSE
	(b)	depends on the added filtration. John's answer TRUE
	(c)	is independent of the kV-mA characteristic used. John's answer FALSE
	(d)	doubles if the patient-intensifier face distance is halved. John's answer FALSE
	(e)	should be less than 50 mGym-1. John's answer FALSE - milligray per metre is not a unit of dose rate
5	Concerning The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999:
	(a)	Local Rules are required for a controlled area. John's answer TRUE
	(b)	Only classified workers can enter a controlled area.. John's answer FALSE
	(c)	The annual effective dose limit is 50 mSv for employees aged over 18 years. John's answer FALSE (unless the employer is able to demonstrate that the default 20 mSv a year is impractical in which case under regulation 11(2) the employer may apply the schedule 4 part II limits of 100 mSv in five years with no more than 50 mSv in any one year)
	(d)	Personal dosimeters should be issued for periods no greater than one month. John's answer FALSE
	(e)	A radiation protection adviser is responsible for managing staff radiation safety in a radiology department. John's answer FALSE
6	Concerning The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000:
	(a)	Overall responsibility for keeping dose to the patient as low as reasonably practicable rests with the practitioner. John's answer ?FALSE? - practitioner responsible for his bits, operators responsible for their bits.
	(b)	The practitioner is the only person entitled to authorise an x-ray exposure. John's answer FALSE - operator can authorise in line with practitioner's guidelines.
	(c)	Only doctors and dentists are permitted to request an x-ray. John's answer FALSE
	(d)	The person performing quality control tests on an isotope calibrator must have training. John's answer TRUE
	(e)	The enforcing authority is the Health and Safety Executive. John's answer FALSE (CQC)
7	Radionuclides
	(a)	are those nuclides having more neutrons than protons. Kat's answer FALSE (although as they may)
	(b)	may emit x-rays. Kat's answer TRUE
	(c)	decay exponentially. Kat's answer TRUE
	(d)	do not occur naturally. Kat's answer FALSE
	(e)	may be produced in a cyclotron. Kat's answer TRUE
8	Concerning computed tomography:
	(a)	A CT number of 0 is assigned to water. Craig's answer TRUE
	(b)	Image quality is limited by electronic noise. Craig's answer FALSE
	(c)	Axial image resolution is improved with reduction in slice width. Craig's answer FALSE
	(d)	An unfiltered x-ray beam is used. Craig's answer FALSE
	(e)	The typical effective dose for a CT head scan is 10 mSv. Craig's answer FALSE (2.3 mSv)
9	Signal to noise in MRI is increased with
	(a)	a decreased matrix size. Gary's answer TRUE
	(b)	a longer TE. Gary's answer FALSE
	(c)	a thicker slice. Gary's answer TRUE
	(d)	a smaller field of view. Gary's answer FALSE
	(e)	the use of a higher main magnetic field. Gary's answer TRUE
10	Concerning diagnostic ultrasound:
	(a)	The higher the transmitted frequency, the greater the depth that can be scanned. Mark's answer FALSE
	(b)	It has a wavelength in soft tissue of 0.1-1.5 mm. Mark's answer TRUE
	(c)	It is reflected from a surface between two media that have different acoustic impedances. Mark's answer TRUE
	(d)	The ultrasound beam can be focussed. Mark's answer TRUE
	(e)	lonisation of cell water may occur at frequencies greater than 5 MHz. Mark's answer FALSE

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The following sample MCQ were in the ten sample questions published by RCR in 2002 but were not replaced with other questions in the December 2009 revision.

2	Concerning radiation dose:
	(a)	PA chest x-ray effective dose is approximately 0.02 mSv. John's answer TRUE
	(b)	Annual effective dose limit for members of the public is 5 mSv. John's answer FALSE (1 mSv)
	(c)	Average annual dose in the UK from natural background radiation is 0.1 Sv. John's answer FALSE (2.3 mSv)
	(d)	The average annual effective dose to the UK population from medical exposure is 3 mSv. John's answer FALSE (0.37 mSv)
	(e)	Effective dose to patients having a radionuclide bone scan with 600 MBq technetium-99m is approximately 4 mSv. John's answer TRUE
3	In diagnostic radiology, the following values are typical:
	(a)	5 mSv is the annual effective dose limit for classified staff. John's answer FALSE (20 mSv)
	(b)	1 mGy for skin dose to the patient in chest radiography. John's answer FALSE (0.2mGy for PA chest)
	(c)	2 mm lead equivalence for a lead rubber apron. John's answer FALSE (0.35 mm or 0.25 mm)
	(d)	25 mGy per minute for entrance dose rate to patient during abdominal fluoroscopy. John's answer TRUE
	(e)	4 GBq of iodine-131 for a diagnostic thyroid scan. John's answer FALSE (0.2 MBq for scan)
4	An employee must become a classified worker if
	(a)	they work more than three sessions per week with ionising radiation. John's answer FALSE
	(b)	three tenths of relevant dose limit is exceeded. John's answer TRUE
	(c)	they are likely to receive a whole body dose greater than 6 mSv annually. John's answer TRUE
	(d)	the dose to their hands is likely to exceed 150 mSv annually. John's answer TRUE
	(e)	they become pregnant. John's answer FALSE
9	The dose to a patient may be reduced by using
	(a)	a grid. John's answer FALSE
	(b)	collimators. John's answer TRUE
	(c)	additional copper filters. John's answer TRUE
	(d)	a high tube voltage. John's answer TRUE
	(e)	a small focal spot. John's answer FALSE
10	Concerning radiopharmaceuticals:
	(a)	The ideal radiopharmaceutical should have as short a physical halflife as possible. John's answer FALSE (short, but not too short.)
	(b)	The ideal imaging radiopharmaceutical should emit only gamma radiation. John's answer TRUE
	(c)	The gamma radiation emitted contributes a larger part of the radiation dose to the patient than any accompanying beta radiation. John's answer FALSE (?)
	(d)	The effective half-life is longer than the biological half-life. John's answer FALSE
	(e)	The labelling isotope should remain attached to the tracer material throughout the examination. John's answer TRUE

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Previous version may still be accessible at www.hey.nhs.uk/hullrad
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