The 1950's

by Professor Whitehouse

1949/50 saw the inception of the new Liverpool DMRD to replace the M Rad.

All 10 candidates passed the Part 1.

In the past it had been the practice to employ students as registrars only during their second year of study. In 1950 ‘it appears that we have to consider further the custom which has been adopted elsewhere n the country and offer them employment as junior registrars during their first year if we hope to maintain an adequate supply of students for our own diploma. It appears that the demand for radiologists is still considerable and it would be inadvisable to reduce the number entering the course at the present time.’ (Annual Report).

A technician was appointed to work in the X Ray Dept of the Royal Infirmary to tabulate and copy films for teaching purposes. The amount of teaching material at the disposal of the Dept of Radiodiagnosis is unrivalled by any school in the country.’

There was now a weekly meeting in the form of a discussion class, attended by the postgraduate students.

In 1951 Dr G D Scarrow was appointed Assistant Lecturer. There were 6 first year and 10 second year students, 3 M Rads and 5 DMRDs were awarded.

In 1952, in accordance with the reduction in the Senior Registrar grade throughout the country, it was decided that it would be right to reduce the Radiology student intake within this region to conform with this reduction. In this region there was ‘a generous allocation of 4 senior registrar appointments.’ This was much larger than the number allocated to Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol. It was decided that a training establishment of 4 registrars was now appropriate.

In 1955, 5 were accepted onto the DMRD course. The annual report noted that ‘the number of applicants to take the course had not diminished, although most of the other courses in the country have a very meagre supply of students’. This was probably because the Liverpool course was full time and ‘because we are able to give the students a very satisfactory clinical training.’

In 1956, 9 students were accepted as the Ministry of Health was anxious to increase the number of trainees in Radiology. During the previous 2 years there had been considerable falling off in the number of British students taking up Radiology. The position throughout the country was serious and there was a marked shortage in applicants. At this time Liverpool was responsible for up to one third of the total number of trainees available in this country. It was felt that Liverpool had a duty to increase the number since the supply of students to this centre appeared to be adequate. Liverpool had been responsible for the greatest number of radiologists trained in the previous 20 years.

However, there was no suitable accommodation for the course. The teaching was entirely in hospitals. Most of the film library was in the rooms of individual consultants. Provisional accommodation for the Department had been found in the old Chemistry Building.

In 1957, the Department moved to the new Medical school building, where a photographic department and small X ray room was housed in the basement. There were also lecture and demonstration rooms and a film library. All academic lectures were now in the Department.

Dr Whittaker was appointed examiner in the Conjoint DMRD.

In 1958, the new Ashton Street medical school was opened by the Queen Mother. The Liverpool Department of Radiodiagnosis was probably the first teaching department of Radiology to establish a Department actually in a university.

12 DMRDS were awarded in 1958. 13 were accepted onto the first year, with slightly under half coming from overseas.

The annual congress of the Faculty of Radiologists was held in Liverpool in October 1958.

In 1959 Dr Whittaker became Vice President of the Faculty of Radiologists.