RANZCR Anatomy study guide
RANZCR Anatomy · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) is a not-for-profit membership organisation representing clinical radiologists and radiation oncologists in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Its Clinical Radiology Training Program sits under the Trainees section of the College website, and the examinations form one strand of that program alongside training requirements, becoming a Fellow, and transitioning trainees. This page covers the Clinical Radiology Examination Phases, the staged examination component of the training pathway for doctors preparing for Fellowship in clinical radiology. The source lists a Clinical Radiology Examination Phases page but does not state phase names, weights, question counts, durations, passing standards, fees, or retake rules, so candidates should consult the College directly for current specifics. Topics on this exam: Clinical Radiology Examination Phase 1 (Anatomy and applied imaging fundamentals) and Clinical Radiology Examination Phase 2 (Applied clinical radiology). The RANZCR Anatomy study guide has 2 sections and about 670 words.
01Phase 1 Anatomy: Applied Imaging Fundamentals for the RANZCR Candidate
Phase 1 anatomy is not a recitation of cadaveric lists; it is three-dimensional anatomy that can be interrogated on the modality you will use clinically. You must be fluent in cross-sectional topographical anatomy (axial, coronal, sagittal planes), fascial and compartmental boundaries , vascular territories and collateral pathways , and normal variants that mimic disease. Build each region around a scaffold: bones and foramina, then muscles and compartments, then vessels and nerves in their course, then viscera and peritoneal/pleural reflections. Know the named foramina and what traverses them (jugular foramen, foramen ovale, superior orbital fissure), the branching order of the aorta and the coeliac axis, the hepatic and portal venous segments, the brachial and lumbar plexuses by root-to-nerve mapping, and the dural venous sinuses with their drainage.
353 words, about 2 min02Phase 2: Applied Clinical Radiology and Anatomical Reasoning
Phase 2 asks you to convert anatomical knowledge into a radiological conclusion. The examiner is testing pattern recognition with justification : you must describe the finding, localise it anatomically, generate a differential that respects the anatomy, and propose the next test. Structure answers as: modality and technique, systematic search, key finding, anatomical basis, differential, and recommendation. Understand anatomical pathways of spread - direct invasion along fascial planes, perineural spread (trigeminal and facial branches), lymphatic drainage by nodal station, and haematogenous routes.
317 words, about 2 min