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Beyond the Scan: Exploring the World of Diagnostic Radiography


This is a Medicine Subject Spotlight Diagnostic Radiography with Karran Speakman. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Medicine.

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In this Subject Spotlight, you’ll explore the fundamental aspects of diagnostic radiography with a particular emphasis on using imaging technologies to diagnose and monitor medical conditions. You’ll dive into the history of diagnostic radiography and discover diverse career opportunities available in this dynamic field. You’ll also explore X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and ultrasound, including their evolution, structure, and key differences. What’s more, you’ll take a look at the anatomy of the chest, including the bony structure, cardiovascular components, and respiratory system, and how these appear on X-rays. Finally, in this Subject Spotlight activity, you'll learn the process involved in a patient's chest X-ray and analyse the image using the A to E approach. 

About University of Plymouth

At Plymouth, our hands-on learning through real-world and immersive activities enables you to graduate with valuable experience. From our midwifery ward to our moot courtroom, students benefit from practising their skills every step of the way. You may be solving real cases in our Cold Case Unit, designing your next invention in the STEAM labs, or on the water protecting our marine life. Whatever your passion, you are part of a team making our world a better place. At Plymouth we’re inclusive and personal, ensuring you have the experience to do something that matters to you – to make it count. You can do all this at a top 2 modern UK university (Times Higher Education 2024) and with a triple gold rated student experience (Teaching Excellence Framework 2023).

Meet the academics

Karran Speakman

Karran Speakman (BSc (Hons), PgC, PgC – ClinED, FHEA) is the Co-Programme Lead for Undergraduate Diagnostic Radiography at the University of Plymouth. Karran is an accomplished and professionally registered diagnostic radiographer with over 15 years of clinical experience in CT, general radiography, and interventional radiography. Her career has seen her working in various international locations, including New Zealand and the Channel Islands. Karran's dedication to her profession extends beyond clinical practice and is exemplified by her role as co-programme lead for the undergraduate provisions in radiography at the University of Plymouth. This role allows her to infuse her passion for the field and inspire the next generation of radiography professionals. Karran is committed to showcasing radiography as an exciting and rewarding career and aims to enthuse her graduates to explore the diverse opportunities that the field offers. Together with her team, she is devoted to providing a dynamic and progressive programme that celebrates innovation, reflecting the ever-advancing technological landscape of this field.

In every Subject Spotlight you'll find

On-demand interactive video content

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Remarkable & relatable academics

Learn from some of the UK's finest and most decorated academics as they give you a genuine, insightful, and engaging experience of studying their courses at their universities.

Interactive quizzes and activities

Have a go at fascinating interactive quizzes and activities, then get meaningful and intuitive feedback from the academics to see how you've done.

Content to enhance students university applications

Hear direct from the academics what's expected of you in your university application, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!

Certificate of completion

You'll receive a certificate of completion to evidence your learning - why not add this to your CV and university applications to show your dedication to your future pathway!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

Why should I check out Subject Spotlights?

Get a real, representative impression of what pursuing a subject at university is actually like, so that you can make the right decision for you.

Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!