Fellows ceremony FAQs

You do not have to be a Fellow to be a member of the Royal College of Radiologists, nor do you have to have attended an Admission Ceremony. You can join at any of several stages in your career: find out more about our membership categories below.

Before being allowed to use the title of Fellow of The Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR), successful candidates in the Final FRCR Part B Exam must be a member in good standing by having no membership fees due. Those who are not already members of the RCR must join before admission can occur.

Once you have become a member and passed your final exam, you can use the designation FRCR after your name for as long as you remain a member.

You are required to pay any outstanding membership fees, or become a member if you are not already, before the Admission Ceremony takes place. However, please note that you will not receive your certificate until your name has been presented at a ceremony.

If you are considering coming to work in the UK, you must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). You can use your FRCR to apply for full medical registration with the GMC. It is much more straightforward to do this within three years of your FRCR.

You can find more information about routes to GMC registration for oncologists and routes to GMC registration for radiologists on the RCR website, as well as on the GMC website about the application process and other evidence you will need to provide.

You will be able to invite friends and family to the ceremony, but the number of guest tickets available for your ceremony will be communicated to you in your invite. Your total allocation will include all guests (adults and children) in attendance. Tickets will be issued to all your guests.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to request extra tickets. We strongly advise that you do not make any arrangements (including travel) for any guests until their ticket has been confirmed.

No additional guests should arrive at the venue as they will not be permitted entrance. This includes photography and the post-ceremony reception.

All children included in your guest ticket allocation are welcome to attend. Anyone under the age of 16 must be supervised at all times for the duration of the event.

Although there are no crèche facilities available, a family room will be available at the event for ticket holders to use.  

Ceremonies typically last for around an hour and a half and there are no crèche or childcare facilities provided by the College.

Out of respect for other guests, we request that small children be taken out if they become unsettled during the ceremony so as not to disturb proceedings. There will be a children’s room available for you to use. Baby changing and breastfeeding facilities are also available.

Children (anyone under the age of 16) must be accompanied at all times by an adult not taking part in the ceremony, as the New Fellows sit in a separate area and children will not be able to sit with you during the ceremony.

Tickets will be issued to you on the day and need to be collected on arrival.

If you have any special requirements, i.e. disabled access, please contact us via email at [email protected] at least four weeks before the ceremony date.

Please remember to book your academic gown to wear on the day in advance. This can be ordered from Ede and Ravenscroft by selecting ‘Royal College of Radiologists’. Once you have completed registration on the day, you will be provided with a card so that you can collect your gown.

Professional photographers are available from 12:15 to 14:15 before the ceremony starts. You are advised to take advantage of this time to have your photographs taken.

You can also order your photographs in advance from Ede and Ravenscroft.

When you respond to your RSVP, if you are unable to attend the ceremony you can either choose to be admitted in absentia or defer to the next ceremony.

If you decide to be admitted in absentia, it is not possible to be admitted at a future ceremony.

If you choose to defer to the next ceremony, you will not be able to request your certificate before that date. You may only defer attendance at the ceremony once. If you are unable to attend a second time, there will be no other opportunities for you to attend a ceremony in person and you will be admitted in absentia. All RSVP replies must be completed by the deadline specified in the invite. 

If you are attending the ceremony, you will receive your certificate on the day.

If you are being admitted in absentia, your certificate will be posted to your registered home address after the ceremony. Please allow at least six weeks for your certificate to be delivered.

If you have deferred your attendance at a ceremony, you will not receive your certificate until your name has been formally presented at the next ceremony.

Please note that it is not possible to obtain your certificate before you have been admitted at a ceremony, either by attending or in your absence, but you can request a verification letter when completing your RSVP form if required. Verification letters will be sent within 15 working days after the RSVP deadline to members in good standing.  

If you require documentation of achieving FRCR, we can provide a verification for you provided you are a member in good standing. Please email [email protected] for assistance.

Please email [email protected] to obtain a visa letter for your application. This should be requested at the same time as completing your RSVP form.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an invitation letter that specifically names any of your accompanying guests.

Both the ceremony and reception will be held at Central Hall Westminster.

Ceremonies typically last between 75 and 90 minutes.

The dress code for the Admission Ceremony is smart.

Each New Fellow is allocated a specific seat to ensure that awards are presented in the correct order. New Fellows must sit in the seat they are allocated, which may alter from the original schedule for latecomers.

New Fellows and guests sit in different areas of the Great Hall at Central Hall Westminster. All guest seating is unreserved: specific seat numbers are not assigned to guests. If your guests have particular requirements such as disabled access this must be flagged when completing your RSVP form within the deadline as noted on your invite. Guests will be directed to unassigned seats by ceremony ushers on entering the Great Hall.

If you are unable to attend on the day, please email [email protected] or telephone +44(0)203 725 4644 as soon as you can to let us know so we can make the necessary arrangements.

Due to the short notice, you will be admitted in absentia in these circumstances and will be unable to defer your attendance to the subsequent ceremony. There are no exceptions to this policy.

An ‘on the stage’ photograph will be taken of every New Fellow with the RCR President during the ceremony. Guests are permitted to take photos/videos before and during the ceremony from their seats only; no filming or photography is permitted from the aisles or where it may obstruct the official photographer.

We understand that New Fellows will also want to take photos of their friends as they receive their awards, but the ceremony flow mustn’t be impeded or delayed by this. Therefore, the taking of ‘selfies’ on stage is not permitted.

Yes, there is a cloakroom available at Central Hall Westminster where you can leave your belongings and any luggage you may have.

Unfortunately, there is no parking available at Central Hall Westminster. However, there are car parks close to the venue.