ABCP Diplomate study guide
ABCP Diplomate · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP) offers board certification in two domains: Clinical Pharmacology, for currently licensed M.D. candidates, and Applied Pharmacology, a research-oriented certification whose applicants commonly include MD, PhD, PharmD, and RPh holders. Candidates who are approved by the board and pass the relevant examination may carry the credentials DABCP (CP) or DABCP (AP). The ABCP examination is a single annual test cycle: applications must be submitted and pre-approved by active board members, and approved candidates then register for a date and site, testing on business days between July 1 and August 31 at sites across the USA and Canada. Topics on this exam: Clinical Pharmacology and Applied Pharmacology. The ABCP Diplomate study guide has 2 sections and about 461 words.
01Clinical Pharmacology: Core Principles for the Perfusion Candidate
Clinical pharmacology for the ABCP candidate centers on how drugs alter hemodynamics, coagulation, and myocardial function in the cardiac surgical patient. Anchor your study on four pillars: pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination), pharmacodynamics (receptor and dose-response behavior), autonomic pharmacology (adrenergic and cholinergic agents used on bypass), and anticoagulation (heparin, protamine, and their reversal). Know the vocabulary precisely: half-life, volume of distribution, clearance, first-order versus zero-order kinetics, and context-sensitive half-time for infusions. Understand receptor selectivity - why a beta-1 agent raises inotropy while a beta-2 agent drives vasodilation and bronchodilation - and the dose-response curve, including potency versus efficacy.
241 words, about 1 min02Applied Pharmacology in Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Applied pharmacology asks you to translate principles into intraoperative decisions. Master the agents used on and around bypass: heparin for anticoagulation, protamine for reversal, antifibrinolytics (tranexamic acid, epsilon-aminocaproic acid), inotropes and vasopressors (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dobutamine, milrinone, vasopressin), vasodilators (nitroprusside, nitroglycerin), and anesthetics/sedatives (propofol, volatile agents, opioids). Understand the heparin-antithrombin mechanism and why ACT monitoring is used. Know that protamine can cause histamine-mediated hypotension, pulmonary vasoconstriction, and, rarely, catastrophic reactions.
220 words, about 1 min