ABOP Diplomate study plan
ABOP Diplomate · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Pathology & Odontogenic Cysts and Tumors
Classify the major categories of oral and maxillofacial surgical pathology specimens (inflammatory, cystic, neoplastic) and state the diagnostic feature that separates each category
Differentiate the clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features of the principal odontogenic cysts (radicular, dentigerous, odontogenic keratocyst, lateral periodontal, glandular, calcifying odontogenic) in a written comparison table
Explain the diagnostic criteria and recurrence biology of odontogenic keratocyst versus orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst
Describe the surgical margin and specimen-orientation principles that determine adequacy of an excision specimen
Your checkpoint
A one-page decision tree mapping a cystic jaw lesion from clinical presentation to histopathologic diagnosis, with the discriminating feature annotated at each branch
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Pathology & Odontogenic Cysts and Tumors
Contrast the histopathologic features of ameloblastoma variants (conventional, unicystic, peripheral, extraosseous) and state the recurrence implication of each
Distinguish ameloblastic fibroma, ameloblastic fibro-odontoma, and odontoma by age at presentation and histologic composition
Summarize the features that separate benign from malignant odontogenic tumors, including ameloblastic carcinoma and odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma
Interpret mitotic activity, cytologic atypia, and stromal invasion as indicators of biologic behavior in odontogenic neoplasms
Your checkpoint
A 15-item self-quiz with answer key covering odontogenic tumor diagnosis and behavior, scored and with missed items re-reviewed
Bone and Fibro-osseous Lesions of the Jaws & Microscopic and Immunohistochemical Diagnosis
Compare fibrous dysplasia, ossifying fibroma, and cemento-osseous dysplasia on radiographic pattern, histology, and clinical behavior
Describe the histologic criteria and immunohistochemical workup used to separate low-grade osteosarcoma from benign fibro-osseous lesions
Select appropriate immunohistochemical panels for common diagnostic dilemmas in head and neck pathology and justify each stain's inclusion
Explain the interpretation and pitfalls of cytokeratin, p63, S100, CD1a, and vascular markers in oral specimens
Your checkpoint
A fibro-osseous lesion comparison matrix (radiographic pattern, histology, IHC, behavior, management) completed and self-checked against at least two reference sources
Salivary Gland Pathology & Microscopic and Immunohistochemical Diagnosis
Classify salivary gland neoplasms by cell of origin and site, and state the key histologic discriminator for each
Differentiate pleomorphic adenoma from low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma on architecture, cytology, and stromal pattern
Apply immunohistochemical markers (p63, S100, mammaglobin, DOG1, PLAG1) to salivary gland diagnostic problems
Describe the reporting elements that influence prognosis in salivary malignancy, including perineural invasion and margin status
Your checkpoint
A completed salivary gland unknown-slide exercise: 10 written histologic descriptions with a defensible diagnosis and one-sentence rationale each
Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Mucosal Disease & Hematolymphoid and Dermatologic Pathology of the Head and Neck
Organize oral mucosal disease by clinical morphology (ulcerative, vesiculobullous, white, red, pigmented) and list the leading differential for each pattern
Distinguish lichen planus, lichenoid dysplasia, and epithelial dysplasia on histologic grounds
Describe the diagnostic pathway for vesiculobullous mucosal disease, including direct immunofluorescence and perilesional biopsy technique
Outline the histologic and immunophenotypic features of the major hematolymphoid infiltrates of the head and neck, including lymphoma versus reactive lymphoid hyperplasia
Your checkpoint
A mucosal disease differential table with the biopsy technique and ancillary test indicated for each category, plus 5 written clinical vignettes resolved to a diagnosis
Head and Neck Soft Tissue Pathology & Hematolymphoid and Dermatologic Pathology of the Head and Neck
Classify soft tissue lesions of the head and neck by lineage (adipocytic, fibroblastic, vascular, neural, muscle) with the key histologic feature of each
Differentiate benign from malignant peripheral nerve sheath and vascular lesions using histology and selected markers
Describe the histologic features of cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma
Explain margin assessment and reporting conventions for cutaneous head and neck resections
Your checkpoint
A 20-item image-free morphology quiz on soft tissue and dermatologic entities, with a written justification for each answer
Laboratory Management, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Compliance & Research Methodology, Biostatistics, and Evidence-Based Practice
Draft the components of a laboratory quality assurance program, including proficiency testing, competency assessment, and specimen tracking
Identify the regulatory requirements that govern oral pathology laboratory operations and specimen handling
Explain sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratios as they apply to a diagnostic test in pathology
Critique a published diagnostic accuracy study for bias, sampling, and reference-standard quality
Interpret confidence intervals and p-values in the context of a clinical pathology question
Your checkpoint
A two-page critical appraisal of one diagnostic accuracy paper, including a completed bias assessment and a stated bottom-line recommendation
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Pathology & Odontogenic Cysts and Tumors & Salivary Gland Pathology & Bone and Fibro-osseous Lesions of the Jaws & Microscopic and Immunohistochemical Diagnosis
Integrate diagnostic reasoning across surgical pathology, odontogenic lesions, salivary gland, and bone pathology in timed case-based practice
Identify personal high-error domains from prior weeks' quizzes and target them with focused review
Rehearse structured case presentation: findings, differential, ancillary studies, and final diagnosis
Consolidate a one-page summary of high-yield discriminators for each major domain
Your checkpoint
A full-length timed mock examination (at least 100 case-based items) completed, scored by domain, with a written remediation plan for any domain scoring below 70%
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on the odontogenic cyst and tumor self-quiz; any missed item is logged with the correct discriminator
Week 4: Complete the fibro-osseous matrix and the salivary gland unknown-slide exercise with a defensible rationale for every diagnosis
Week 6: Score at least 75% on the soft tissue and dermatologic morphology quiz and demonstrate accurate use of at least five immunohistochemical panels across all completed exercises
Week 8: Complete the timed mock examination with a domain-by-domain score report and a written remediation plan for any domain below 70%