ABR Radiation Oncology
American Board of Radiology Radiation Oncology Initial Certification
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ABR Radiation Oncology initial certification is the American Board of Radiology's credential for physicians who treat cancer and other conditions with ionizing radiation. Candidates must complete a year of accredited clinical training, finish a four-year ACGME- or RCPSC-accredited radiation oncology residency (or the International Medical Graduate Alternate Pathway), hold a valid state or provincial license (a training license is acceptable during residency), and demonstrate ethical standards. Certification requires passing two exams. The Qualifying Exam is computer-based and has three separately scored parts: Medical Physics for Radiation Oncology, Radiation and Cancer Biology, and Clinical Radiation Oncology. The Oral Certifying Exam is case-based, with eight 25-minute one-on-one sessions spanning eight clinical categories. You have six full calendar years from residency completion to complete certification, and the Oral exam is generally taken the calendar year after graduation and after passing the Qualifying Exam. Both exams use criterion-referenced scoring against a fixed standard rather than a curve. Preparation should follow the ABR study guides and exam blueprints, use the Exam Readiness Check and sample questions to learn the interface, and practice with the embedded calculator for physics calculations. Staging questions follow current AJCC guidelines, and toxicity questions follow the current CTCAE version.
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About ABR Radiation Oncology preparation
What is the format of the Qualifying Exam?
It is a computer-based exam with three parts: Medical Physics for Radiation Oncology and Radiation and Cancer Biology each take about two and a half hours in one session, while Clinical Radiation Oncology takes about six hours across two sessions on one day. Question formats include multiple choice and drag-and-drop image identification.
When can I take each exam?
Medical Physics and Radiation and Cancer Biology are taken after 32 months of radiation oncology training, or after 24 months with written program director approval. Clinical Radiation Oncology is taken after 44 months. The Oral Certifying Exam is generally taken the calendar year after graduation and after passing the Qualifying Exam.
How is the Qualifying Exam scored, and what happens if I fail one part?
Each part is scored as a whole using a criterion-referenced standard, and the result is pass or fail. If you do not meet the standard on a part, you must retake that entire part. You must pass all three parts to pass overall, but you can retake them separately if you only fail one.
How does the Oral Certifying Exam work?
It is an oral, case-based exam with eight 25-minute sessions, each conducted one-on-one with a different examiner and covering one of eight clinical categories. Cases span anatomy, epidemiology, pathology, staging, patterns of spread, treatment selection, and integration of surgery and systemic therapy.
What happens if I fail categories on the Oral Exam?
Scoring is by content category, with results of pass, conditional pass, or fail. Failing one or two categories yields a conditional pass, and you retake only those categories, re-evaluated by two examiners; if both pass you, the condition is removed. Failing three or more means retaking the entire exam.
How long do I have to become certified?
You have six full calendar years from residency completion to complete your RO certification. If you miss an exam opportunity because you did not register or canceled, and you are still within your board eligibility period, you will be invited to the next available exam.
How many times a year are the exams offered?
The Medical Physics and Radiation and Cancer Biology parts are offered once a year, typically in June. Clinical Radiation Oncology is offered once a year, typically in May. The Oral Certifying Exam is offered twice a year, typically in April and October.
What should I study first?
Start with the ABR study guides and exam blueprints for each part, since they define scope. Build physics and radiobiology foundations before the clinical exam, and practice the embedded calculator functions, including exponential decay and logarithmic calculations, since no personal calculators are permitted in the exam area.
Which staging and toxicity systems are used?
Staging questions follow the latest AJCC guidelines, currently the 8th edition (2016), though questions based on older clinical trials use the staging in place at the time of that study. Toxicity questions use the most recent CTCAE version, currently 5.0 (2017), with the same trial-era exception.
When do results come out?
Computer-based exam results are available in myABR about one month after an exam, and you receive an email notification when they are posted. A progress bar on the ABR page shows the current scoring phase while exams are being scored.