ABR study materials
ABR study resources

ABR study plan

ABR · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Neuroradiology & Thoracic radiology

  • Complete a 60-question timed diagnostic across all 12 domains and rank every domain by personal baseline score

  • Label the suprasellar, pineal, cerebellopontine angle, and perimesencephalic cisterns and their contents on unlabeled axial and coronal images

  • Build a written decision table differentiating acute, early subacute, late subacute, and chronic hemorrhage by CT density and MRI T1/T2 signal

  • Construct a pattern-based differential for ring-enhancing brain lesions containing at least six entities keyed to location and patient age

  • Classify diffuse lung disease by craniocaudal and axial distribution into the six major HRCT patterns, then list three causes of each

  • Delineate the three mediastinal compartments and name the four most common masses in each

Your checkpoint

A one-page HRCT pattern table plus a hemorrhage signal-timing table, and a completed 60-question diagnostic scored and mapped by domain (target >=65%).

Week 2

Gastrointestinal imaging & Genitourinary imaging

  • Trace the biliary and pancreatic ductal anatomy on provided MRCP and CT images and identify the five most common anatomic variants

  • Build a segmental liver lesion differential keyed to arterial enhancement pattern, washout, and delayed-phase behavior

  • Assign Bosniak categories to ten described cystic renal masses using written size, septation, and enhancement criteria

  • Order the differential for bowel wall thickening by distribution, enhancement pattern, and degree of dilation

  • Diagram the retroperitoneal and pelvic spaces (adrenal, perirenal, anterior pararenal, presacral) to support local staging

Your checkpoint

A 40-question self-written GI/GU quiz scored >=80%, plus a one-page Bosniak and liver-lesion enhancement reference card.

Week 3

Musculoskeletal radiology & Ultrasound

  • Identify meniscal, cruciate, collateral, and rotator cuff structures on knee and shoulder MRI cases without reference material

  • Formulate a bone lesion differential using age, skeletal location, margin, and matrix, applied to twelve written case vignettes

  • Classify ten described thyroid nodules by TI-RADS composition, echogenicity, shape, margin, and echogenic foci into final categories

  • Apply written duplex criteria to detect and grade lower-extremity venous reflux and diagnose DVT

  • Differentiate ectopic pregnancy, abruption, and placenta previa on described transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound findings

Your checkpoint

A 40-question MSK/ultrasound quiz scored >=80% plus a completed TI-RADS scoring worksheet for ten nodules with concordant categories.

Week 4

Breast imaging & Nuclear radiology

  • Apply the ACR BI-RADS lexicon to describe and categorize twenty written mammographic, ultrasound, and MRI findings

  • Distinguish screening from diagnostic breast workup and state the management recommendation for each BI-RADS category

  • Match radiopharmaceuticals to their mechanisms and indicated studies (bone, thyroid, renal, hepatobiliary, V/Q, FDG PET)

  • Interpret ten described nuclear medicine studies by identifying the study, key findings, and most likely diagnosis

  • Explain false-positive and false-negative sources for V/Q scanning, FDG PET, and thyroid uptake imaging

Your checkpoint

A timed 50-question mixed-domain block scored >=75%, with every missed item logged and tagged to its parent domain.

Week 5

Cardiovascular imaging & Interventional radiology

  • Identify standard cardiac CT and MRI imaging planes and the coronary artery territories they depict

  • Differentiate aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating ulcer, and ruptured aneurysm on described CT findings

  • Sequence the workup of acute and chronic limb ischemia and pulmonary embolism using CT angiography and catheter angiography

  • Compare embolic agents, sclerosing agents, and ablation modalities by indication, mechanism, and expected imaging appearance

  • List the major and minor periprocedural complications of TACE, Y-90 radioembolization, and percutaneous drainage and their management

Your checkpoint

A 40-question cardiovascular/IR quiz scored >=80% plus a one-page embolic-agent selection table keyed to five clinical scenarios.

Week 6

Pediatric radiology & Noninterpretive skills

  • Distinguish normal pediatric chest and abdominal radiographic appearances and typical age-specific variants

  • Apply skeletal survey and fracture-dating principles to suspected nonaccidental trauma in written pediatric cases

  • Interpret study design, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratios from supplied two-by-two tables

  • Apply contrast safety, radiation dose reduction, and MRI safety screening rules to written clinical scenarios

  • Explain informed consent, error disclosure, peer review, and quality improvement processes as tested in noninterpretive skills items

Your checkpoint

A 40-question pediatric/noninterpretive quiz scored >=80% plus a one-page biostatistics formula sheet applied to three worked problems.

Week 7

Neuroradiology & Gastrointestinal imaging & Musculoskeletal radiology

  • Re-quiz every domain scoring below 75% on the week 4 block until each reaches 80% or higher

  • Reconcile the error log and rewrite each missed concept as a single teach-back sentence

  • Practice rapid case recall by verbalizing findings and diagnosis for fifty mixed cross-sectional cases in under ninety seconds each

  • Identify the three domains with the slowest response times and assign a targeted drill for each

Your checkpoint

A rewritten, deduplicated error log in which every entry has a corrected concept statement, and a re-quiz score of >=80% in all previously weak domains.

Week 8

Cardiovascular imaging & Genitourinary imaging & Nuclear radiology & Thoracic radiology

  • Simulate two full-length timed exams under test-day conditions and record per-domain timing

  • Review only the items missed on the simulations and close each knowledge gap with a written correction

  • Verify command of high-yield lists (radiopharmaceuticals, contrast agents, BI-RADS, Bosniak, TI-RADS) by unassisted recall

  • Finalize test-day logistics: scheduling, break strategy, and pacing targets per question block

Your checkpoint

Two completed full-length timed simulations with the second scoring at least 5 percentage points above the first and every missed item corrected in writing.

Milestones

Week 1: 60-question diagnostic completed and every domain ranked by baseline score, establishing the targeting order for weeks 7-8.

Week 3: At least six of twelve domains covered with a scored quiz on record; any domain below 70% flagged for week 7 re-quiz.

Week 4: First timed 50-question mixed block completed at >=75% with a working error log tagging each miss to its domain.

Week 6: All twelve domains covered at least once; all scored quizzes and the error log consolidated into a single review file.

Week 7: No remaining domain below 80% on re-quiz and error log fully rewritten with corrected concept statements.

Week 8: Two full-length timed simulations completed; second score at least 5 percentage points above the first and above the target pass threshold.