A survey of fourth-year radiology residents who took the 2018 ABR Core Exam

Residents who passed the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Core Examination perceived the value of a range of preparation resources as higher than those who failed, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI.

The study was conducted to assist program directors and future residents with improving study preparation for the ABR Core exam.

Fourth year radiology residents across the United States who took and received their results after the first examination of the ABR Core exam in 2018 were surveyed with free response and multiple choice questions about (American Institute for Radiologic Pathology) AIRP lectures, conference lectures, books, 3rd-year in-training exam scores, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step scores, study time off, ABR core exam overall score, and ABR core exam sections scored less than 350.

Preliminary results based on 186 residents of 1163 radiology resident test takers who responded to the survey reveal that residents who passed the exam perceived the value of resources including Crack the Core series, question banks, and conference lectures as higher than those who failed. In particular, responders who passed the ABR exam had more study time off and had higher USMLE step 1 scores compared to residents who failed.

Additional research is still needed to identify and develop the best resources and strategies to prepare future residents for the ABR core exam. However, findings suggest that more time off and use of resources more commonly used by the pass cohort may lead to a greater chance on passing the ABR Core Exam.