![Picture](/uploads/1/1/2/6/11261556/1337823002.jpg)
ABR is the medical certification board for medical physicists, radiation oncologists, and radiologists (not necessarily in that order). My branch of medical physics, which is diagnostic imaging physics, is described by the ABR on their website as a branch of medical physics that deals with:
- the diagnostic applications of x-rays, gamma rays from sealed sources, ultrasonic radiation, magnetic resonance
- the equipment associated with their production and use including radiation safety.
The pathway to becoming an ABR diplomate is challenging and becoming more so each year, but that's laundry that needn't be aired here. To begin with, a candidate must have a graduate degree (masters or doctorate) in medical physics, physics, or a related science and engineering field. I have a Ph.D. in elementary particle physics but decided to switch fields after graduation. The requirement for new entrants to the field is a degree from a CAMPEP-accredited institution, so no more lateral entries. As part of my retraining in medical physics, I did a 2-year residency at the Univerity of Alabama at Birmingham where I received clinical experience in imaging physics as well as didactic training in the same. This residency will soon be required of everyone and must be CAMPEP accredited as well. You also must have a course on radiation biology, one on human anatomy (yay cadver lab!), and graduate-level equivalent medical physics courses. The candidate must also be under the supervision of a qualified medical physicist. When all those requirements are met, the candidate is alllowed to sit for Part 1 of the ABR examination. This is a written examination (i.e., computer-based) with multiple choice questions covering general physics, human anatomy, and radiation biology. I don't think you should have trouble passing this test if you've had the required coursework.
The requirements for Part 2 of the written examination is simpler: you have to have passed Part 1, you must have spent 36 months working in a clincal setting under the direction of a qualified medical physicist, and you need letters of attestation from an ABR physicist and an ABR physician as to the quality of your work. You can then take Part 2, which is an examination that consists of physics questions from your specific field. For those who pass Part 2, there is a Part 3 oral examination. This exam is held every year in Louisville, KY at the Crowne Plaza and has about 3000 candidates each year from all the ABR subfields. The oral examination is intended to test clinical competence and experience and is based on a computerized image exam. The candidate enters a series of rooms where a questioner runs through a variety of image-based questions before time is called and the candidates switch rooms. It is my understanding that the examiners meet after seeing all the candidates and select the top 50% to pass. The rest get to try again in December (I think).
Much like a Masonic Lodge, we're sworn to secrecy about what goes on inside those oral examination rooms. SO DON'T ASK!