Getting your certification as a Radiologist is a two-part process that includes the CORE Exam and the Certifying Exam. While both these exams will test you on what you need to know clinically to become a Radiologist, they also cover noninterpretive skills. Noninterpretive skills questions can trip up even the most prepared test taker. What are these skills, and how can you best prepare to master these questions?
What are Noninterpretive Skills?
The Radiology boards test you on a variety of information that you will need to know to be a practicing Radiologist. They also cover noninterpretive skills. Noninterpretative skills (NIS) are radiology aspects that do not involve reading or interpreting images. These aspects can include qualify, safety, ethics, and communication.
The Radiology CORE Exam
The Radiology CORE Exam is an image-heavy, computer-based exam taken over three days, and administered three years after you begin your radiology residency training. The CORE exam takes a more integrated approach than the old board exams do, with much more clinical practicality and implication, non-interpretive skills, applied (not textbook) physics, and so on.
The Radiology Certifying Exam
The Radiology Certifying exam is usually taken the year following the ABR CORE Exam. There are four modules – three are selected by the test taker.
We receive many questions about the non-interpretive skills section of the exam. It is new and non-diagnostic. The test is broad and covers anything from safety to ethics.
Here are two ABR noninterpretive skills questions taken from the BoardVitals Radiology CORE and Certifying Exam question banks.
Question 1
Which of the following is true regarding quality improvement?
A. It involves retrospective reviews only
B. It is a static process
C. It seeks to attribute blame through root cause analysis
D. It aims to create systems that prevent errors from happening
E. It is an older process than quality assurance
The correct answer is (D) it aims to create systems that prevent errors from happening. The other answer choices (A, B, C, and E) are true about quality assurance, NOT quality improvement. Although sometimes lumped together as quality assurance/ quality improvement (QA/QI), they are temporally and ideologically unique process.
Quality improvement (QI) is a more recent phenomenon in healthcare, but many are familiar with the term Quality Assurance (QA) as it was a common term for a number of years. QA can be considered reactive, generally retrospective, occasionally involving policing, and in many ways punitive or finger pointing. It often involves determining who was at fault after a medical error. The term QA is older and not often used today (E).
QI involves both prospective and retrospective reviews (A). It is aimed at improvement—measuring where you are and figuring out ways to make things better. It specifically attempts to avoid attributing blame (C) and to create systems that prevent errors from happening (D). It is a continuous process that must occur consistently in an ongoing fashion, unlike the QA entity, which is static (B). QI activities can be very helpful in improving how things work. Trying to locate the “defect” in the system and determining new ways to do things can be challenging and fun. It’s a great opportunity to “think outside the box.”
The Case for Using Industrial Quality Management Science in Health Care Organizations, Laffel and Blumenthal, JAMA, 262, 20, 1989.
Question 2
All of the following are true regarding quality assurance except?
A. The term QA is a newer older that is often used today
B. It is generally considered reactive
C. It is retrospective
D. It occasionally involving policing, and, in many ways punitive or finger pointing.
E. It often involves determining who was at fault after a medical error.
The correct answer is (A) the term QA is a newer older that is often used today is thus an INCORRECT statement. The term QA is older and not often used today. The other answer choices (B, C, D, and E) are true about quality assurance. Although sometimes lumped together as quality assurance/ quality improvement (QA/QI), they are temporally and ideologically unique process.
Quality improvement (QI) is a more recent phenomenon in healthcare, but many are familiar with the term Quality Assurance (QA) as it was a common term for a number of years. QA can be considered reactive (B), generally retrospective (C), occasionally involving policing (D), and in many ways punitive or finger pointing. It often involves determining who was at fault after a medical error (E).
QI involves both prospective and retrospective reviews (A). It is aimed at improvement—measuring where you are and figuring out ways to make things better. It specifically attempts to avoid attributing blame (C) and to create systems that prevent errors from happening (D). It is a continuous process that must occur consistently in an ongoing fashion, unlike the QA entity, which is static (B). QI activities can be very helpful in improving how things work. Trying to locate the “defect” in the system and determining new ways to do things can be challenging and fun. It’s a great opportunity to “think outside the box.”
The Case for Using Industrial Quality Management Science in Health Care Organizations, Laffel and Blumenthal, JAMA, 262, 20, 1989.
Need more practice as you prepare for the Radiology boards? Sign up for a free trial of the BoardVitals CORE Radiology Question Bank or Certifying Question Bank. These banks each contain more than 170 noninterpretive skills questions. Every BoardVitals question includes a detailed explanation for both correct and incorrect answers.
