American Board of Radiology reveals key changes to IR/DR Certifying Exam
The American Board of Radiology on Monday revealed key upcoming changes to the IR/DR Certifying Exam.
ABR previously announced in 2023 that it was eliminating the written exam in diagnostic radiology, moving to an oral version. Beginning in 2029, interventional radiology candidates also will need to pass DR and IR oral exams.
The Tucson, Arizona, doc-certification nonprofit said it will eliminate the computer-based component of the current IR/DR Certifying Exam after 2028. ABR sought to change the requirements for interventional rads amid concerns about inequality with the new DR process.
“In light of the ABR’s decision to return to an oral exam format for the DR Certifying Exam in 2028, we began seeking input and insight from IR stakeholders to determine whether an imbalance would be created once the new DR Oral Exam was implemented,” the American Board of Radiology said in a blog post published March 10. “Specifically, if the DR assessment, as part of the IR/DR certification process, would be adequately equivalent to that same DR assessment in the DR-only certification process.”
To gather feedback, ABR hired Jennings Healthcare Marketing. They helped to facilitate interviews with leaders in the IR field, stakeholder focus groups, and a survey distributed between August and December. ABR said it found “broad consensus” that the change was necessary.
“In general, stakeholders believe there will be an imbalance between the IR/DR certification process and the DR-only certification process created by the new DR Oral Certifying Exam,” the board said. “In addition, they believe that this imbalance has the potential to negatively impact perceptions and, therefore, the ABR should develop a solution to create greater equivalency in the two processes.”
ABR said the changes will begin applying to interventional radiology residents who complete training in June 2029 (having started IR1 year last July). The board is still determining exact timing of the IR Oral Exam and plans to provide an update later this year. There are no changes to the Qualifying (Core) Exam’s content or timing.
Meanwhile, the ABR also announced a new group payment system for continuing certification fees last month. The switch enables diplomates to have their fees paid by a representative of their organization or institution.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.