core Exam study plan & resource review

Disclaimer: I have no conflict of interest. No one paid me a penny to do this.

 

The Core is a very challenging test because:

• Vast amount of knowledge you need to stuff your brain with

• There is no official or well organized resource to prepare you for the test

• You are fighting other simultaneous battles like residency, fellowship interview season, call...etc

• The test is constantly evolving, and sometimes has significant anxiety provoking glitches

• It just sucks man

 

In order to pass the test you must have a time-efficient attack strategy, good prep resources, mental stamina, test taking skills, and some luck. Your friendly psych residents can help you with mental stamina, if needed. This review can help guide you to attain the rest. However, I am the last person on earth to ask for some good luck, as you will realize when I finish writing the about section of this website!

 

This review is based on my personal experience and based on preparedness/performance data collected from 275 resident who took the Core in 2018. I will try to make it simple and short. Statements based on data are marked with a star sign (*). Otherwise, the rest is just my personal experience.

When to start?

• 3 months = too short unless you are Albert Einstein

• 6 months = optimal

• 9 months = you will burnout and lose momentum when you need it the most

• 12+ months = psych consult is recommended

• Longer prep is not a statistically significant predictor of passing*

How to study?

You need to see a lot of cases, especially auntminnie cases. Don't stress about trying to know all associated trivia. Train your brain for what matters the most. I repeat, do not be OCD and try to know it all. Read a resource of your choice twice maybe to reinforce trivia, and do a ton of questions to see as much as possible images. The majority of questions on the test will just ask you what is the diagnosis? THIS IS AN IMAGE RICH TEST. Some questions are second order questions, but you will be able to figure them out if you think for a moment or two. Questions from Mars are a minority, and very unlikely you will be able to answer them no matter how hard you prepared or how much test time you spend/waste.

 

The more questions you do, the higher score on the actual test*. Sleep well, this is really important. The more you sleep, the higher your score*.

 

Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes. Get direct sun exposure for at least 20 minutes. You can do both in the same time of course.

 

For studying, I recommend 2-3 hours per day on weekdays. 5-8 hours per day on weekends. Most importantly, take 0.5-1 day off per week to recharge, connect with family, and have some fun.

 

Resources that are a must for everyone:

• ABR Practice test

• ACR NIS manual

• ACR contrast media manual (be selective with this one)

• RSNA Syllabus for Biological Effects and Radiation Safety Associated with Imaging Modalities

• RadioGraphics ABR Diagnostic Radiology Core Exam Blueprints Article Index (especially the physics section) (see figures/captions and do not stress about reading the full text)

 

Resource Review

 

No single resource has a statistically significant association with a higher score*.

 

Pick your weapons and go for battle. There is no gold standard, yet.

 

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Crack the Core

Rating: 7/10

Pros: Very easy and fun to read. Everything is simplified and made easy to memorize and understand.

Cons: Very very image poor. Trivia overload. Obsessed about low yield French and Latin words for no good reason.

Calisian advice: Focus on explanations/diagrams rather than the endless useless trivia. Google images to see cases you read about. His videos complement the book and reinforce the material.  If you read it efficiently, it can help for sure. If you are a Promethean super-fan, you will pay a hefty price for that my friend.

 

Radiology Physics - War Machine

Rating: 9/10

Pros: Simplifies physics perfectly. Excellent diagrams/illustrations. High yield stuff only.

Cons: MR/US/NM/Safety chapters leave some important topics uncovered.

Calisian advice: I highly recommend this book. Consider supplementing with other resources for optimal topic coverage.

 

Core Radiology

Rating: 7/10

Pros: Very good image-text balance. Easy to read.

Cons: Leaves important topics uncovered especially in IR, NM, Peds, Cardiac,  and Physics. Some sections are tailored for junior residents rather than core review.

Calisian advice: Consider supplementing with other resources for optimal topic coverage.

 

Huda Physics

Rating: 6/10

Pros: Comprehensive. Summarized. Very good figures/diagrams.

Cons: Poor concept explanation. Very dry book.

Calisian advice: Do not use it as a primary source. Use it to cover knowledge gaps or supplement other resources.

 

RadPrimer/StatDx/Radiopedia

Rating: 4/10

Pros: Comprehensive. Image rich. Fast access to what you specifically need.

Cons: Not tailored for board review. You will need a century to go through it.

Calisian advice: Be selective. Use it as a fact checker and an image reference.

 

RSNA Physics Modules

Rating: 6/10

Pros: Explains concepts visually. Interactive.

Cons: Very long and time consuming.

Calisian advice: Some people like it, some people rather be time efficient. I could not survive more than 3 modules.

 

ACR Appropriateness Criteria

Rating: 4/10

Pros: You will be asked about this, be 100% sure. Simple.

Cons: Too many to memorize.

Calisian advice: Memorize the big ones. Use common sense to handle the rest.

 

ACR Contrast Manual

Rating: 5/10

Pros: Tables and summaries are high yield.

Cons: Full of low yield discussion paragraphs.

Calisian advice: Be selective.

 

ACR Non-interpretive Skills Manual

Rating: 9/10

Pros: Easy points. Getting shorter every year.

Cons: 50% frustrating pseudoscience.

Calisian advice: Read it at least twice. Do not give up easy points.

 

Journal articles (Radiographics, AJR...etc)

Rating: 4/10

Pros: Free. Can help explain specific topics or fill limited knowledge gaps.

Cons: Not tailored for the purpose of the test obviously. Text heavy.

Calisian advice: Be super selective. Focus on figures/captions not text.

 

Questions Bank Review

 

RadPrimer

Rating: 6/10

Pros: Freely available to most residents. High number of questions. Can help build up speed.

Cons: Full of low yield questions. Not tailored for the test at all. Some sections like NIS are outdated.

Calisian advice: Do it fast and do not stress about missing esoteric cases or reading lengthy explanations. Do it only if you have a surplus of time.

 

Qevlar

Rating: 7/10

Pros: Affordable. Offline mode.

Cons: Approximately 2 text-based questions for every image-base question. Software interface is suboptimal.

Calisian advice: Use it early to crudly train not to fine-tune close to the exam date.  

 

BoardVitals

Rating: 9/10

Pros: Image rich. High yield. Very well written questions. Excellent platform.

Cons: Expensive. A few esoteric questions here and there.

Calisian advice: Do it in the last few weeks before you go for the test.

 

ABR Practice Test

Rating: 10/10

Pros: Free. As close as it gets to the real test. Extremely high yield.

Cons: None.

Calisian advice: Do it in the last 2 weeks before your test. Familiarize yourself with the testing software layout.

 

Radiology 300/ Radiology Core: Physics Phone App

Rating: 9/10

Pros: Affordable and cost/time effective. High yield.

Cons: Software issues sometimes.

Calisian advice: Very good content and excellent topic coverage.

 

A Core Review Series

Rating: 7/10

Pros: Some are high yield like Mamo for example. Physics questions are integrated.

Cons: Many esoteric frustrating questions. Expensive.

Calisian advice: Do it if you can afford it. Do not be frustrated with esoteric questions. Avoid spending too much time on lengthy explanations.

 

Calisi Physics

Rating: 6/10

Pros: Free. Mock physics test. Covers the fringes of needed knowledge for the test. Data driven predictive tools.

Cons: Image poor. No explanation for answers, yet. QBank needs more volume. One man show.

Calisian advice: The mock test will help you gauge your preparedness. The QBank is purposely designed to help you tackle esoteric and difficult questions.

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Good luck, and may the force be with you!