RANZCR pathology examination
Updates to Article Attributes
The RANZCR pathology examination is part of the RANZCR Phase 2 written examinations. It aims to assess both core and advanced knowledge of pathology, and its application to current radiological practice. It
The examination can be attempted as early as 12 months from the start of training if all the other Phase 1 training requirements have been met. Trainees have a maximum of three consecutive opportunities to complete the pathology examination.
Learning outcomes
The exam aims to assess a thorough knowledge of general pathology, particularly in relation to the identification of disease and conditions using imaging. This includes recognition of the pathological consequences of disease, as well as morphological changes associated with therapies and occupational exposures.
Clinical conditions are organised into three categories:
- common conditions or conditions in which the radiologist plays a vital role for diagnosis
- conditions which may have less urgency in diagnosis
- rare conditions that a radiologist must broadly know of, but in enough detail to include them in a differential diagnosis
Format
The examination is 3 hours in duration and consists of:
- 10 short answer questions: two general questions and one question per topic area (see below), worth 6 marks per question
- 100 multiple choice questions: each with a stem and five possible answers, worth 1 mark per question
CurrentlySince August 2012 the examination has been delivered electronically. Currently it is delivered electronically on the Practique system via online proctoring.
Content
Topic areas include:
- cellular adaptations of growth and differentiation, including:
- hyperplasia, hypertrophy, atrophy, and metaplasia
- cell injury and cell death, including:
- intracellular accumulations and their relevance in pathological conditions, including:
- pathological calcification and associated morphological changes
- acute and chronic inflammation
- regeneration, repair and scar formation, fibrosis, and healing in specialised tissues (e.g. fracture healing)
-
haemodynamic disorders, thromboembolic disease, and shock, including:
- oedema and effusions
- hyperaemia and congestion
- haemorrhagic disorders (defects of primary and secondary haemostasis)
- thrombosis
- disseminated intravascular coagulation
- embolism
- infarction
-
hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiency syndromes, including:
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- scleroderma
-
vasculitis
- small vessel: granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- medium vessel: polyarteritis nodosa, Kawasaki disease
- large vessel: giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis
- IgG4-related disease
-
rejection oftissuetransplantstransplant rejection - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- amyloidosis
-
neoplasia, including:
- tumour nomenclature, tumour classification, and staging systems
- benign and malignant tumours
- clinical aspects (including local effects, hormonal effects, and paraneoplastic syndromes)
- tumour markers
- infections
- tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse
- adverse drug reactions
- radiation injury
- poisons
- nutritional deficiencies
- obesity
- diabetes mellitus
- occupational exposures
NB: Details are correct at the time of writing. Please check with RANZCR for updated details.
-<p>The <strong>RANZCR pathology examination</strong> is part of the <a href="/articles/ranzcr-phase-2-written-examinations">RANZCR Phase 2 written examinations</a>. It aims to assess core and advanced knowledge of pathology and its application to current radiological practice. It can be attempted as early as 12 months from the start of training if all the other Phase 1 training requirements have been met.</p><h5>Learning outcomes</h5><p>The exam aims to assess a thorough knowledge of general pathology, particularly in relation to the identification of disease and conditions using imaging. This includes recognition of the pathological consequences of disease, as well as morphological changes associated with therapies and occupational exposures.</p><p>Clinical conditions are organised into three categories:</p><ol>- +<p>The <strong>RANZCR pathology examination</strong> is part of the <a href="/articles/ranzcr-phase-2-written-examinations">RANZCR Phase 2 written examinations</a>. It aims to assess both core and advanced knowledge of pathology, and its application to current radiological practice.</p><p>The examination can be attempted as early as 12 months from the start of training if all the other Phase 1 training requirements have been met. Trainees have a maximum of three consecutive opportunities to complete the pathology examination.</p><h5>Learning outcomes</h5><p>The exam aims to assess a thorough knowledge of general pathology, particularly in relation to the identification of disease and conditions using imaging. This includes recognition of the pathological consequences of disease, as well as morphological changes associated with therapies and occupational exposures.</p><p>Clinical conditions are organised into three categories:</p><ol>
-</ul><p>Currently it is delivered electronically on the Practique system via online proctoring.</p><h5>Content</h5><p>Topic areas include:</p><ul>- +</ul><p>Since August 2012 the examination has been delivered electronically. Currently it is delivered on the Practique system via online proctoring.</p><h5>Content</h5><p>Topic areas include:</p><ul>
-<li>intracellular accumulations and their relevance in pathological conditions, including:<ul><li>lipids, <a href="/articles/proteins">proteins</a>, glycogen, and pigments</li></ul>- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/intracellular-accumulations">intracellular accumulations</a> and their relevance in pathological conditions, including:<ul><li>
- +<a href="/articles/lipids">lipids</a>, <a href="/articles/proteins">proteins</a>, <a href="/articles/glycogen">glycogen</a>, and <a href="/articles/pigments">pigments</a>
- +</li></ul>
-<li>pathological calcification and associated morphological changes</li>- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/pathological-calcification">pathological calcification</a> and associated morphological changes</li>
-<li>regeneration, repair and scar formation, fibrosis, and healing in specialised tissues (e.g. <a href="/articles/fracture-healing">fracture healing</a>)</li>-<li>haemodynamic disorders, thromboembolic disease, and <a href="/articles/shock">shock</a>, including:<ul>-<a href="/articles/oedema">oedema</a> and effusions</li>-<li>hyperaemia and <a href="/articles/congestion">congestion</a>- +<a href="/articles/regeneration">regeneration</a>, <a href="/articles/repair">repair</a> and <a href="/articles/scar-formation">scar formation</a>, <a href="/articles/fibrosis">fibrosis</a>, and <a href="/articles/healing">healing</a> in specialised tissues (e.g. <a href="/articles/fracture-healing">fracture healing</a>)</li>
- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/haemodynamic-disorders">haemodynamic disorders</a>, <a href="/articles/thromboembolic-disease">thromboembolic disease</a>, and <a href="/articles/shock">shock</a>, including:<ul>
- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/oedema">oedema</a> and <a href="/articles/effusions">effusions</a>
-<li>haemorrhagic disorders (defects of primary and secondary haemostasis)</li>-<li>thrombosis</li>- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/hyperaemia">hyperaemia</a> and <a href="/articles/congestion">congestion</a>
- +</li>
- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/haemorrhagic-disorders">haemorrhagic disorders</a> (defects of <a href="/articles/primary-haemostasis">primary</a> and <a href="/articles/secondary-haemostasis">secondary</a> haemostasis)</li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/thrombosis">thrombosis</a></li>
-<li>infarction</li>- +<li><a href="/articles/infarction">infarction</a></li>
-<a href="/articles/hypersensitivity-reaction">hypersensitivity reactions</a>, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiency syndromes, including:<ul>- +<a href="/articles/hypersensitivity-reaction">hypersensitivity reactions</a>, <a href="/articles/autoimmune-diseases">autoimmune diseases</a>, and <a href="/articles/immunodeficiency-syndromes">immunodeficiency syndromes</a>, including:<ul>
-<li>rejection of tissue transplants</li>- +<li>tissue <a href="/articles/transplant-rejection">transplant rejection</a>
- +</li>
-<li>tumour nomenclature, <a href="/articles/cancer">tumour classification</a>, and <a href="/articles/cancer-staging-list">staging systems</a>- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/tumour-nomenclature">tumour nomenclature</a>, <a href="/articles/cancer">tumour classification</a>, and <a href="/articles/cancer-staging-list">staging systems</a>
-<li>infections</li>- +<li><a href="/articles/infections">infections</a></li>
-<li>adverse drug reactions</li>- +<li><a href="/articles/adverse-drug-reactions">adverse drug reactions</a></li>
-<li>poisons</li>-<li>nutritional deficiencies</li>- +<li><a href="/articles/poisons">poisons</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/nutritional-deficiencies">nutritional deficiencies</a></li>
-<li>occupational exposures</li>- +<li><a href="/articles/occupational-exposures">occupational exposures</a></li>