RANZCR pathology examination

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.

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. The overall passing score is normally set at 60% however the passing standard for each case may vary from this percentage.

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:

1. common conditions or conditions in which the radiologist plays a vital role for diagnosis

2. conditions which may have less urgency in diagnosis

3. 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

Since August 2012 the examination has been delivered electronically. Currently it is delivered 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:

  • necrosis and apoptosis

• intracellular accumulations and their relevance in pathological conditions, including:

  • lipids, proteins, glycogen, and pigments

• 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

  • tissue transplant 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 abuseuse

• adverse drug reactions

• radiation injury

• poisons

• nutritional deficiencies

• obesity

• diabetes mellitus

• occupational exposures

Prize

Each year, RANZCR awards the most successful candidate in the pathology examination the MGF Donnan Prize, named in honour of Dr Gordon Donnan, a radiologist who was instrumental in the formative years of the college. The recipient is awarded a cash prize equivalent to the cost of their exam fee and complimentary early bird registration to the RANZCR Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) that year ³.

NB: Details are correct at the time of writing. Please check with RANZCR for updated details.