Specialist Title Test and Expertise Area Certificate has 1462 participants in six cities in Brazil

The first phase of the 2019 Specialist Title and Certificate of Expertise Test took place on April 28 in six cities in Brazil simultaneously (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Recife, Curitiba and Belo Horizonte). In all, 1462 candidates took the theoretical and/or theoretical-practical test covering the areas of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, General Ultrasound, Ultrasound in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mammography, Vascular Ultrasound with Doppler, Bone Densitometry, Diagnostic Neuroradiology, Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Interventional Radiology and Angioradiology. According to Dr. Túlio Macedo, coordinator of the Titulation and Admission Committee of the Brazilian College of Radiology and Image Diagnosis (CBR), there was a change in relation to last year's test with regard to the date. “CBR's will is always to adjust and facilitate the lives of residents who have completed their training, which is why we anticipate the exam. This has been happening gradually and, this year, we held the test for the first time in April. The purpose of this is to provide the candidate with the possibility of obtaining the title as early as possible”, he explains. As for the content, Dr. Túlio points out that there was an important rigor in the elaboration of questions, pedagogical and linguistic evaluation, based on international criteria, in order to better discriminate the candidate who was prepared from the one who was not prepared. “It is not the objective of the CBR to reject a candidate who has adequate preparation but who did not manage to perform well due to problems in understanding the issues”, adds the coordinator of the Commission. Among the participants, Dr. Airton Avedes Caramalac Junior, who took the Vascular Ultrasound test, told CBR about his experience. “It was the first time I took the test. My expectation was of a more difficult test, but I thought it was easy, with good impression of the images. Overall, everything went smoothly.” Already Dr. Vinicius Martins Valois, who took the Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging test, indicated that there was no surprise in relation to his expectations. “The test was well conducted with the contents that were going to be charged, well distributed. The exam was entitled to the Specialist Title, to the content that the physician must master”, he points out. On preparing for the exam, Dr. Vinicius added that he checked the previous tests. “I already imagined what could be charged and prepared myself for it”, he says. For Dr. Luis Felipe Pavanello, who also took the Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging test, the main challenge is to reconcile his work schedule with the time needed to dedicate himself to studying and preparing for the test. “There is always some question that can make us a little angry, but the test was at a reasonable level. As it is not a test of elimination but of sufficiency, it is generally calmer for us”, he declared. Although it is not an eliminatory test, the exam to obtain the Title of Specialist and/or Certificate in the Area of Practice is a big step in the doctor's career. For this reason, this moment is of great expectation for professionals, who must have a study strategy. “The candidate must keep in mind that the content is very broad, extensive, and that it must focus on several subjects within Radiology. However, it is important for him to realize that some themes are recurrent. The analysis of previous tests is of great value for the candidate to succeed in the exam. Reading and practicing the previous questions helps the individual to perceive the degree of difficulty, as well as what the examiner wants to assess. In addition, there are other non-study-related resources that can help you perform well, such as relaxing before the test, sleeping well the night before and avoiding talking about the test with other colleagues minutes before entering the room, as this can generate anxiety and unnecessary concern for the candidate”, concludes Dr. Thulium. In this edition of the exam, a pamphlet about the Brazilian Congress of Radiology was distributed to participants, as an invitation for candidates to participate in the traditional Radiology event and take advantage of discounts on early registration. The templates were released right after the test, on April 29th, and the final approval will be announced on May 20th, together with the release of the resource opinions and guidance for making the Specialist Title with the Brazilian Medical Association ( AMB), directly in the “Candidate Access” through the CBR website.