Has anyone taken the CA Fluoroscopy exam recently ? Can you please give some tips as to what to prepare for the exam, there is not much focussed material out there ?
Exam for State of California Fluoroscopy Operator and Supervisor Permit
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the exam was easier than i expected but i walked out of it super nervous about not passing.
the old test banks i hear are not helpful for it. i uses asrt and passed. there were 5 packets of material to go through (incredibly dry). they will test you on international policies, and organizations, etc. "which XYZ organization is responsible for overseeing abcdefg...."
"Note: Previous fluoroscopy examinations referenced the California Syllabus on Fluoroscopy Radiation Protection (which is no longer available). If using the Syllabus as a study guide you will find that the Syllabus does not cover content in the examination. For example, Section D.1 and D.3 of the Content Specifications covers digital content that is not covered in the Syllabus. Also, Section D.4 of the Content Specifications covers modern regulations and patient care considerations that are not covered in the Syllabus. Some examination content is referenced to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement Reports, and Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations’ regulations pertaining to X-ray machine standards."
Radiology Tech here. Just trying to help you guys/gals. The info above is very important and right off of the CA website. The ASRT and ARRT have written the new test together. This test is no longer written by the state of CA. All of the information will be on the ASRT website under the fluoroscopy modules. Do some digging, sometimes friends will have already bought the ASRT modules and would be willing to share! Best of luck!
Cheers,
Your OR Xray tech
Radiology Tech here. Just trying to help you guys/gals. The info above is very important and right off of the CA website. The ASRT and ARRT have written the new test together. This test is no longer written by the state of CA. All of the information will be on the ASRT website under the fluoroscopy modules. Do some digging, sometimes friends will have already bought the ASRT modules and would be willing to share! Best of luck!
Cheers,
Your OR Xray tech
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How long do u have to wait for results ?
If you failed, you will receive a letter after two weeks. If you pass it can take up to, but not limited to, 45 days because it runs through the state of CA. If you know anything about CA, everything takes forever.
Cheers,
A Friendly XR Tech
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I failed once and it still took 42 days. I have the ASRT modules from a friend but I do not see the questions that one member stated before. Also they ahve a file with 200-300 questions but it is dated 2011. I used fluorotest.com and only used that. I am trying Rayos and reading the 5 modules. Any other ideas/tips/suggestions?
When did u take your exam?
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I took it a month or two ago.
That is very odd. The questions come with the module, but if the original owner did not keep copies of the questions then they are gone once you take the test. If that is the case you must buy it and do the questions. All I studied was the ASRT modules because I had been removed from XR school about 3 years now. All of the info you need is on the modules. You won't feel good about it while taking it, but 30 questions are pilot questions. I passed with a 91 with about a week of studying 1-2 hrs a day. Good luck!
XR dude
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I bought the ASRT Flurooscopy course for the Fluoroscopy Permit.
What study material should I use for the Radiography Permit?
What study material should I use for the Radiography Permit?
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I have removed posts from this thread containing links to materials containing copyrighted ASRT materials. Such links are not permitted on SDN.
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Hi all! Saturday I will be taking the fluoro exam. I too have been going over the ASRT materials only. I feel confident but really nervous. I have test anxiety and pray that I will be okay. To those that have taken the test, was the modules all you needed or did you feel add though you could've went over other materials or went over power points from school? Thanks!
So it is worth the money? ..its been years since I have been out of school and fluorotest.com and fluoroprep.com did not help...I failed it
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Have you taken your test again? If not, the ASRT modules are worth the money! Bite the bullet and get it. You'll be glad you did. I will also be purchasing the mammography ASRT modules. It's like 250, but it's good study materials. Good Luck!!
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I appreciate the advice on this board. I'm focusing on the package of 6 ASRT modules ($220) for my upcoming exam. The computerized audio is tough to stay awake to, but I am progressing.
For those who recently took the exam, is eye anatomy truly covered extensively in questions?
Also, would one benefit from also purchasing/studying (1) Best Practices In Digital Radiography, (2) Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, (3) Characteristics of the X-Ray Beam, and (4) X-Ray Interactions with Matter for $120 more?
Thanks in advance.
For those who recently took the exam, is eye anatomy truly covered extensively in questions?
Also, would one benefit from also purchasing/studying (1) Best Practices In Digital Radiography, (2) Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, (3) Characteristics of the X-Ray Beam, and (4) X-Ray Interactions with Matter for $120 more?
Thanks in advance.
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Hi all,
I wanted to add my two-cents to this thread after recently going through the entire experience applying for and obtaining my CA fluoroscopy permit. This was such a pointlessly frustrating experience because there wasn't much recent advice out there and the CDPH-RHB website was (and still is) being overhauled so everything is all over the place, links go nowhere, etc. I hope the following information is helpful for those of you looking to practice interventional pain or any other specialty that requires the use of X-ray imaging in CA so that you can avoid the headaches and the wasting of your valuable money/time.
If you're applying from out-of-state, the first thing you need to do is to apply for your California Physicians and Surgeons License, which is a whole other situation on it's own. After you submit your paperwork to the medical board, expect to wait 4-12 weeks to get your license certificate in the mail, which is necessary to apply for your CA fluoro boards. I applied in the fall during my fellowship year and got mine in 4 weeks. My two tips for this is to 1. apply early and if possible, 2. fly to CA to get your Live Scan fingerprinting done in CA itself. Rumor has it that doing the fingerprints by mail delays your app by at least 6 weeks.
After getting your license certificate, you can head over to the CDPH-RHB website to get form CDPH 8230 to apply for your Fluoroscopy Supervisor and Operator Permit. The application fee is $127.00. The next part is a little hazy, but if I remember correctly, around 30 days later they mail you a form indicating that (hopefully) your application was acceptable and you have a 1-year eligibility period (eg. 1/1/2018 - 1/1/2019) during which you can obtain a 90-day window to take your exam. They will instruct you to mail back another form to them whenever you like, and after receipt of this form, your 90-day window begins and you can schedule your exam.
After starting your 90-day window, they ship you the Examination Handbook, which basically is a syllabus consisting of tested topics, and a Candidate Status Report which has the unique code you need to register with PearsonVUE for your exam. The exam is 2 hours long and has 90-120 questions. An exact copy of the fluoroscopy part of the Examination Handbook can be found under "For state licensing only: Fluoroscopy" on the ARRT Content Specifications page. Now, here is the meat of what you want to know - how to study for this exam!!
The single best way to study for this exam is to head over to the ASRT website and buy the ASRT Fluoroscopy: The Series for $216. Yes, I also hate spending money on prep materials, but sadly, at this point, the ASRT has a monopoly on testing prep and the questions I had on my test directly reflected what was covered in these modules. These modules consist of 6 downloadable PDFs that contain dull and dry primary literature, including a 25-page delight on Radiation Protection of the Eye. Each section has 10-25 questions each that helps you reflect on that material you just read. You can get 12.75 CE credits for doing the questions, but I don't think those are useful to us in any way in terms of fulfilling requirements for your state medical license or specialty board CMEs.
So what about the other modules? There are 4 additional modules for purchase for between $20-50 a pop so are they worth the money? It depends. The first three modules (1. Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, 2. Characteristics of the X-ray Beam, and 3. X-ray Interactions with Matter) are online modules that have fun little animations and a narrator that helps teach the material and come with questions at the end. The last module (Best Practices in Radiography) is a downloadable PDF. Honestly, the first 3 modules are kind of extra, but are pretty helpful in solidifying the material from the original 6 PDFs. I didn't get to the last module because I just couldn't bring myself to read another 25 pages of primary literature. If I were to do this over again, I recommend getting the first module, Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, because I think those subjects are helpful to see visually and consist of a little less than half of the questions on the exam. I would skip the others, unless you need additional resources for better understanding.
I know I like question banks and you probably do to so the next topic to cover is should you use fluoroscopy Q-banks such as Fluoroprep. The answer is NO. I bought this question bank and it's based on the old CA syllabus which maybe has material that is like 10% relevant. It was a total waste of money. Don't get it. I imagine that Fluorotest is the same, but I can't comment directly as I didn't get this question bank. Based on how it's website looks, it's probably not updated either.
Ok, so you studied hard for the exam and just took it. Now what? Well, be prepared to wait around 45 days for your results. I got a little antsy after day 42 and called the CDPH. They said they would look into it and call me back in several days and they obviously never did. The only thing you can really do is check the CDPH-RHB database search tool daily until your permit pops up. After six weeks or so, I checked it pretty much daily until day 49, which is when my name finally appeared in the database (thank God). I received my passing score and score breakdown in the mail as well as my physical permit on day 54.
Sorry that was so long, but I wanted to get all this information out there so at least those of you applying the future have some idea of what to expect. Of course, hospitals need your fluoroscopy permit number (they can get it from the database) to credential you before you start working so make sure to add an extra 3 months of padding to get that credentialing done.
TL;DR, if you plan on moving to CA to practice pain, you should be thinking about starting the process within the first few months of starting fellowship. Best of luck to you all and hope this was helpful!
I wanted to add my two-cents to this thread after recently going through the entire experience applying for and obtaining my CA fluoroscopy permit. This was such a pointlessly frustrating experience because there wasn't much recent advice out there and the CDPH-RHB website was (and still is) being overhauled so everything is all over the place, links go nowhere, etc. I hope the following information is helpful for those of you looking to practice interventional pain or any other specialty that requires the use of X-ray imaging in CA so that you can avoid the headaches and the wasting of your valuable money/time.
If you're applying from out-of-state, the first thing you need to do is to apply for your California Physicians and Surgeons License, which is a whole other situation on it's own. After you submit your paperwork to the medical board, expect to wait 4-12 weeks to get your license certificate in the mail, which is necessary to apply for your CA fluoro boards. I applied in the fall during my fellowship year and got mine in 4 weeks. My two tips for this is to 1. apply early and if possible, 2. fly to CA to get your Live Scan fingerprinting done in CA itself. Rumor has it that doing the fingerprints by mail delays your app by at least 6 weeks.
After getting your license certificate, you can head over to the CDPH-RHB website to get form CDPH 8230 to apply for your Fluoroscopy Supervisor and Operator Permit. The application fee is $127.00. The next part is a little hazy, but if I remember correctly, around 30 days later they mail you a form indicating that (hopefully) your application was acceptable and you have a 1-year eligibility period (eg. 1/1/2018 - 1/1/2019) during which you can obtain a 90-day window to take your exam. They will instruct you to mail back another form to them whenever you like, and after receipt of this form, your 90-day window begins and you can schedule your exam.
After starting your 90-day window, they ship you the Examination Handbook, which basically is a syllabus consisting of tested topics, and a Candidate Status Report which has the unique code you need to register with PearsonVUE for your exam. The exam is 2 hours long and has 90-120 questions. An exact copy of the fluoroscopy part of the Examination Handbook can be found under "For state licensing only: Fluoroscopy" on the ARRT Content Specifications page. Now, here is the meat of what you want to know - how to study for this exam!!
The single best way to study for this exam is to head over to the ASRT website and buy the ASRT Fluoroscopy: The Series for $216. Yes, I also hate spending money on prep materials, but sadly, at this point, the ASRT has a monopoly on testing prep and the questions I had on my test directly reflected what was covered in these modules. These modules consist of 6 downloadable PDFs that contain dull and dry primary literature, including a 25-page delight on Radiation Protection of the Eye. Each section has 10-25 questions each that helps you reflect on that material you just read. You can get 12.75 CE credits for doing the questions, but I don't think those are useful to us in any way in terms of fulfilling requirements for your state medical license or specialty board CMEs.
So what about the other modules? There are 4 additional modules for purchase for between $20-50 a pop so are they worth the money? It depends. The first three modules (1. Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, 2. Characteristics of the X-ray Beam, and 3. X-ray Interactions with Matter) are online modules that have fun little animations and a narrator that helps teach the material and come with questions at the end. The last module (Best Practices in Radiography) is a downloadable PDF. Honestly, the first 3 modules are kind of extra, but are pretty helpful in solidifying the material from the original 6 PDFs. I didn't get to the last module because I just couldn't bring myself to read another 25 pages of primary literature. If I were to do this over again, I recommend getting the first module, Image Intensifier and Flat-Panel Detector Fluoroscopy, because I think those subjects are helpful to see visually and consist of a little less than half of the questions on the exam. I would skip the others, unless you need additional resources for better understanding.
I know I like question banks and you probably do to so the next topic to cover is should you use fluoroscopy Q-banks such as Fluoroprep. The answer is NO. I bought this question bank and it's based on the old CA syllabus which maybe has material that is like 10% relevant. It was a total waste of money. Don't get it. I imagine that Fluorotest is the same, but I can't comment directly as I didn't get this question bank. Based on how it's website looks, it's probably not updated either.
Ok, so you studied hard for the exam and just took it. Now what? Well, be prepared to wait around 45 days for your results. I got a little antsy after day 42 and called the CDPH. They said they would look into it and call me back in several days and they obviously never did. The only thing you can really do is check the CDPH-RHB database search tool daily until your permit pops up. After six weeks or so, I checked it pretty much daily until day 49, which is when my name finally appeared in the database (thank God). I received my passing score and score breakdown in the mail as well as my physical permit on day 54.
Sorry that was so long, but I wanted to get all this information out there so at least those of you applying the future have some idea of what to expect. Of course, hospitals need your fluoroscopy permit number (they can get it from the database) to credential you before you start working so make sure to add an extra 3 months of padding to get that credentialing done.
TL;DR, if you plan on moving to CA to practice pain, you should be thinking about starting the process within the first few months of starting fellowship. Best of luck to you all and hope this was helpful!
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Very good and thorough post. I went through the same painful process as CDR24. I applied my CA board license early on during my pain fellowship in Sept last year. As you probably heard, the licensing process can take up to 6 months. Luckily I got mine done by Jan 2018. Then I immediately start applying for fluoro, which takes another 30 days (and yes, it's exactly 30 days, not a single day early). Took my fluoro exam on May 31st, 2018 and they didn't mail my result until exactly 45 days (and yes, again not a single day early for processing this), which was fine since I didn't start to work until August 1st. Everything in California takes forever so plan early. As for study material, I actually started with the old manual for fluoro material published by the CA state that's floating around on the internet. It's an old manual but most of the material are still good (in my opinion). For example, lead thickness, goggles thickness, radiation dose limit, etc...However, I agreed that the ASRT modules are still your best way for preparation. I used fluoroprep for qbank. We all know that doing well on boards or exams is all about doing lots of questions. Some of these fluoroprep questions maybe outdated but repetition works really well for me. About 1 week prior to my exam, I decided to purchase 4 of the 6 ASRT modules (yep, i purchase one only after I finished one) and they are certainly well-written compared to the old manual. I find that some materials are similar to the old manual (i.e. flat panel vs. image intensifier, how image intensifier works, collimation, magnifier, distance vs. exposure, etc...), but the new ASRT modules are much better organized and written especially for a non-radiology expert like me. Regardless, the exam is fair. They basically want to make sure that you know about the safety of radiation. There will be some wth questions and i suspect those are experimental. Overall, I spent about 3-4 weeks to prepare this exam and I did fairly well based on score report. As long as you have scored above 75th percentile, you will pass.
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Just out of curiosity, do you feel like preparing for this exam has actually improved your clinical practice?
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It took me longer to get the damn fluoro license than it did my medical license and green card. Of all the shameless money grabs I've come across in my medical training this was easily the worst offender. No, it didn't change or improve my practice in any way, I already knew how to collimate and step on the pedal. Used fluorosafety.com (went through it exactly once) and I guess there were a couple of "Oh, huh, cool" tidbits here and there, but if I could have that time and money back I would.
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any recent pro tips on this?
Edit: Took just over 3 weeks to get the results of my test online. Spent about two weeks studying with fellowship demands. Did a few sets off fluoroprep, read the ASRT modules except the eye one, and essentially did a bunch of random flashcards from online.
Edit: Took just over 3 weeks to get the results of my test online. Spent about two weeks studying with fellowship demands. Did a few sets off fluoroprep, read the ASRT modules except the eye one, and essentially did a bunch of random flashcards from online.
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Any updates on this process, best study practices? Is the fluorosafety Q bank better than the others? Word was that some of the Q banks were outdated. Have they improved at all?
I read that there is now a 1 year (non-renewable) temp permit available prior to testing.
I read that there is now a 1 year (non-renewable) temp permit available prior to testing.
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I rec’d the same to our fellows last year and it seemed to work. Happy studying. It is annoying.
