FAQ’s

What are the exams & which one is right for me?

  • Presently there are four (4) individual certification exams: MR Medical Director (MRMD), MR Safety Officer (MRSO), MR Safety Expert (MRSE), and MR Safety Tech (MRST). There is both a US and International version of each exam.
  • The MRMD certification is designed for physicians, such as radiologists, who have responsibility for the safe administration of MR exams.
  • The MRSO certification is designed for those with a supervisory MRI safety role at the point of care. While not exclusive to technologists, this role is most frequently filled by an MR technologist.
  • The MRSE certification is designed for those in an expert, technical consulting role who may help determine the safety of complex conditions. While not exclusive to MR medical physicists, this role is most frequently filled by a medical physicist.
  • The MRST (Magnetic Resonance Safety Tech) was created to serve two very distinct functions and roles, driven predominantly by the increasing demand of remote MR scanning:
    • Relating to (including but not restricted to remote) MR imaging examinations, the MRST serves as an assistant to the scanning MR technologist. For remote MR scanning environments, the MRST also serves as the eyes, ears, arms and legs of the remote MR scanning technologists, executing those tasks which require a physical presence in order to be performed safely, efficiently, and/or effectively.
    • For sites without the physical presence of a full MR Technologist, the MRST serves as the primary responsible party overseeing site access restriction, emergency responses, cryogen management, and other non-MR scanning duties that would have otherwise typically been the responsibility of a full MR technologist.
  • Given there is a US and International version for each exam, the candidate should pick whichever version coincides with their place of residence/work.

What are the prerequisites for sitting for one of the certifying exams?

  • The only certification that presently has a prerequisite is the MRMD. Candidates must be a licensed physician to sit for the MRMD exam. Anyone may sit for the MRSO, MRSE, or MRST exams.

What are the recommended study materials for those who want to take one of the exams?

The exam will be composed of 100 multiple choice, True-False and Multi-Answer questions, based on seven different subject matter ‘domains’:

  1. Static Magnetic Fields
  2. Gradient Magnetic Fields (Time-Varying)
  3. Radio frequency Fields
  4. Gadolinium / Pregnancy
  5. Facilities / Cryogens
  6. Standards / Regulatory
  7. Clinical Applications

Please note that the ABMRS cannot endorse any specific study materials but there are a number of learning resources that they can, and do, recommend that those preparing for any of their exams should be familiar with. The following is suggested:

Are people required to take a test prep course before taking an exam?

  • The ABMRS does not require participation in any test preparation course prior to sitting for the exam. The ABMRS has not developed, nor endorsed, any MRMD / MRSO / MRSE / MRST training or exam-preparation courses.

What is the proper way to display an earned ABMRS credential?

  • To designate yourself as an ABMRS-credentialed professional, you add the acronym with the modifier (MRSC™) to indicate you are MR Safety Certified™ by the ABMRS for that role. Below are examples:
    Jayne Cobb, MRSO (MRSC™)
    Malcolm Reynolds, MRSE (MRSC™)
    Kaylee Frye, MRMD (MRSC™)
    Hoban Washburne, MRST (MRSC™)

For how long is the ABMRS certification valid?

  • MR Safety Certified™ (MRSC™) certifications for MRMD, MRSO, MRSE, and MRST are valid for a period of 10 years from the date of successful examination.