Neurovascular Specialist (NVS) Exam Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is ASN membership required to obtain certification?
A: Yes. To maintain your NVS credential, you are expected to be a member in good-standing of ASN.
Q: Do I have to take all three parts of the exam? Physics, TCD, and Carotid?
A: No. If you have your ARDMS, CCI, ARRT (VS), the physics portion of the exam is waived.
Q: If a person is taking (not a re-take) only part of the exam because they passed the other two parts in the past, do they need to resubmit verification of CME within the last 3 years?
A: No, since they had enough CME hours at the time they took the exam initially, they do not need to submit documentation of CME within the last three years. They do, however, need to submit documentation verifying their interpretation of whatever section they are taking (Carotid or TCD).
Q: Is a physician eligible to sit for the exam if they meet all other criteria?
A: Yes.
Q: Do CMEs need to be neurology specific or can they be any type of ultrasound (e.g. nerve and muscle CME)
A: Pertinent CME needs to be something related to neurovascular ultrasound (physics, principles, techniques, clinical applications, quality improvement for lab, lab accreditation, etc) in order to qualify. This is consistent with the definitions use by IAC-Vascular Testing when evaluating CME for medical directors or medical staff applying for accreditation of their carotid or TCD labs.
Q: Can a person only pass one part of the exam and still be certified in the section that they passed?
A: No. A person MUST pass physics AND one additional part of the exam to be considered certified. If the physics portion is waived, they must still pass one additional part of the exam.
Q: Can one count CME from a larger meeting if it is related to neurovascular ultrasound?
A: It will depend on what portion was related to ultrasound or lab function. It is often necessary to have them send in a list of the topics (copy of the program) for a meeting to document which are appropriate, if they wish to count CME from a larger meeting.
Q: If one does not have enough CME at the time they apply to sit for the exam, and they plan to attend the ASN Annual Meeting to obtain the rest of their required CME credits, is that acceptable?
A: Yes. They must include a statement in their application materials stating that this is what they plan to do, and their certificate is mailed to them only after we receive their CME documentation from the meeting.
Q: How does an exam applicant show verification of their 100 TCD/Carotid interpretations? Do they need to submit documentation of each case? Does the supervising individual need to be an MD that is certified by ASN?
A: No, we do not want them to send in each case interpretation. They simply need to submit a letter from the supervising physician verifying that they have performed at least 100 interpretations. Additionally, adequate supervision is whatever mechanism is in place in a lab that has credentialed people to do their work. We are not requiring all applicants to be from ICAVL accredited labs nor all supervisors to be ASN certified.
ASN would accept studies performed by an applicant. What needs to be clearly stated is that the applicant who performed the test also provided a preliminary report that was later read by an MD credentialed at a given facility to do that. Whether this MD is certified by ASN or not is irrelevant. A preliminary report demonstrates that the applicant has interpreted their own studies. Supervision by a chief technologist is also acceptable as it reflects practice of the lab where the preliminary report is OK'd by the most experienced person before it goes out to reading by MDs.
Q: Can CME credits older than three years be used towards sitting for the exam?
A: Generally, no. If there seems to be a special circumstance or extenuating situation then this may be considered.
Q: Can CME credits older than three years be used towards the exam maintenance requirement?
A: Generally, no. If there seems to be a special circumstance or extenuating situation then this may be considered.
Q: Aside from the ASN Annual Meeting, where else can I earn CME credit?
A: The IAC Vascular Testing website offers a list of CME resources: http://www.intersocietal.org/vascular/main/cme_resources.htm
Q: What are the time frames for each exam section?
A:
TCD Only - 240 mins
Carotids Only - 240 mins
Physics & Carotids - 240 mins
Physics & TCD - 240 mins
Physics, Carotids & TCD - 240 mins
Q: What is the correct wording for exam certificates?
- All three parts: Basics of Ultrasound and Ultrasound Physics, Carotid Duplex, Transcranial Doppler
- Two parts: Basics of Ultrasound and Ultrasound Physics, Carotid Duplex
- Two parts: Basics of Ultrasound and Ultrasound Physics, Transcranial Doppler
Q: What title do they hold for passing the ASN Exam? ASN Neurosonology Exam Diplomate?
A: This is not a board exam, so does not allow one to claim to be a “diplomate”. It is also not an accreditation process, which is left to IAC-Vascular. It is a certification exam, so all one can really say is that one is has successfully completed/passed the ASN Neurosonology Certification Exam, is certified in Neurosonology, or has an additional credential in Neurosonology (with specific TCD or carotid if only one or the other). This has always been a tightrope for us. Thanks for sharing, and it is always good to make sure we are being consistent in what we are saying and doing.
Q: What is the cost to re-take the exam?
A:
Member: $200
Non-member: $250