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DNB Broad Specialty · Book Guide

Books for DNB Radio Diagnosis.

The official NBE curriculum list, reproduced exactly, plus the editions residents actually read in 2026 — with recommended journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you'll need for your thesis and practical.

23Titles in the NBE list
10Current-edition picks
11Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included
Official list

Books NBE lists in the DNB Radio Diagnosis curriculum

These 23 titles are reproduced as they appear in the National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Radio Diagnosis — spelling and abbreviations included. Treat this as the syllabus anchor.

  1. Sutton: Text book of Radiology and Imaging volume I-II.
  2. Grainger and Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: Text book of Medical Imaging
  3. Haaga J.R.: Computed Tomography and MRI volume I and II
  4. Rumack: Diagnostic ultrasound volume I & II
  5. Lee: Computed body tomography with MRI volume I & II
  6. Osborn A.G.: Diagnostic neuro-radiology
  7. Jacobson's: Radiology of skeletal disorders
  8. Gore Levine: Text book of Gastrointestinal Radiology
  9. Margulis: Alimentary tract radiology volume I & II
  10. Davidson's: Radiology of the kidney and Genito-urinary tract
  11. Clark: Positioning in radiology
  12. Dahnert: Radiology Review Manual
  13. Webb: High Resolution CT of the lung
  14. Som and Curtin: Head and neck imaging
  15. Stark and Bradley: Magnetic resonance imaging Volume I & II
  16. Scott W. Atlas: MR imaging of the brain and spine
  17. Mittelstaedt CA: General ultrasound
  18. Callen: Ultrasonography in obstetrics and gynaecology
  19. David Sutton: Text book of Radiology & Imaging
  20. Lee Stanley
  21. Hagea
  22. Osborn
  23. Manju Pandey - Biostatistics
Read this before you buy. NBE curriculum documents are revised infrequently, so several entries name editions that are now years out of date, and a few titles are out of print. Use this list to know what NBE expects you to have read, then buy the current edition listed in the next section.

Source: NBE DNB Radio Diagnosis curriculum

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read cover to cover, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic RadiologyAdam, Dixon, Gillard, Schaefer-Prokop · 7th edition · core referenceThe main systematic text residents read section by section through all three years.
  2. Sutton's Textbook of Radiology and ImagingDavid Sutton (later eds. Arun Kumar Gupta et al.) · 8th edition · core referenceTraditional Indian favourite for plain-film and basic cross-sectional radiology; still quoted in theory papers.
  3. Diagnostic UltrasoundCarol M. Rumack, Deborah Levine · 6th edition · ultrasound coreReference for the heavy USG workload of Indian residency, including obstetric and small-parts scanning.
  4. Callen's Ultrasonography in Obstetrics and GynecologyMary E. Norton et al. · 6th edition · subspecialty referenceStandard for anomaly scans, biometry and Doppler - directly relevant to PCPNDT-compliant practice.
  5. Osborn's Brain: Imaging, Pathology, and AnatomyAnne G. Osborn · 3rd edition · neuroradiology corePattern-based neuroimaging text used for MRI reporting and neuro viva.
  6. Radiology Review ManualWolfgang Dahnert · 8th edition · revision and differentialsFact-dense revision manual used in the final months and for rapid differential recall.
  7. Aids to Radiological Differential DiagnosisStephen Chapman, Richard Nakielny · 7th edition · differentialsGamut lists that residents memorise for spot diagnosis and viva.
  8. The Essential Physics of Medical ImagingBushberg, Seibert, Leidholdt, Boone · 4th edition · physics corePrimary physics text for X-ray, CT, MRI, USG and radiation-protection questions.
  9. Fundamentals of Body CT / High-Resolution CT of the LungWebb, Brant, Major · 5th edition · cross-sectional practiceConcise CT texts used early in training to learn systematic body-CT and HRCT reporting.
  10. Radiopaedia.org and ACR Appropriateness CriteriaRadiopaedia / American College of Radiology · current edition · daily practice resourceOnline case-based learning used every day for reporting patterns and imaging-choice justification.
Printed in our shop

Radio Diagnosis books we print most often

These are the radio diagnosis titles residents send us to print most often — the books that actually come through the shop, alongside the official list above.

We print files you send us. We do not host, sell or supply book PDFs — send us a file you are entitled to print and we print and bind it.

Journals

Journals NBE lists for Radio Diagnosis

Journal club and the “recent advances” parts of the theory paper come from here. You do not need to read all of them — pick the two Indian journals and one international one and follow them properly.

Indian Journal of RadiologyRadiologyRadiological Clinics of North AmericaSeminars in U/S, CT and MRIAmerican Journal of Neuro-RadiologyClinical RadiologyNeuro RadiologyJournal of USG, CT, MRIAJRSeminars in RoentgenologyRCNA
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years is less time than it sounds. The order below is what works for most DNB Radio Diagnosis residents — broad and readable first, reference-level later, revision and drilling last.

Year 1

Build the base

Learn systematic plain-film reading and normal cross-sectional anatomy with Webb's Fundamentals of Body CT plus Bushberg for physics, start USG hands-on daily, and register the thesis.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Read Grainger system by system with Rumack, Osborn and Callen for the respective rotations, report independently under supervision, follow AJR/Radiology/IJRI for journal club, and collect thesis data.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Shift to revision mode with Dahnert and Chapman & Nakielny, do timed spot and long-case film practice, revisit physics and radiation protection, finish the thesis, and build reporting speed for the practical exam.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines (2017); institutional ethics and radiation-safety clearance
  • STARD 2015 statement for diagnostic accuracy studies; QUADAS-2 for quality assessment
  • Sensitivity/specificity, ROC analysis and Cohen's kappa for inter-observer agreement
  • BI-RADS, LI-RADS, PI-RADS, TI-RADS and Lung-RADS lexicons for structured reporting
  • AERB safety code for medical diagnostic X-ray equipment and PCPNDT Act compliance
  • Bland-Altman methodology for measurement-agreement studies
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Books and material specifically useful for the clinical, spotter and viva stations.

  • Film/spot viva: plain radiographs, barium studies, IVU and classic signs - Chapman & Nakielny and Dahnert for gamuts
  • Live reporting stations for CT and MRI; systematic reporting templates
  • Ultrasound and Doppler hands-on - abdomen, obstetric biometry and anomaly scan, carotid and peripheral Doppler
  • Interventional basics: USG/CT-guided biopsy and drainage, contrast media reactions and anaphylaxis management
  • Physics viva: X-ray tube, CT generations, MRI sequences and artefacts, USG transducers, dose indices (CTDIvol, DAP), ALARA
  • Radiation protection and AERB regulations; MRI safety zones and screening
  • Positioning and technique (Clark's Positioning in Radiography) and contrast/protocol selection
Frequently asked

DNB Radio Diagnosis books — questions

Which books should I read for DNB Radio Diagnosis?

The titles on this page are the ones residents and departments actually use, each with the edition in circulation now. Start with the first one listed and add the references as your reading deepens.

Which single book should I start with in first year of DNB Radio Diagnosis?

Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology by Adam, Dixon, Gillard, Schaefer-Prokop is the usual anchor. The main systematic text residents read section by section through all three years.

Are the editions listed here current?

Yes — we list the edition in circulation now for each title. Editions move quickly, so confirm the current one before you buy or print.

Do I need to buy every book on the list?

No. Most residents own three or four and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does it cost to print a set of notes?

Black and white is 50 paise per page, colour is Rs 1 per page, and binding is Rs 40 per copy. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your DNB Radio Diagnosis reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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