A quick glance at the CV of Stephanie Leon, PhD, proves that she enjoys being an ABR volunteer.
Dr. Leon is part of the Medical Physics (MP) Continuing Certification Advisory Committee, serves as chair of the Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) committee for diagnostic medical physics, and is an oral examiner. ABR exams and OLA are improved by Dr. Leon’s knowledge, and she benefits from her time commitment.
“It’s an opportunity to network with physicists from across the country and to collaborate and see how their practices differ,” she said. “There are usually not very many physicists at a given institution, so it’s easy to get into a silo about the way things are done. Communicating with people is really valuable for me personally, to see how things are different and see the information about the modalities I don’t work in all the time.”
A clinical associate professor and assistant director of the diagnostic imaging medical physics residency program at the University of Florida, Dr. Leon sees board certification from both sides. As an oral examiner, her audience includes candidates in Initial Certification. Her advisory committee and OLA work involve diplomates participating in Continuing Certification.
Her Initial Certification duties match her work life, where she instructs graduate students and residents. Serving as an oral examiner gives her a chance to see how knowledgeable trainees must be to earn certification.
“I appreciate the sheer amount of stuff they need to study and know for Initial Certification,” she said.
Dr. Leon has been part of the MP OLA question writing committee since its inception. She finds the continuous learning component far preferable to the old days of taking an exam every 10 years.
“OLA is a huge improvement,” she said. “It’s accomplishing its intention, which is to make sure you’re keeping your knowledge up to date continually and not just doing this huge study session for an exam, after which you forget it all.”
ABR Trustee Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, is a member of the same committees as Dr. Leon. She admires her colleague’s spirit of volunteerism and appreciates the enthusiasm she brings to the duties.
“Dr. Leon is an outstanding volunteer whose dedication and leadership shine through in every role she takes on,” Dr. Kanal said. “She consistently brings energy, insight, and a collaborative spirit that strengthens each team. Her commitment to service and ability to juggle multiple responsibilities make her an invaluable volunteer for the ABR.”
Being part of so many committees might seem like a challenge, but Dr. Leon said the work is spread over much of the year and she never feels overwhelmed.
“It’s not as bad as it probably sounds,” she said. “The OLA committee is certainly the biggest time commitment, but even that is sort of seasonal.”
Dr. Leon earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD from the University of Florida. Aside from six years at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston, she has spent her adult life in Gainesville.
That’s about to change. In July, she’ll become chief of diagnostic medical physics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The new position will give her a chance to establish an MP residency program.
“The former chief who’s retiring and I are acquaintances,” she said. “He reached out to ask if I might be interested in the position. I talked to people, went up there, interviewed, and really liked it. So, I figured I’d take the jump.”
Moving to a small community fits Dr. Leon’s lifestyle. The Gainesville metropolitan area, home of the University of Florida, has approximately 359,000 residents. The Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont, where Dartmouth is located, has about 221,000 people.
“It’s beautiful up there,” she said.
The weather is going to be an adjustment. The Upper Valley gets an average of 70 inches of snow each year. Gainesville, on the other hand, can be the target of hurricanes and tropical storms in the summer and fall. Dr. Leon’s interview process with Dartmouth started not long after a third tropical system of the year impacted the Gainesville area.
“The winters are going to be a learning process,” she said. “I’ve never lived in the snow before. I’m going to need a new wardrobe, but the summers are going to be lovely.”
