Marc Mendonca, PhD, learned a lot in his more than 20 years as an ABR volunteer. One of his biggest takeaways was that even the best physicians, biologists, and physicists require time to learn how to create relevant exam questions.
Even longtime question writers can occasionally struggle.
“I love the fact that these are some of the top people in the field,” he said. “You’re all in the room trying to help write a good exam. What I kept learning over and over is how hard it is to write a really good question. It really takes skill.”
Dr. Mendonca, who has served as the editor in chief of the journal Radiation Research since 2011, was a question writer for the biology section of the Radiation Oncology Qualifying Exam during his most recent volunteer assignment. Brian Marples, PhD, that committee’s chair, said his colleague was an excellent contributor.
“His extensive expertise in both radiobiology and cancer biology have been invaluable to the ABR,” Dr. Marples said. “The committee will collectively miss his vast and extensive radiobiology knowledge, his humor, and his fairness and balance. He has left big shoes to fill. His contribution to the radiation oncology radiation and cancer biology committee have benefited resident education over many years.”
There are many positives about being an ABR volunteer. Making connections with peers from across the country is a big benefit.
“You get to meet excellent people,” he said. “You develop that closeness that’s unique to a committee like that. You’re trying to do something that’s hard, but you’re sitting there and having fun.”
Dr. Mendonca said the work can be enjoyable. He remembers having then-ABR Executive Director Val Jackson, MD, walk in on one of his committees to ask what was going on after hearing the members laughing and joking as they finalized an exam.
Being a volunteer has responsibilities outside the meeting rooms. When their colleagues know they are on an ABR committee, members can sometimes become lightning rods for criticism. Dr. Mendonca always has a reply.
“When people complained to me about the exam, I would tell them that they should volunteer and be a question writer,” he said. “After about one or two cycles, they’re very humbled by how hard the work is.”
Knowing that his ABR service time wouldn’t last forever, one of Dr. Mendonca’s goals was to encourage a new generation of peers to get involved. Radiation biology is a small field, making it a challenge to find participants who can give up some of their free time. Committee members often must put on their recruiting hats.
The payoff comes when those newer members step up and take leadership roles that their more experienced peers have traditionally filled.
“As I was going through my last cycle, the younger volunteers were starting to speak up and have fun,” he said. “And I thought, ‘OK, that’s good.’”
After 30 years at the University of Indiana School of Medicine, Dr. Mendonca recently made a career change, becoming associate vice president for research and scholarship at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He will oversee the university’s internal research initiatives and funding programs, as well as the office of research’s centers and institutes.
Just like his ABR volunteer duties, he sees the UCF job as a chance to provide guidance and assist others.
“I had a very good career (at Indiana), but I wanted to continue to help others be successful,” Dr. Mendonca said. “This is what this job is — to help faculty and the colleges develop their research skillsets and portfolios.”
Looking back on his time as a volunteer, Dr. Mendonca takes satisfaction in giving back to his field. Developing rigorous exams helps ensure that his profession thrives and patients are treated safely.
“To me, it was just about service,” he said. “It was about making sure that we put out a good exam.”
