By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager April 2024;17(2):5 As a physician who switched career paths, Derek Johnson, MD, has passed his share of Initial and Continuing Certification exams. He’s now lending his expertise to making ABR exams fair and relevant by serving as a volunteer. Dr. Johnson started his medical career as a neuro-oncologist and…
By Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, ABR Trustee; Brian J. Davis, MD, PhD, ABR Trustee; and Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director April 2024;17(2):3 Since 2021, the ABR has offered two exam administrations annually for the oral certifying exams in medical physics, radiation oncology, and interventional radiology. This has been possible because of the transition,…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager April 2024;17(2):7 Interventional radiologist John A. Kaufman, MD, MS, has been named president-elect of the ABR Board of Governors. Dr. Kaufman will begin serving as president-elect at the end of the fall board meeting in September, when Cheri L. Canon, MD, starts her two-year team as board president. In…
April 2024;17(2):11 The American Board of Radiology is adding three members to its Board of Trustees: Kristopher Cummings, MD, a cardiothoracic imaging radiologist; Umesh D. Oza, MD, a nuclear radiologist; and Jennifer Stickel, PhD, a nuclear medical physicist. They will begin their duties at the conclusion of the fall board meeting in September. Dr. Cummings…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager April 2024;17(2):10 An educator herself, ABR volunteer Elizabeth (Beth) Bossart, PhD, has learned several lessons as an Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) question writer and Initial Certification oral examiner. As is the case with most question writers, developing the right formula was a struggle at first. Dr. Bossart’s early attempts…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager April 2024;17(2):7 All it took was a little exposure to radiology and Parris Diaz, MD, was beaming. Dr. Diaz, who’s in the intern year of his urology residency, was ready to switch fields. Even at age 30 with an uncertain future ahead, he’s confident that he’s making the right…
By Robert M. Barr, MD, ABR President; Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director; and Brooke Houck, PhD, ABR Psychometrician April 2024;17(2):2 As part of our commitment to the public, and consistent with the standards determined by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the ABR Continuing Certification program includes methods to allow diplomates to…
By Pamela A. Propeck, MD, ABR Trustee; M. Elizabeth Oates, MD, ABR Trustee; and Andrea K. Ng, MD, MPH, ABR Governor April 2023;17(2):5 The ABR Volunteerism Committee recently administered a survey to approximately 1,300 current ABR volunteer committee members to examine potential barriers to volunteering and strategies to increase interest and engagement. The survey had…
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director; Robert M. Barr, MD, ABR President; and Matthew B. Podgorsak, PhD, ABR Board of Trustees Chair February 2024;17(1):11 Physicians and physicists certified by the ABR would agree that one of the challenges of optimal clinical practice is the increasing complexity and rate of expansion of medical knowledge….
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager February 2024;17(1):7 Several months of writing ABR qualifying exam questions for radiation oncology candidates has been an educational experience for John Einck, MD. “It’s been a while since I took my ABR exam,” said Dr. Einck, who earned his certification in 1996. “When I was asked to write questions…
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director, and Robert M. Barr, MD, ABR President February 2024;17(1):3 The volunteer Board of Governors provides oversight of ABR staff activities, programs, and projects by defining priorities. For 2024, those priorities include the refinement of several diverse projects that were developed during 2021-2022 and the continued evolution of major programs, including those…
By Geoffrey S. Ibbott, PhD, ABR Associate Executive Director for Medical Physics; Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, ABR Trustee; Matthew B. Podgorsak, PhD, ABR Board of Trustees Chair; and Robert A. Pooley, PhD, ABR Trustee February 2024;17(1):5 The important role of medical physicists in radiology, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy is rarely questioned, and most state…
The ABR is a not-for-profit organization and member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Our mission is to certify that our diplomates demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skill, and understanding of their disciplines to the benefit of patients. Our vision is to positively impact the lives of all patients as the foremost trusted certifying body assuring the highest standards of specialty expertise and professionalism in the radiological sciences.