by Cheri L. Canon, MD, ABR Governor June 2021;14(3):4 The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) brings together 24 Member Boards, including the ABR, and seeks to establish certain standards across all specialties in an effort to allow the public to rely on “board certification” as a consistent credential. In July 2020, the ABMS announced…
By Matthew B. Podgorsak, PhD, Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, Robert A. Pooley, PhD, ABR Trustees; J. Anthony Seibert, ABR Governor; and Geoffrey S. Ibbott, PhD, ABR Associate Executive Director for Medical Physics June 2021;14(3):7 After a successful pilot administration to a limited number of candidates in March, the first full-scale Medical Physics Remote Certifying Oral…
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director April 2021;14(2):4 The Board of Governors has held three remote meetings this year, including a three-day virtual retreat in early March. In fulfilling its fiduciary obligations, the Board guides the ABR through its focus on and execution of various initiatives that support the mission. Three of those…
By Anne M. Covey, MD, Brian J. Davis, MD, PhD, and Matthew B. Podgorsak, PhD, ABR Trustees April 2021;14(2):5 ABR staff, with input from many volunteers, have been working since the summer of 2020 to develop remote oral exam software. To test the functionality of the platform, a “dry run” was performed in February with…
By N. Reed Dunnick, MD, ABR Executive Associate Director for Diagnostic Radiology, and Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director April 2021;14(2):6 We distribute an exit survey after each of our exams. For the DR and IR/DR Qualifying (Core) Exam in February, we were fortunate to see a 50% response rate from the nearly 1,400…
By Vincent P. Mathews, MD, ABR President April 2021;14(2):2 The ABR’s Continuing Certification/Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program was officially rolled out to diplomates with time-limited certificates in 2007. Shortly after the program was launched and almost continuously since, we have looked for ways to improve the value and meaningfulness of the process, while also looking…
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director April 2021;14(2):3 In February, we delivered our first remote DR and IR/DR Qualifying (Core) Exam. Technically, the exam was a success. Although several individuals struggled with connection interruptions as a result of variable bandwidth, all were given enough time to complete the exam, and there was no…
April 2021;14(2):7 Ryan Adams, MD, Chief Diagnostic Radiology Resident, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Dr. Adams, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School, was in the first group of candidates who took the initial remote DR and IR/DR Core Exam in February. He will be completing an independent residency in interventional radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital,…
April 2021;14(2):10 The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) has named ABR Trustee Sanjeev Bhalla, MD, as the 2021 ARRS Distinguished Educator. This award recognizes outstanding individuals in the field of medical imaging who have a proven record of improving radiological education and remain committed to creating and implementing new and innovative educational activities. In addition,…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager April 2021;14(2):8 They have decades of combined experience in their fields. They have spent years as ABR volunteers, working on committees and as oral examiners. Now, they are part-time staff who serve as associate executive directors (AEDs), helping connect the ABR with its many stakeholders. Paul Wallner, DO, is…
By James B. Spies, MD, MPH, ABR Associate Executive Director for Interventional Radiology February 2021;14(1):11 Recognizing the importance of broad input into the Continuing Certification (Maintenance of Certification, MOC) process within interventional radiology, the ABR has empaneled an IR MOC advisory committee. Similar to advisory committees for diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology, this committee has…
By Paul E. Wallner, DO, ABR Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology; Brian J. Davis, MD, PhD, ABR Trustee; and Anthony Gerdeman, PhD, ABR Director of Exam Services February 2021;14(1):10 From the 1970s through 2018, the certifying (oral) exams in radiation oncology were administered in a relatively similar manner each year. The Executive West Hotel…
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.