Focus on RO: Why Volunteer Representation Matters in Radiation Oncology Certification
By ABR Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology Michael Yunes, MD
August 2026;19(4):7
The ABR is the certification body for radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, interventional radiologists, and medical physicists who wish to achieve board certification in the United States. Approved in 1935, the ABR was one of the first eight American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Boards. Today, it is a mid-sized board with over 65,000 diplomates. Each year, the ABR grants approximately 2,000 initial certifications across all four disciplines, including nearly 200 in radiation oncology.
Radiation oncology candidates typically complete three multiple-choice, computer-based qualifying exams during the final two years of residency. Candidates who pass those exams are eligible for the oral exam beginning in the calendar year after residency completion. Detailed eligibility requirements are available on the ABR website.
Over the past few years, many publications, presentations, and discussions have focused on the shifting employment demographics in radiation oncology.1-3 Specialty societies and social media commentators responding to new information occasionally create confusion regarding the field’s status, underscoring the need for more robust data. Much of the discussion has centered on a shift from private practice toward academic or employed models. However, even in the 2025 ASTRO workforce study and ASTRO membership data, nearly half of radiation oncologists were not academically affiliated. This matters because the ABR must certify radiation oncologists for all practice settings.
The ABR does not influence workforce trends, employment models, or treatment facility availability. Our mission is to certify that 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.
This entails ensuring that each exam is constructed and scored for the appropriate candidate level. For radiation oncologists, the qualifying exams are designed for residents with three to five years of postgraduate training and structured to assess whether trainees have met the minimum acceptable threshold in radiation biology, physics for the radiation oncologist, and clinical radiation oncology. To ensure clinical relevance and the required foundational content in our exams, ABR volunteers who create content are selected from a broad range of geographic, clinical, and professional backgrounds. For the oral exam, representation of volunteer examiners and content creators from private, academic, and any other type of practice is essential.
Having recently transitioned from private practice to an academic affiliation in my clinical domain, I am acutely aware of the difficulties of justifying volunteerism when it directly impacts the business’ bottom line. Historically, academic physicians have had more flexibility because their institutions value endeavors that improve education and help maintain high standards in medical fields. But even this is changing. Financial strains have impacted academic time and travel budgets, forcing physicians to pick and choose which entities are most deserving of their time.
Radiation oncology is not uniquely impacted by this disturbance, and the ABR governing board believes that all disciplines deserve to have their diplomates meet the professional standards of both academic and private practices.
Volunteers frequently request to remain on committees after their terms have concluded and often describe ABR committee service as a highlight of their careers. Because each committee has a limited number of members, volunteers must rotate off to allow new members with different ideas and experience to join.
From a personal perspective, volunteering with the ABR was a career highlight and prompted me to change my professional trajectory. You never know where the one experience that changes your path might come from.
To learn more about volunteering with the ABR, log in to myABR and select the volunteer option. You might not be selected for a committee right away, but when you are, it may be the best volunteer appointment of your career.
References
- Yu C, Lu SG, Arons D, Rowley JP, Sindhu KK. Structural vulnerability in the United States radiation oncology delivery system: Predictors and consequences of practice site disappearance. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2026; in press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2026.06.3090
- Shumway JW, Royce T, Bates J, et al. Prospective 5-year analysis of the United States radiation oncology job market using the ASTRO Career Center website. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023;115(4):828−835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.10.019
- Lu SG, Sindhu KK, Rowley JP. Changes in employment and practice locations among radiation oncologists: 2015-2023.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2025;122(5):1095-1101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2025.02.036
