ABR Volunteers and Advisory Committee Members Represent the Interests of the Profession and the Patients We Serve
By Catheryn Yashar, MD, ABR Trustee, and David Laszakovits, MBA, ABR Communications Director
2024;17(5):9
To maintain ABR certification, radiation oncology diplomates with certificates issued after 1994 are required to participate in Continuing Certification (CC, formerly Maintenance of Certification [MOC]). Lifetime certificates are valid without participation in CC, although lifetime certificate holders are strongly encouraged to participate.
Continuing Certification is broken into four parts: Part 1: Professionalism and Professional Standing; Part 2: Lifelong Learning; Part 3: Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills; and Part 4: Improvement in Medical Practice. Information about each part and FAQs about CC can be found on the ABR website.
The ABR’s Continuing Certification program is developed by practicing physicians and medical physicists through a volunteer committee structure. The ABR solicits volunteers for its committees who represent a diversity of practice types, gender, and geography. Anyone who meets the volunteer requirements can apply here.
To facilitate a continuous critical evaluation of the CC program from a participant’s perspective, the ABR has established a Continuing Certification Advisory Committee (CCAC) for each of the four disciplines that it certifies. The CCACs are charged with evaluating CC requirements and recommending modifications as necessary to maintain a program that is not only reasonable and relevant to diplomate practice but also sufficiently rigorous and credible to support the mission of the ABR.
Members of the Radiation Oncology (RO) CCAC are selected from nominations of various stakeholder organizations, such as the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), the American College of Radiology (ACR), and the American Radium Society (ARS). The RO CCAC convenes semiannually to offer suggestions for improvement, including enhanced user friendliness to ensure the ABR maintains a program that is easy for diplomates to navigate. As an ABR Trustee, Dr. Yashar chairs the RO CCAC, which is made up of 21 practitioners.
Through the diverse group of practicing radiation oncologist volunteers and CCAC members, the ABR seeks to maintain trust with RO diplomates and to ensure that all voices are heard, feedback is taken seriously, and all practice types are represented. The ABR sustains a strong commitment to RO diplomates and the public to maintain quality healthcare. Participation in the CC program demonstrates that ABR diplomates are dedicated to continuous improvement, professional development, and quality patient care.