New Governors Share First Impressions
2025;18(1):4
In our last issue, we heard from the ABR Trustees who joined the Board in September 2024. This month, we asked new members of the ABR Board of Governors (BOG) to tell us about their experiences. Below are their answers to the following questions:
- What made you interested in being on the Board of Governors?
- What did you think about your first board meeting?
- What do you see as the ABR’s priorities moving forward?
- There are multiple reasons. I have known several former members who all described being on the Board as a meaningful and impactful part of their career. Personally, having served as chair of the Residency Review Committee for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in radiology during the development of the training pathways for interventional radiology (IR), I was interested in providing that historical knowledge and background to BOG discussions and decisions. My role as a former program director and service on the Association of Program Directors in Radiology executive board gives me perspective into the current move to the Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Oral Exam, which I also think is important for the BOG to have represented. I feel that the BOG is responsive to the needs of the radiology community.
- The first board meeting was pretty much what I had envisioned. There was somewhat more discussion about topics than I had anticipated, which was a positive. I felt very accepted right from the start and able to express my views.
- I think one of the most important priorities is developing and rolling out the new oral exam for DR. I also think the financial health of the organization is always important. Managing the various constituents of the ABR (radiation oncology, medical physics, DR, and IR) is somewhat unique to the ABR and presents challenges, especially in times of transition such as is occurring with DR and IR, the various training pathways, and the changing practice landscape.
- I responded to the call for physicians in private practice to participate. I have been in private practice for over 20 years and am certified in neuroradiology and pediatric radiology. I would like to contribute to the current and future standardization of the criteria for excellence in the discipline of radiology. Whether our patients have imaging done at a community hospital, a private hospital, or in an academic medical center, image interpretation should be consistent and offered at the highest quality. In addition, the Board of Governors is responsible for ABR financial affairs, initial and continuing certification program processes, communications, strategic planning and priority setting, intersociety relations and outreach, and oversight of American Board of Medical Specialty matters.
- As a professional registered parliamentarian, I have served on other boards and in committee positions assisting with bylaws review and revision and was president of the National Association Parliamentarians’ parliamentary unit, Green Gavel. My first ABR board meeting was quite exciting, and I was impressed with the engagement, productivity, and meeting management. I enjoyed getting to know the other board members and saw that everyone is passionately committed to the success of the diplomates and to their fiduciary responsibilities as stewards of the ABR. I look forward to contributing my perspective as a community physician while learning from the diversity of everyone’s experiences.
- Assuring the ABR’s status as the indispensable certifying entity for physician and physicist knowledge, skills, and professionalism to ensure the highest quality of patient care delivery continues to be our mission. Health equity requires that critical imaging services such as stroke imaging, lung cancer screening, breast cancer screening, and all imaging modalities are available to all communities. The services radiologists and medical physicists provide are critical to health outcomes for everyone.
- After many years on the Board of Trustees in the exam development arena, I was interested in learning about the other aspects of service as a Governor.
- It was interesting to see the work being done that is so different from the job of exam creation. A whole host of other business must be completed to keep the ABR running smoothly.
- Priorities:
- Successfully launching the new DR Oral Exam.
- Recruiting and maintaining a strong volunteer pool.
- Keeping the trust of candidates and diplomates.
- Continued hiring of the excellent staff needed to continue high-quality work.
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