New Perspectives: New Diplomate Feels ‘Validated’ After Earning Certification
By ABR Associate Director of Communications Rodney Campbell
August 2026;19(4):8
More than a million physicians and medical specialists have earned certification from an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Board since the organization was formed in 1933.
One of the most recent is radiation oncologist Ria Kraft, MD, who took and passed her ABR certifying exam last spring. She felt prepared but admitted to a little understandable anxiety on exam day.
“I was definitely nervous,” she said. “I usually get pretty nervous the morning of an exam.”
Like her other radiation oncology (RO) colleagues, Dr. Kraft took the certifying exam a little less than a year after completing her residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Calling that exam “the light at the end of the tunnel,” she found time to be prepared even with a hectic work schedule at Capital Health Medical Center in Pennington, New Jersey.
“The first six months of being an attending are the hardest because you’re trying to get your feet wet and be independent,” she said. “For the first time as a radiation oncologist, you’re responsible for approving all of the treatment plans. That’s definitely intimidating. Then, toward the latter half of the year, you have to start studying for board exams.”
Dr. Kraft was part of a study group that included five others who were preparing to take the exam this past spring. The team met twice a week. As all members were based on the East Coast, everyone was in the same time zone, which made scheduling easier.
Each week, one of the study group members created a PowerPoint presentation featuring practice cases from each of the eight disease sites that are tested on the exam.
“The advantage is that you get to study with individuals from different institutions,” Dr. Kraft said. “There’s a lot of nuance and practice patterns that vary based on the institution. It’s really good to talk with your peers and see what other folks are doing and just get a sense of what is considered standard of care.”
The ABR compiles exam guides to help candidates with things like their remote setups as well as study guides that include information about what content is covered. We also offer videos on our YouTube page that examinees can use to prepare. Links to all the material are emailed to candidates well in advance of their exams.
“I definitely used the ABR’s materials,” Dr. Kraft said. “I watched some of the videos, and the study guide is really what I went off of when I made my own materials.”
RO candidates must pass a three-part qualifying exam to become eligible to take the certifying exam. That first exam is computer-based, a format with which candidates are acquainted.
“I definitely felt more comfortable going into the written exams, because that is a format we are so familiar with from the beginning of med school and even prior to that,” she said. “I knew more of what to expect from those exams.”
Taking the oral certifying exam was a new experience, but Dr. Kraft said her examiners were friendly and helped guide her through the process. She said her nervousness got her a little off track on a couple of responses.
“During those times, the examiners would often redirect or pose the question a different way to help me understand,” she said. “There were times when I had to correct a little and say, ‘Oh, you know what? I meant to say this, or this is what I would do.’”
Dr. Kraft experienced a range of emotions, from confidence to uncertainty, while awaiting her exam results. She was relieved to learn she had passed and was board certified.
“It’s natural after the exam to have doubts because, in medicine, we are very Type A and we want to be sure about everything,” she said. “Any exam in medicine is set up to make you feel a little bit challenged. I was very hopeful that I had passed, but it was validating and exciting to get the result.”
