In a full-circle moment, Kristopher W. Cummings, MD, will replace one of his mentors when he joins the ABR Board of Trustees later this month.
Dr. Cummings is set to become the trustee representing cardiothoracic imaging, taking over for longtime ABR volunteer Sanjeev Bhalla, MD, whose term is expiring. Dr. Cummings completed a fellowship under Dr. Bhalla at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis in 2008.
“He’s quite a role model,” Dr. Cummings said of Dr. Bhalla. “He’s a passionate teacher who has the trainee’s best intentions at heart. I feel very fortunate to have trained under him and had him as a mentor and subsequently a very good friend.”
Dr. Bhalla saw leadership potential in his trainee during the fellowship. Dr. Cummings was chief resident and junior section member at Mallinckrodt, where he also performed his residency.
“He stood out for his analytical thinking and empathy,” Dr. Bhalla said. “He is so good at seeing all points of view and listening to everyone. The unique ability to listen and offer great advice, with a Southern charm, make him such trusted counsel.”
Dr. Cummings has the pedigree to serve as a trustee. He’s chair of the division of cardiothoracic imaging in the department of radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and an associate professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
He’s also a recent past chair of the committee that develops thoracic questions for the Diagnostic Radiology Qualifying (Core) Exam. Applying to become a trustee was a clear next step.
“I enjoy my interaction with colleagues, the educational aspect of certifying candidates to practice radiology, and working with the people at the ABR,” Dr. Cummings said.
Being part of a committee has prepared Dr. Cummings for his trustee duties. He was interested in seeing how the ABR worked as a volunteer and the experience has been an education.
“I didn’t realize the amount of work that went into putting exams together and the number of committees that were working on different steps of the exams,” he said.
During his term, the ABR will introduce the New Diagnostic Radiology Oral Exam. The exam, which will be taken by candidates who complete their residencies in 2027 and later, will be a focus of the diagnostic radiology trustees over the next few years.
Dr. Cummings earned his ABR certification in 2008 after passing an oral exam and finds value in bringing back the process.
“I was always very appreciative of the old oral board format in that it created a period of concentration in the fourth year of training where you had to fill in any of those holes or gaps that you had,” he said. “It modeled a behavior that is typical of a workday. The clinician comes to the reading room and asks you about an unknown case and wants your opinion. I’m a practical radiologist and that was a very practical experience.”
An Alabama native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Alabama and medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. Before taking the job at Mayo in Arizona, Dr. Cummings had gotten comfortable at Mallinckrodt, where he spent a little more than six years of his career.
Moving far from family in Alabama and colleagues in Missouri was tough but it was a challenge that he couldn’t let pass.
“I knew people at (Mayo), and it was a good opportunity,” Dr. Cummings said. “That piqued my interest to do something different. It’s been great for me. I encourage people to consider taking on new opportunities because it provides a chance to grow in different aspects of your practice.”
He’ll also become the only trustee in Arizona, an important factor as the organization continues to seek board representation from across the country. That’s especially important for the Board of Trustees, a multidisciplinary body that advances the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of the ABR’s certification assessments.
“I think it’s useful because not every trainee sees exactly the same types of things,” Dr. Cummings said. “I think we all see the bread-and-butter things, but there are flavors to different programs where one may see more complex transplants while another program may see more Level One Trauma.”
The physician whose spot he’s filling looks forward to seeing the contributions that his former trainee will bring to the board.
“Kris is an amazing guy and will be a huge asset to the ABR,” Dr. Bhalla said. “I can’t imagine a better person to be replaced by.”
