By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager August 2024;17(4):10 When he was a fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, there was one thing that Richard Castillo, PhD, wanted to avoid: senior colleagues randomly testing his knowledge in hallways or break rooms. “I would walk by the wrong person, and they…
By John A. Kaufman, MD, MS, ABR Secretary-Treasurer; Cheri L. Canon, MD, ABR President-elect; and Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director August 2024;17(4):3 The ABR continually considers the appropriateness of the certification process, including the validity and focus of its exams. Earlier this year, the ABR asked interventional radiologists to comment on (a) whether…
By James B. Spies, MD, MPH, ABR Associate Executive Director for Interventional Radiology August 2024;17(4):6 In recent years, the number of trainees applying for a five-year integrated interventional radiology (IR) residency has been increasing but with a corresponding decrease in the applicants for the independent IR residency. It appears that medical students committed to IR…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager August 2024;17(4):9 Physicians and physicists who work with trainees often benefit from serving as ABR volunteers. It’s definitely been a worthwhile experience for Ken Buckwalter, MD, MBA. Dr. Buckwalter has volunteered with the ABR for 15 years as an oral examiner and question writer for the Diagnostic Radiology Certifying…
By M. Elizabeth Oates, MD, ABR Trustee, and David Laszakovits, ABR Communications Director August 2024;17(4):5 Graduates of the redesigned ABR 16-month pathway in nuclear radiology (NR) are eligible for primary certification in diagnostic radiology (DR) or interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology (IR/DR) and subspecialty certification in NR (ABR-NR) (or, alternatively, may qualify for the American Board of…
By Desiree E. Morgan, MD, ABR Governor, and David Laszakovits, ABR Communications Director June 2024;17(3):5 The Diagnostic Radiology Initial Certification Advisory Committee was created more than 10 years ago to allow candidates and program directors to provide feedback to the ABR in efforts to: Members of the committee, who serve a two-year term, are nominated…
By Robert M. Barr, MD, ABR President June 2024;17(3):2 ABR governance consists of two major elements: the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Governors (BOG) oversees the organization’s fulfillment of the mission and is responsible for the corporate powers, business, and affairs of the ABR. This oversight role is consistent…
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director June 2024;17(3):3 Nearly 2,000 radiologic professionals are initially certified by the ABR each year, and more than 34,000 currently certified individuals maintain their existing certificate through our Continuing Certification program. Although most interactions with the Board are easily accomplished online, variations in professional or personal circumstances may…
By Cheri L. Canon, MD, ABR President-elect, and Desiree E. Morgan, MD, ABR Governor June 2024;17(3):4 The ABR had an opportunity to present an update at the Association of University Radiologists (now the Association of Academic Radiology [AAR]) meeting in Boston in April. Steve Simoneaux, MD, diagnostic radiology vice chair for the ABR Board of…
By James B. Spies, MD, MPH, ABR Associate Executive Director for Interventional Radiology June 2024;17(3):7 Board certification is a central goal of graduating residents in interventional radiology. Many employers and health systems require certification within a specified interval after board eligibility is established and therefore the timing of the exams is important. For IR residents,…
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager June 2024;17(3):10 When the ABR Board of Governors approved funding to sponsor the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Visiting Scholars Program starting in 2022, it provided another avenue for residents and ABR-certified early career physicians and physicists to pursue their research goals. Four physicians have benefitted from being…
By Gary J. Becker, MD, Former ABR Executive Director June 2024;17(3):15 In February, we lost a world-renowned pioneering interventional radiologist, extraordinary medical leader, husband, father, grandpa (of 10), friend, and colleague — Bill Casarella. Born to Italian immigrant parents in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bill grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, graduated from Yale University (cum laude…
The ABR is a not-for-profit organization and member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Our mission is to certify that our 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.