When asked what he thinks of rotating off his ABR Trustee spot after two terms and eight years this October, Brian Davis, MD, PhD, turned to the world of music and movies for a reply. “Well, what is the song? ‘Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.’ That’s one,” he said. “Then there’s the line from…
The ABR is sponsoring three American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Scholars in this year’s cohort. The Scholars, each of whom will receive a $15,000 grant from the ABR, are: Abdullah Alshreef, PhD, MS, MSc, a medical physics resident at Loma Linda University Medical Center. His research project is titled: “Enhancing Clinical Readiness and Board…
One of the effects of the pandemic for ABR candidates was the temporary limbo they faced in pursuing board certification. There were several months when exam centers were closed for in-person gatherings or greatly restricted because of COVID’s rapid and deadly spread. Kristen McConnell, PhD, was one of those candidates. On track to earn her…
ABR Trustee Catheryn Yashar, MD, was voted president-elect by the membership of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in July. She will begin her term during the organization’s annual meeting next month and will become president in September 2026. Dr. Yashar is a professor of radiation medicine and applied sciences at the University of…
Marc Mendonca, PhD, learned a lot in his more than 20 years as an ABR volunteer. One of his biggest takeaways was that even the best physicians, biologists, and physicists require time to learn how to create relevant exam questions. Even longtime question writers can occasionally struggle. “I love the fact that these are some…
After almost two decades as an ABR volunteer, Trustee Chrisopher Wood, MD, said that one of the more satisfying aspects of his role is the positive feedback he receives from other ABR volunteers. It happened most recently at the American Society for Neuroradiology annual meeting in Philadelphia this past May. A current volunteer approached him…
As president of the Association of Program Directors in Interventional Radiology (APDIR), Quinn Meisinger, MD, has a keen interest in the ABR’s Initial Certification process. He gained more of a voice recently by joining the ABR Interventional Radiology Initial Certification Advisory Committee. The group, which includes physicians from many career stages, serves as a connection…
Reed Dunnick, MD, doesn’t plan to slow down much after he retires from the University of Michigan on August 31. Technically, he isn’t even leaving the department of radiology, where he has spent the past 33 years. The former ABR volunteer and part-time staffer will be coming to the Ann Arbor campus even more often…
As a medical physicist who once took the Maintenance of Certification Exam years ago, Miriam Weiser, MS, has a piece of advice for her fellow ABR diplomates: Use Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) to satisfy Part 3 of Continuing Certification. “A point-in-time exam is not easy to study for,” she said. “It’s hard to know, especially…
After a year of learning about several medical specialties during his transition year, Logan Ryals, MD, is relieved to start his residency and concentrate on career goals. While his experience, mostly with internal medicine and surgery, at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital in the Chicago area was valuable, it was just a warm-up for what Dr….
An important date is coming for diplomates in Continuing Certification who haven’t started answering Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) questions yet this year. August 3 is the last day when they can start participating and still be able to reach their annual progress requirement which, for most, requires answering 52 questions. Waiting until that date to begin…
With more than 1,300 volunteers on its dozens of committees, the ABR is fortunate to have subject matter experts who are eager to share their knowledge and limited spare time to keep board certification fair and relevant. Volunteers from smaller subspecialties can be hard to find. That’s what makes physicians like Caitlin Connolly, MD, especially…
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.