He’s Enjoyed Being Part of Oral Exam Evolution

John Fritz Angle’s ABR volunteer experience goes back to the Executive West Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, where thousands of candidates traveled over the years to take their oral certifying exams.

Years later, his experience and dedication led him to be chosen as an ABR Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology (IR/DR) Trustee. An oral examiner and a physician who has created content for the IR/DR Certifying Exam, he has seen the process evolve and improve.

“The technology’s made it so much better,” Dr. Angle said of the switch to remote exams. “Even in the few years I’ve been helping with the content for the oral boards, I’ve seen dramatic changes. It’s not big steps. It’s multiple small steps. But the exam is so much better every year.”

Diagnostic radiology candidates who complete their training in June 2027 will see their certifying exam switch to an oral format in 2028. The following year, IR/DR candidates who finish their training in June 2029 will begin taking the DR Oral Certifying Exam along with their own IR Oral Certifying Exam.

Oral exams remain fundamental to the ABR’s mission of ensuring that physicians and physicists have the knowledge necessary to practice safely.

“A lot of specialties have abandoned oral boards, but we’ve realized they’re still important,” he said. “Fundamental human interaction is key.”

Dr. Angle became a Trustee at the conclusion of the fall board meeting in October. He said attending the meeting and seeing discussions involving physicians and physicists from across the four specialties certified by the ABR was enriching.

“It was really a great opportunity to meet a lot of people who work in related but different fields,” he said. “That starts with conversations about what their practice is like and what kind of work they do. It’s pretty humbling, but it’s also a lot of fun to learn about how these things are done in a completely different field.”

The Board of Trustees (BOT) advances the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of Initial Certification exams and Continuing Certification assessments. They then make recommendations to the Board of Governors regarding assessment structure including, but not limited to, exam format, content, assembly, delivery, scoring, and feedback.

Dr. Angle is invigorated by an increased workload and the ability to team with colleagues from across multiple fields.

“I think we all try to be very disciplined in our work and we think we’ve got a handle on that,” he said. “But then you’re around people who are pretty amazing and you elevate your game another level.”

A professor of radiology and medical imaging and director of the division of vascular and interventional radiology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Angle was in part drawn to the field for the same reason he likes volunteering: He gets to interact with people.

“I spend more and more time in clinic getting to know patients, hearing their stories, and answering their questions,” he said. “I find it very gratifying and hopefully it makes a difference for them, too.”

Fellow new Trustee Darryl Zuckerman, MD, has had plenty of experience working with Dr. Angle as an oral exam content developer and examiner. He said his colleague will be an excellent addition to the BOT.

“It is a particular pleasure to be working with Fritz Angle on the BOT because it’s a continuation of our work,” he said. “Fritz has been a great contributor to the ABR over the years, including as an experienced examiner. He’s also nationally known in the IR community with a history of extraordinary activity with the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR).”

A dedicated volunteer, Dr. Angle has been a speaker at SIR’s annual meetings and numerous multispecialty vascular meetings for more than 25 years. All these years later, his mind still goes back to Louisville and his positive experiences with fellow oral examiners.

“Some of my fondest memories on the nonpatient-care side of my career were hanging out in the break room at the Executive West and chatting with people about medicine and current events and what flavor of teas they had at the breakfast and everything else,” he said. “It’s just amazing because everyone’s got a lot in common, but at the same time, they come from very different backgrounds and it’s such enriching experience.”