News
Discover inspiring stories from our volunteers, candidates, and community, and stay up to date with important news and announcements on exams, policies, and more.
Breast Imager Often Acts in Supporting Role
There are times when Brandi Nicholson, MD, is content sitting in a dark reading room, listening to background music over a cup of coffee as she studies patient images. But that’s only part of her job as a breast imager. She also is responsible for delivering imaging and biopsy results to patients. That news is…
New Medical Physics Trustee Brings History of Service to Role
By Kalpana Kanal, PhD; Jennifer Stickel, PhD; Matthew Podgorsak, PhD; and Geoffrey Ibbott, PhD The ABR has three medical physics trustees who specialize in diagnostic medical physics (DMP), nuclear medical physics (NMP), and therapeutic medical physics (TMP), respectively. This fall, the ABR welcomed Sameer Tipnis, PhD, who has replaced Kalpana Kanal, PhD, as the DMP…
Future Resident Rotates Toward Interventional Radiology
By the time she reached the eighth grade, Lauren Hui, MS, knew she wanted to be a physician. She was even certain about the specialty. When her class was assigned to give presentations about what they wanted to do in 20 years, Lauren was specific: she was going to be a neurosurgeon. She found their…
He’s Proud to Serve His Country and Profession
As a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, Justin Peacock, MD, lives a life of service. He brings that commitment to his duties as an ABR volunteer. Dr. Peacock, who writes questions for the Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Certifying Exam and DR Nuclear Radiology Subspecialty Exam, was developing content in his work life to…
She’ll Miss Her ‘ABR Family’ When Trustee Tenure Ends
By the time Kalpana Kanal, PhD, rotates off herABR Trustee duties in October, she will have started board appointments with the American Association for Physicists in Medicine and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs. However, she says that the work will not fill the gap created by the end of her days…
Trustee Appreciates Value of New Volunteers Assuming ABR Roles
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…
ABR Announces Its Three ABMS Scholars
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…
Volunteer Enjoyed First-Hand View of ABR’s Pivot to Remote Exams
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 Selected as ASTRO President-elect
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…
After Two Decades as Volunteer, He Knows Good Exam Questions Take Time
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…
Trustee: ABR Volunteer Roles Made Me a Better Physician
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…
Program Director Jumps Into ABR Advisory Committee Work
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…
Retirement No Time to Slow Down for Former Board President
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…
Physicist: OLA ‘Better Method’ for Gauging Diplomate Knowledge
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…
Transition Year Complete, New Resident Ready for Reading Room
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….