ABR Updating OLA Process for NMP Diplomates in 2025
By Jennifer Stickel, PhD, ABR Trustee
2024;17(6):8
In 2019, the ABR implemented Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) as Part 3 of the four-part Continuing Certification (CC, formerly MOC) program. For medical physicists, the OLA program began in January 2020 and thus is about to complete its fifth year.
Medical physicist diplomates are required to answer 52 questions annually for each certificate they hold. For diplomates specializing in therapeutic medical physics (TMP) and diagnostic medical physics (DMP), OLA delivers 104 questions per year (two each week) and permits up to 10 declines per year per certificate. All questions can be “banked” for up to four weeks from the time they are delivered to the diplomate.
For nuclear medical physics (NMP) diplomates, however, OLA delivers only one question per week. This allows diplomates to meet the goal of 52 questions per year but does not permit declines. The requirement for reliable statistics limits the number of questions that can be deployed; before a question can contribute to a diplomate’s cumulative score, it must have been answered by 50 participants and rated by at least 10 question raters. Given the comparatively small number of NMP physicists enrolled in OLA, deploying a larger number of questions would lead to unacceptable delays in the calculation of cumulative scores.
This puts NMP diplomates at a disadvantage in two ways. Receiving only one question per week means they will fail to meet the annual question goal if banked questions are not answered in the same calendar year in which they are delivered. In addition, NMP diplomates don’t have the same opportunity as other diplomates to decline questions on topics that are not relevant to their clinical practice.
Now that OLA has been in use for five years, we have a robust database of available questions. This will enable the ABR to implement a few changes to the NMP OLA experience in 2025. First, NMP diplomates will have the opportunity to decline up to five questions per year. To ensure that the 52 question per year goal is still possible, when a question is declined, the NMP diplomate will immediately receive a replacement question. In addition, although questions will continue to have a four-week shelf life, diplomates can use the full four weeks even if it extends into a new calendar year. The diplomate will receive credit in the appropriate year to ensure that the annual goal is met.
These updates will improve the OLA experience for all NMP diplomates while still making it possible for them to meet their Part 3 Continuing Certification requirements.
New Trustees Share First Impressions
2024;17(6):4
In September, four new members joined the ABR Board of Trustees. A few months into their tenure, we asked each of them to share their thoughts on the following questions:
- What made you interested in being on the Board of Trustees?
- What did you think about your first board meeting?
- What do you see as the ABR’s priorities moving forward?
Kristopher Cummings, MD, Cardiothoracic Imaging
- I thoroughly enjoyed my previous ABR work as a member and subsequent chair for the Thoracic Qualifying (Core) Exam Committee. The staff at the ABR are dedicated to their mission, and my interactions with other volunteers were rewarding and educational. The work of the ABR is so important to maintaining the integrity and mission of our specialties.
- My first Board of Trustees meeting was eye opening. I was familiar with the structure of the ABR certification process for radiology (diagnostic and interventional), but it was amazing to see all the work and effort that went into radiation oncology and medical physics. The dedication of so many volunteers and staff to pull off coordinating content for certifying exams and ensuring that the content is accurate, fair, and a realistic representation of practice is impressive. The excitement and thoughtful conversations around bringing back the oral component for diagnostic radiology certification was also terrific. Overall, I felt very fortunate to be selected to help contribute to such an outstanding group of people and such an important mission.
- Obviously, for diagnostic radiology, there is a lot of attention on building out the new oral exam content and format. I think many in the DR training community are very excited about having a way to better assess a candidate’s ability to talk through a case and demonstrate the skills they have obtained during training. As someone who focuses on practical knowledge and experiences, I believe the ability to assess candidates in a more real-world role as a consulting radiologist is important to ensure the enduring quality of our specialty. The challenge of building out a remote, oral exam format like this at such a scale will be significant, as we strive to balance having fair comprehensive content and the logistics involved in producing it. It will also create many opportunities for additional volunteers and participation with the ABR. I encourage everyone to consider volunteering in some capacity with the ABR!
Umesh D. Oza, MD, Nuclear Radiology
- I saw the importance of the role firsthand while serving on several ABR committees. It was a role that is respected and carries tremendous responsibility, and I wanted to serve my specialty and the public by taking on the challenge of being a Trustee.
- I was quite impressed at how much discussion and deliberation occurs behind the scenes at the board meeting. Everyone has an equal voice, and ideas are exchanged across specialties.
- One of the highest priorities is going to be ensuring the successful creation and implementation of the new oral board format for the Diagnostic Radiology Certifying Exam. I look forward to that critical task as a new Trustee.
Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, Radiation Oncology
- I have been an ABR Volunteer for over 20 years and I believe in the mission and goals of the organization. Serving on the Board of Trustees was a way for me to increase my involvement and find new ways to contribute.
- At my first board meeting, I was impressed with the depth and substance of the issues discussed. This is a group that cares deeply about ensuring that a fair and meaningful examination process is provided to examinees while maintaining the trust the public puts in us. Also, it’s a very collegial group, and it was a pleasure to meet the members of the board and the ABR staff.
- The ABR always has a delicate balance to produce exams that truly evaluate the competence of our examinees without making the process so onerous that it is difficult to participate. This necessitates a constant recalibration to suit the needs of both practitioners and the public.
Jennifer Stickel, PhD, Nuclear Medical Physics
- I had been involved in the MP Part 2 Committee for years but was interested in how all the committees were connected to generate the exams. I was also interested in how medical physics fit into the scheme of exams compared with radiation oncology, interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology, and diagnostic radiology. What was the same and what was different and why?
- I was impressed by how well the group worked with the different Trustees and focuses. It was very collegial and respectful even when viewpoints were different. You could feel that everyone wanted what is best for the exam process and to ensure that the process works for both the exam takers and all the volunteers who are generating content and putting together the exams.
- One major priority is preparing for the DR oral exams. There is a lot of focus on what is working well for the other groups and how that can be used in the DR discipline. I think the focus on improving RADS and the interface with the software is great. I also see a desire to continue using the data we have to make informed decisions to optimize both internal and external processes.
Volunteer Goes From Fresh Out of Training to ‘Amazing’
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager
2024;17(6):9
When asked to describe ABR volunteer Ryan Avery, MD, his committee chair keeps it simple.
“He’s amazing,” said Derek Johnson, MD, who leads the Diagnostic Radiology Nuclear Radiology Subspecialty Committee.
Dr. Avery, the chief of nuclear medicine in Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology and an associate professor of nuclear medicine, has been an ABR volunteer for five years. He said he was excited about the opportunity to get involved as a radiologist who was fresh out of training.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity because I was still relatively junior in my career,” he said. “It didn’t feel like it was that long ago when I went through the process of taking my certification exam. To move and transition to that component was a huge opportunity for me from the educational perspective of being an academic radiologist.”
Dr. Avery believes that working with residents makes him a better question writer, earning that high praise from Dr. Johnson. Ongoing interaction with trainees gives him a better idea of what qualifies as fair and relevant content.
“It’s a continual refinement of my skills and their skills,” he said. “Residents ask good questions. They have curiosities and you can see where they get confused over certain things, which is nice because as I write questions, I know the issues that are out there.”
Working at Northwestern also gives Dr. Avery the opportunity to teach interventional radiology residents working their way through the program.
“You see their questions and they’re intrigued about radioembolization therapies,” he said. “You can see where their knowledge is and where it is lacking.”
An essential element of training is ensuring that instruction keeps up with the times. Dr. Avery points out advancements in PET technology over the past several years as an example.
Volunteers need to look ahead when developing content, especially in a constantly evolving field. He said ABR volunteers do that as standard practice.
“You need to focus on where things are going,” he said. “If trainees are picking up an older edition of a textbook or a study guide, they’re learning data that’s erroneous because the literature has moved past it. It’s nice to see how much the ABR tries to make sure that these examinations are not reflecting things that have passed.”
Dr. Avery uses his volunteer experience to stay current on those changes in nuclear medicine. His exam committee is filled with experts from the field, allowing him to learn as he develops and reviews content.
“It’s been very humbling and enjoyable,” he said. “It’s nice being someone who has to be continuously up to speed with the literature and the practices of nuclear medicine.”
Dr. Avery considered other subspecialties before taking the nuclear medicine path. He said he’s happy he chose this branch because cancer treatment options have grown over the past decade.
He’s happy to see his subspecialty growing in importance.
“I was very lucky about 10 years ago to see that nuclear medicine was about to get out of the basement,” Dr. Avery said. “It’s an extremely intriguing time where PET CT is not synonymous with FDG PET. Even more exciting is that PET CT is becoming the gateway for an exponentially growing number of theranostic agents. All of a sudden, I have to find my white coat and get ready because I’m seeing patients again. It’s kept me very busy and interested and excited.”
