By Andrew Castagna Growing up, I showed interest in technology. Whether it was researching the most up-to-date electronic devices, rewiring computers, or helping my friends and family brainstorm anything technology-related, I was the go-to person. I also knew that I loved medicine, improving the lives of people around me, and contributing to the health of…
2022;15(3):14 The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) has honored ABR Associate Executive Director James B. Spies, MD, MPH, FSIR, with the 2022 Leaders in Innovation Award. This award recognizes and promotes innovation within interventional radiology, acknowledging individuals who have conceptualized and implemented an idea that has had an advantageous impact on the practice of interventional…
by Vincent P. Mathews, MD, ABR President June 2022;15(3):2 After extensive internal deliberation, the ABR announced in March that we would no longer be issuing authorized user (AU) eligibility (AU-E)1 on our certificates after 2023. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has defined requirements for “training and experience” (T&E) to allow practitioners to be added to…
by James B. Spies, MD, MPH, ABR Associate Executive Director for Interventional Radiology June 2022;15(3):7 In the past two years, we all have struggled with the pandemic and the breadth of its impact on all aspects of our lives. Nearly everything we do in daily life has been upended, and radical changes have been required…
By Stephen F. Simoneaux, MD, ABR Trustee June 2022;15(3):5 When a candidate sits down to take an ABR exam, high image quality is certainly an expectation. Over the years, as the tests have transitioned from glossy printed booklets, to films on view boxes, to computers, maintaining excellence in imaging has been a challenge. Plus, as…
June 2022;15(3):10 By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager This past March on Match Day, medical school graduates across the country discovered where they will spend their residencies. The day is the culmination of years spent dreaming about becoming a physician and working hard to achieve the goal. Radiologists, medical physicists, and radiation oncologists were among…
June 2022;15(3):15 Christopher Wood, MDCongratulations to ABR Trustee Christopher P. Wood, MD, for being elected to the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) Nominating Committee for 2022-2023. Dr. Wood is a professor in the department of radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he has been on staff since 1992. He completed his neuroradiology…
June 2022;15(3):11 The default setting for Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) sends an email to participants every Monday when new OLA questions are issued. But that frequency can be changed to other options that might better suit diplomates’ needs, such as “Question(s) are expiring Sunday” or “Never.” After logging in to OLA, click on the “OLA…
June 2022;15(3):13 After the administration of a computer-based exam, candidates will now be able to follow the progress of the exam scoring process on the ABR website. All ABR computer-based exam results go through the following six phases: 1) Collect; 2) Initial Scoring; 3) Quality Assurance; 4) Secondary Scoring; 5) Validation; 6) Results Release. When…
By Paul E. Wallner, DO, ABR Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology; and David Laszakovits, MBA, Director of Communications June 2022;15(3):9 In 2004, following an agreement reached with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the ABR began to add the designation “Authorized User-Eligible” (AU-E) to Initial Certification certificates of certain diagnostic radiology (DR) and radiation…
By Matthew B. Podgorsak, PhD, Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, and Robert A. Pooley, PhD, ABR Trustees; and Geoffrey S. Ibbott, PhD, ABR Associate Executive Director for Medical Physics June 2022;15(3):8 As is the case for all ABR volunteers, medical physicists who are selected to participate as oral examiners must hold an ABR certificate that meets…
By N. Reed Dunnick, MD, ABR Executive Associate Director for Diagnostic Radiology June 2022;15(3):6 Technology has advanced tremendously since 1943 when IBM President Thomas Watson said “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” In 1977, Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, opined that, “There is no reason anyone would want…
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.