With her first post-training job already in hand, Jamie Strike, MD, is using her fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital as intensive on-the-job training for her long-term goals.

Her post-training career will begin next year with a faculty position in Wisconsin. Dr. Strike, whose fellowship is in cardiothoracic imaging, is a native Midwesterner. Starting at the Medical College of Wisconsin is a chance to work for a prestigious institution with people she knows and respects.

“I decided to stay here because of my colleagues,” she said. “I enjoy coming to work every day and working with them. I love the community that we have here.”

Dr. Strike has proven herself more than worthy of a full-time position. She was a co-chief resident and is now a co-fellow, earning the admiration of her peers and faculty along the way.

Medical College of Wisconsin MSK Associate Fellowship Director Erica Lanser, MD, met Dr. Strike at Creighton University’s School of Medicine in Phoenix, when Dr. Lanser was an intern and Dr. Strike was a student. Dr. Lanser has been impressed by her younger colleague’s dedication during residency and fellowship.

“Dr. Strike is a hard worker clinically,” Dr. Lanser said. “She comes early and stays late. She’s always focused on what is in the best interest of the patients and is sure to give colleagues appropriate sign-out regarding pending exams or procedures and follows up on patient outcomes.”

One of the benefits Dr. Strike has found in her fellowship is the opportunity to collaborate with cardiologists. They read cardiac MRIs separately and then discuss their findings together. They also participate in cardiac readouts every Friday, going over unique cases in a group setting. It’s educational for physicians and helpful for patients.

“Cardiologists provide us with a unique perspective,” Dr. Strike said. “Radiologists can get a little sheltered in our reading rooms. We usually interact with providers only when they call to discuss a study. Here, we work hand in hand with them.”

The fellowship also gives Dr. Strike the chance to serve as an educator, which she plans to pursue as a career.

“I see myself staying in academics,” she said. “I enjoy working with medical students, residents, and fellows. I enjoy having colleagues to chat with in person throughout the day, to nerd out with on interesting cases, and to ask questions. It builds a sense of camaraderie and makes work more enjoyable.”

Just a few months into her fellowship, Dr. Strike has already made an impact as an instructor. Dr. Lanser sees great potential for her colleague to make significant contributions to the college’s academic side.

“Dr. Strike is an excellent teacher to our med students and residents,” Dr. Lanser said. “I look forward to seeing the contributions she will make to resident and fellow education once she is faculty.”

A change in the curriculum during her third year of residency led Dr. Strike to choose her specialty. The college introduced an elective block that allowed her to look at various areas of diagnostic radiology.

“When I did chest that month, they introduced me to cardiac imaging and I knew that was it,” she said. “I was sold, and I didn’t look back from there.”

Taking on a fellowship gives her more responsibilities and a direct say in treatments. As a resident, she had attendings to make the decisions. Now, she often signs off on final reports.

“You take ownership,” Dr. Strike said. “These are your studies. This is your field to learn. Everything that goes on around me, between messaging, providers calling, nurses and technologists calling, it’s on me to make decisions and have the say on yes or no.”

Her initial signoff came in the first quarter of her fellowship. It was a nerve-racking moment when she added her signature to the report.

“It was scary,” she said. “I picked a normal chest x-ray from the list. I did my same search pattern, and it took me five times longer than usual because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I reread my report three times to make sure I didn’t have grammatical errors.”

Dr. Strike describes a fellowship as a time to learn and hone skills. She encourages fellows to read difficult cases and recognize that diagnostic radiology is a lifelong learning experience.

“It’s a big growing opportunity, educationally, clinically, and personally,” she said. “Take all the opportunities that you can. You never know where it’s going to lead you.”

As members of the ABR’s Radiation Oncology Initial Certification Advisory Committee, Drs. Michael LeCompte and Joy Ogunmuyiwa serve as intermediaries between the organization and candidates. Their voices are vital as the ABR seeks to improve the initial certification process for radiation oncologists.

Their thoughts are also in demand across their specialty. Both serve their field as volunteers for associations and societies.

“An initiative across radiation oncology has been to ensure that those in their early careers are having their voices heard,” Dr. LeCompte said.

The two have filled that need by earning leadership roles for various organizations. Dr. LeCompte recently served as chair of the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) and will soon take the resident ex-officio seat on the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Board of Directors. He’s also part of ASTRO’s Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee.

Dr. Ogunmuyiwa is on the executive board of the Society of Women in Radiation Oncology as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. She’s also on ARRO’s Executive Committee and Global Health Subcommittee. Her family came to the US from Nigeria.

“I met most of the people I know through volunteering,” she said.

Dr. Ogunmuyiwa finds that her voice can be amplified as a radiation oncology volunteer. Of the more than 36,000 physicians and physicists participating in ABR Continuing Certification, 12 percent are radiation oncologists.

“One of the reasons why I like to get involved is I know that because we’re a smaller field, we’re able to make an impact,” said Dr. Ogunmuyiwa, who also holds a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard.

Dr. Ogunmuyiwa is a third-year resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Getting involved as a volunteer for associations and societies gives her the opportunity to expand her interests and experiences beyond working with colleagues at the hospital.

“It’s nice to go to these events or meetings and interact with other residents and practicing clinicians,” she said. “I’m seeing the same four or five faces every day (at my program). It’s nice to interact with other people.”

As a fourth-year resident at Johns Hopkins, Dr. LeCompte’s free time is limited. He believes he needs to be careful to not overextend himself, no matter how important the cause. He said that not being available to give full effort would be a disservice to an organization.

“It’s a balancing act,” he said. “Being honest with yourself and others about your time and what you can realistically contribute is the first part to successfully being a volunteer. I’ve been fortunate to have friends, family and colleagues who understand when I say no to a new opportunity because they know that it’s something I would do if I had the time.”

Dr. Ogunmuyiwa’s NewYork-Presbyterian colleagues often stress the importance of volunteering to their residents. Hearing those endorsements makes her realize the importance of giving time back to her specialty.

“Some of my attendings are involved in different organizations,” Dr. Ogunmuyiwa said. “They’re always making sure that we know that radiation oncology isn’t just clinical work. It’s also about how you volunteer and interact with others.”

There are many reasons why the two enjoy volunteering. Despite being an introvert, Dr. LeCompte eagerly jumps into committee work. He has benefitted from the efforts of former residents and wants to ensure that he’s doing the same.

“It really comes from a place of wanting to help,” he said. “I know those in front of me made it better for me and I want to be that person for those behind me.”

Incoming ABR Trustee Umesh Oza, MD, found his long-time employer soon after finishing his residency at Harvard Medical School.

In 2005, Dr. Oza started at American Radiology Associates in Dallas. Two decades later, he’s a partner in the practice, which employs more than 100 radiologists and serves patients across Texas.

He said there are several reasons why he has stayed put.

“I have tremendous respect for my partners,” Dr. Oza said. “They are great mentors and human beings. I’m happy to call them partners in practice and in life. I truly enjoy my job, which is best described as a hybrid practice. While I’m in a private practice 80% of the time, I’m also in the hospital with residents, medical students, and fellows. I get to teach and flex those academic muscles. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Professional variety is what made him a good candidate to join the Board of Trustees, an appointment that becomes official at the end of the month. His experience lends a helpful perspective to a group of ABR volunteers who are responsible for ensuring that Initial Certification exams are fair and relevant.

“I have a unique perspective of both academic and independent private practice,” Dr. Oza said. “I think that will be helpful for me so I can align with the academic experience of most ABR Trustees, but also be able to support my colleagues who are in the world of private practice.”

Dr. Oza is happy to join the BOT at a time when the ABR is planning the new Diagnostic Radiology Oral Certifying Exam, which will be given for the first time in 2028. As a person who took the old exam in Louisville, he sees lifelong benefits from updating and reintroducing the format to candidates.

“Experiential learning during which candidates have taken cases in a conference or with their colleagues and venture beyond basic radiological diagnoses has tremendous benefits,” he said. “I believe that this particular way of learning will last forever.”

ABR Trustee M. Elizabeth Oates, MD, encouraged Dr. Oza to pursue the role she’ll be leaving this month. She sees her colleague as a great fit as the Trustee for nuclear radiology, especially with the diagnostic radiology oral exam coming back in an updated form.

Dr. Oates has known Dr. Oza for a long time: she was program director and chief of the division of nuclear radiology when he was a resident at Tufts University School of Medicine/New England Medical Center in Boston. He also completed a fellowship in nuclear medicine at the Harvard Medical School Joint Program.

“Dr. Oza combines traditional academics with a private practice model; thus, he brings an uncommon perspective to the board,” Dr. Oates said. “Particularly germane given that the ABR is reintroducing the oral certifying exam in diagnostic radiology, Dr. Oza has considerable experience with this platform, having served as an oral examiner in Louisville, Kentucky, for six years. Dr. Oza’s personal characteristics complement his professional knowledge and skills. He is thoughtful and articulate, collaborative, and collegial.”

Dr. Oates and Milton Guiberteau, MD, a former ABR board president, were two of the primary inspirations for Dr. Oza to become a volunteer. He started his duties as an oral examiner in 2009 and was quickly “hooked.”

“It was a tremendous experience,” Dr. Oza said. “I enjoyed the interaction and privilege of assessing candidates’ radiology knowledge. I also reveled in the challenge of having a candidate who’s very nervous and would attempt to draw knowledge out of them and give them a fair chance and see them become a confident superstar.”

Dr. Oza’s volunteer experience extends beyond oral examiner and question writer for the ABR. He has been a panel chair for the diagnostic radiology in-training exam for the American College of Radiology since 2011 and was chair of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Subspecialties Milestones in Nuclear Radiology in 2013 and 2014.

“I was helping design and outline what our nuclear radiology trainees need for their education and experience and define how we could protect them in a training program, so they are learning as well as performing clinical duties without an imbalance of those two areas,” he said of his ACGME experience.

As an ABR Trustee, he will oversee multiple committees from his subspecialty. Dr. Oza plans to use this week’s fall board meeting and subsequent Trustee gatherings to learn more about successful habits from colleagues outside of his realm.

“Being around seasoned Trustees excites me to learn what they have accomplished, what they have created, and how they have successfully led their committees,” he said. “I want to find that perfect balance of guidance versus mentorship by looking at everyone else’s successes and apply that to my own committees.”