It’s a challenge to find subject matter experts from smaller fields who can volunteer as ABR question writers, Angoff committee members, or oral examiners.

Nuclear medical physicist Jen Stickel, PhD, is an exception. She has filled all three roles for her specialty since becoming a volunteer in 2016.

“It’s a small community,” she said. “It takes a certain kind of person to write appropriate questions or participate in the oral exam process. Once you find one of those in any discipline, you want to hang onto them as long as they’re willing and able to volunteer.”

Dr. Stickel started as a question writer, went on to Angoff work, and served as an oral examiner. Her next move comes later this month when she joins the ABR Board of Trustees.

The opportunity came as a surprise. She wasn’t aware that Robert A. Pooley, PhD, was at the end of his term as the nuclear medical physics representative. Knowing that she was rotating off her chair duties for the Nuclear Medical Physics (NMP) Part 2 Committee at the end of this year, she reached out to Dr. Pooley to discuss the position before submitting her application.

“I sent him an email asking if he could tell me more about it,” Dr. Stickel said. “Did he think I would be a good fit? Is my personality going to work?”

Dr. Pooley agreed that his colleague would be a good addition, inspiring Dr. Stickel to apply. She was thrilled to be named as a Trustee.

“I found my path to continue with the ABR for a while,” she said. “I didn’t really want to leave. I enjoy working with the staff and volunteers.”

As is the case with all incoming ABR Trustees and Governors, Dr. Stickel received confirmation that she had been named a few months before joining the Board. During that time, she has participated in numerous Trustee meetings, helping her more easily make the transition. She also will attend the fall meeting this month as a guest and will officially become a Trustee at the conclusion.

“I don’t feel like I’m drinking from the firehose all the time,” she said. “I can do some things and then step back and try to process it a little bit and ask questions and get some of the learning curve out of the way.”

Dr. Stickel is accustomed to learning on the job. After she earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Boston University, Dr. Stickel and her husband, also an engineer, had discussions about whether she should attend graduate or medical school.

Grad school won out and she earned a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Davis. She merged her interests of engineering and medicine when she learned on the fly as a nuclear medical physicist at UC Davis. It was her first exposure to the field.

“I always liked the medical side of things and the impact that engineering could have on medicine,” Dr. Stickel said. “I wanted to find the lane that bridges the gap between technology and physicians or patients.”

Dr. Stickel is vice president of diagnostic and nuclear medicine services for Colorado Associates in Medical Physics, a group that provides medical physics, health physics, and medical dosimetry services in radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, and nuclear medicine across the Mountain West.

Her work schedule constantly changes. She could be performing therapy cases, testing machines, or managing people and budgets as a leader in her organization.

“We do a wide variety of stuff for a lot of hospitals,” Dr. Stickel said. “I never know who’s going to be on my phone when it rings. It could be one of my physicists or a customer.”

Jonathon Nye, PhD, is replacing Dr. Stickel as chair of the NMP Part 2 Committee. Dr. Nye, a professor in the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, said he appreciates the way his colleague led the group.

“Jen is very personable and has a leadership style that is inclusive and very practical,” Dr. Nye said. “She leads with all her cards on the table, and I appreciate that transparency and honesty.”

He said the committee recently recruited two members and resolved the majority of its outstanding review items. He’s looking forward to continuing his collaboration with Dr. Stickel as a Trustee.

“I’m very happy she was selected as the ABR’s new NMP Trustee,” Dr. Nye said. “That means we’ll be working together on NMP Part 2 in the future.”

Dr. Stickel enjoys partnering with colleagues from her specialty and beyond. As a Trustee, Dr. Stickel will oversee the MP Part 1 Clinical and Part 2 NMP Qualifying exams, Part 3 NMP Certifying Exam, and NMP Online Longitudinal Assessment.

“I’m really excited to step into this next role and support where I can,” she said.

By Garrett Barfoot

When I started my chiropractic practice focused on sports medicine and personal injury, my goal was to help athletes and patients recover. Over time, I became increasingly interested in imaging findings, a fascination I first experienced when I was the patient.

Three days before my high school graduation, I was involved in a serious auto accident and suffered a crushed acetabulum. CT imaging of my pelvis enabled the team to construct a 3D model for placement of a titanium plate into my left innominate bone, allowing me to return to an active lifestyle. The ability of diagnostic radiologists to see beyond the surface to understand and treat a patient’s condition intrigued me.

As a chiropractor, I had an understanding of anatomy and biomechanics, but it was the collaborative nature of image-guided patient care that ultimately convinced me to change fields. I am eager to bring this collaborative mindset to radiology residency and practice, where close partnerships with other specialists are key to delivering high-quality, value-based care.

Medical school has been a period of tremendous growth, both academically and personally. Large institutions are complex systems where change often moves slowly and requires patience. I’ve had the opportunity to take on leadership roles in student government, and have come to realize that slow, gradual changes are often the most permanent. A few dedicated individuals in the right positions can make a significant positive impact on many.

I am excited for The Match 2025. I enjoy interpreting complex images, providing actionable insights, and performing precise image-guided procedures. Rapid advancements in imaging technologies and techniques offer endless opportunities for growth, and I am excited to contribute to this dynamic field.

I am particularly enthusiastic about gaining diagnostic accuracy and interpretational and procedural efficiency, as well as enhancing interdisciplinary communication and coordination skills during my residency. I am eager to learn from experienced mentors and contribute to radiology research, particularly in the areas of sports imaging and the spine.

The path that led me to become a diagnostic radiology applicant for The Match 2025 has been shaped by various factors including a steadfast commitment to learning and enhancing patient care. As I embark on this next phase, I carry with me the lessons learned from my past, the excitement of the present, and the hope for a future filled with opportunities to make a meaningful impact on patients and the broader medical community. This journey is just beginning, and I am ready to fully embrace it.

Garrett is a fourth-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine. He is passionate about service, advocacy, image-guided MSK and spinal procedures, and value-based interdisciplinary care. He is a peer-tutor and peer-mentor to medical students as well as an active member of the Association of Academic Radiologists (AAR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). His hobbies include spending time with his wife and two young daughters, hybrid training, whole food plant-based nutrition, and outdoor activities. You can find him on X @GarrettBarfoot.

In a full-circle moment, Kristopher W. Cummings, MD, will replace one of his mentors when he joins the ABR Board of Trustees later this month.

Dr. Cummings is set to become the trustee representing cardiothoracic imaging, taking over for longtime ABR volunteer Sanjeev Bhalla, MD, whose term is expiring. Dr. Cummings completed a fellowship under Dr. Bhalla at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis in 2008.

“He’s quite a role model,” Dr. Cummings said of Dr. Bhalla. “He’s a passionate teacher who has the trainee’s best intentions at heart. I feel very fortunate to have trained under him and had him as a mentor and subsequently a very good friend.”

Dr. Bhalla saw leadership potential in his trainee during the fellowship. Dr. Cummings was chief resident and junior section member at Mallinckrodt, where he also performed his residency.

“He stood out for his analytical thinking and empathy,” Dr. Bhalla said. “He is so good at seeing all points of view and listening to everyone. The unique ability to listen and offer great advice, with a Southern charm, make him such trusted counsel.”

Dr. Cummings has the pedigree to serve as a trustee. He’s chair of the division of cardiothoracic imaging in the department of radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and an associate professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

He’s also a recent past chair of the committee that develops thoracic questions for the Diagnostic Radiology Qualifying (Core) Exam. Applying to become a trustee was a clear next step.

“I enjoy my interaction with colleagues, the educational aspect of certifying candidates to practice radiology, and working with the people at the ABR,” Dr. Cummings said.

Being part of a committee has prepared Dr. Cummings for his trustee duties. He was interested in seeing how the ABR worked as a volunteer and the experience has been an education.

“I didn’t realize the amount of work that went into putting exams together and the number of committees that were working on different steps of the exams,” he said.

During his term, the ABR will introduce the New Diagnostic Radiology Oral Exam. The exam, which will be taken by candidates who complete their residencies in 2027 and later, will be a focus of the diagnostic radiology trustees over the next few years.

Dr. Cummings earned his ABR certification in 2008 after passing an oral exam and finds value in bringing back the process.

“I was always very appreciative of the old oral board format in that it created a period of concentration in the fourth year of training where you had to fill in any of those holes or gaps that you had,” he said. “It modeled a behavior that is typical of a workday. The clinician comes to the reading room and asks you about an unknown case and wants your opinion. I’m a practical radiologist and that was a very practical experience.”

An Alabama native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Alabama and medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. Before taking the job at Mayo in Arizona, Dr. Cummings had gotten comfortable at Mallinckrodt, where he spent a little more than six years of his career.

Moving far from family in Alabama and colleagues in Missouri was tough but it was a challenge that he couldn’t let pass.

“I knew people at (Mayo), and it was a good opportunity,” Dr. Cummings said. “That piqued my interest to do something different. It’s been great for me. I encourage people to consider taking on new opportunities because it provides a chance to grow in different aspects of your practice.”

He’ll also become the only trustee in Arizona, an important factor as the organization continues to seek board representation from across the country. That’s especially important for the Board of Trustees, a multidisciplinary body that advances the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of the ABR’s certification assessments.

“I think it’s useful because not every trainee sees exactly the same types of things,” Dr. Cummings said. “I think we all see the bread-and-butter things, but there are flavors to different programs where one may see more complex transplants while another program may see more Level One Trauma.”

The physician whose spot he’s filling looks forward to seeing the contributions that his former trainee will bring to the board.

“Kris is an amazing guy and will be a huge asset to the ABR,” Dr. Bhalla said. “I can’t imagine a better person to be replaced by.”