From the Executive Director: New Oral Examiner Training Methods to Enhance Process
By ABR Executive Director Brent Wagner, MD, MBA
April 2026;19(2):3
The ABR relies on hundreds of volunteer oral examiners to administer the certification exams in radiation oncology, medical physics, and interventional radiology. Additional volunteers will be needed to support the reintroduction of the Diagnostic Radiology Oral Certifying Exam in early 2028. All ABR oral examiners receive rigorous training to ensure standardized candidate assessments.
Examiners use standard cases, developed by committees of subject matter experts, in a direct videoconference interaction with a candidate to determine their knowledge of the specialty. Examiner assessments are pooled to establish an ABR determination regarding whether the candidate is qualified to practice independently in the specialty domain and consequently earn board-certified status.
To be considered for assignment as an examiner, a diplomate must have five years of professional experience after ABR certification and continued clinical activity in the specialty. Although not required, most examiners have served as faculty in residency programs, and many have varying degrees of subspecialty knowledge in specific portions of the practice of the broader specialty.
The strength of an oral exam in a medical specialty is the acknowledgement that there is inherent nuance in clinical practice. Compared with standardized multiple-choice tests, oral exams can more effectively assess judgment, the ability to synthesize relevant information, and the breadth of understanding of the clinical care landscape beyond one’s own scope of practice.
The most important goals of the ABR’s training processes for oral examiners are to mitigate variability in candidate experience and scoring (including calibration to enhance consistency among examiners) while maintaining a rigorous and defensible assessment that serves the public interest. Additionally, we want not only to minimize exam stress for candidates but also to streamline interface usability to reduce distraction and allow the emphasis to be on the candidates’ demonstration of knowledge and skill.
With the above principles in mind, ABR Trustees and staff have begun developing new remote training and orientation modules that will attempt to accommodate examiners’ busy schedules while allowing for enhanced opportunities for unpracticed examiners to become acquainted with the technology platform and learn from their more experienced colleagues.
