See the ABR's 75th Anniversary video
PQI: What Is It and What Do You Need To Do? (Dr. Pina Sanelli, ASNR May 2009)
IC: Exam of the Future update from RSNA, December 2008
MOC: ABR Update - Core Competencies
NEWS
ABR CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF SERVICE
February, 2009
January 31, 2009, marked the 75th anniversary of the American Board of Radiology, which was incorporated in Washington, D.C. on that day in 1934.
Although the ABR is celebrating its anniversary throughout 2009, we were especially proud to mark this special day by launching our new website.
A Short History
The ABR's history is rooted in the specialty board movement which began in the early 1900s. Prior to the movement, each individual physician was the sole assessor of his or her qualifications to practice in a given specialty area of medicine. No standards were in place to protect the public.
Mercifully, major reform and standardization took place in the decades that followed. The ABR was the fifth national board, following the American Boards of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dermatology.
Representatives of the five sponsoring organizations then set to work to improve graduate medical education in radiology, elevate the standard of training, and formulate the means by which to evaluate the competence of those wishing to be recognized as specialists in the field. Within the year, the ABR was accepted as a member of the Advisory Board of Medical Specialists (now called the American Board of Medical Specialties) and approved by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association.
As the field of radiology has developed, various certificates have been added and deleted to accommodate new technologies and other developments. The ABR has issued more than 63,000 certificates since its inception in 1934.
Celebrating Our 75th
History Book:
Otha Linton, well-known author in radiology circles, has been contracted to write a book about the ABR's history. His research to date has included a review of all Board minutes, legal documents, and key events in the development of Initial and Maintenance of Certification for diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology, and radiologic physics.
Mr. Linton has interviewed many ABR leaders, past and current, and he has visited Tucson to gather documents and photographs related to Board history. The ABR plans to publish the book before the end of the year.
Program on Saturday, October 3, 2009:
Current and former trustees, and invited guests will observe the 75th anniversary. ABR President Dr. Reed Dunnick will preside over the program, which will feature Otha Linton speaking on ABR history. Dr. Gary Becker will speak on present challenges and opportunities, and Dr. David Nahrwold, ABMS past president and "father of MOC," will speak on the future of the board certification movement.
The inaugural ABR Foundation Steven Leibel, M.D. Memorial Lecture will be held on Saturday afternoon, with Dr. Mack Roach of UCSF as the lecturer and Mrs. Margy Leibel as honored guest. Attendees will also have an opportunity to visit and tour the Board office.
