ABMS Announces Class of 2023-2024 Visiting Scholars

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American Board of Medical Specialties

Sep 11, 2023, 11:00 ET

Thirteen scholars will receive financial awards for research in physician well-being, quality improvement, and diversity, equity, and innovations in assessment

CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has selected thirteen outstanding individuals to participate in its 2023-2024 Visiting Scholars Program™. Established in 2014, the one-year, part-time program supports early-career physicians and researchers in scholarship and leadership development focusing on initial and continuing board certification. Each Visiting Scholar receives a $15,000 financial award.

"We are pleased to support a record number of ABMS Visiting Scholars this year," stated Greg Ogrinc, MD, MS, ABMS Senior Vice President, Certification Standards and Programs. "This new cohort of scholars will advance research and scholarship in high-priority areas for the certification community, including physician well-being, quality improvement, and diversity, equity and innovations in assessment."

ABMS Visiting Scholars are selected based on the quality of their proposed research project, the relevance of their research to the ABMS mission and the certification community, and demonstration of making significant progress on the project during the scholar year. Program participants remain at their home institutions, collaborate with self-selected mentors, and participate in monthly virtual sessions with research project-in-progress updates to peers, mentors, and subject matter experts.

The 2023-2024 Visiting Scholars and their co-sponsoring organization are:

ABMS Research and Education Foundation

Fei Chen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Attila Nemeth, MD, Physician, VA Northeast Ohio Health Care System

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

James P. Bowen, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Tina Motazedi, MD, Physician, Houston Methodist Hospital

American Board of Dermatology

Gillian Heinecke, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, SSM Health/Saint Louis University

American Board of Ophthalmology

Matthew R. Starr, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic
Fasika Woreta, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

Jenny Chen, MD, EdM, Neurotology Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

American Board of Plastic Surgery

Yadira Villalvazo, MD, MS, Resident, Research Fellow, University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery

American Board of Radiology

Leslie Chang, MD, Resident, Johns Hopkins University
Francis Deng, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University
Ria Mulherkar, MD, Resident Physician, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Ammara Watkins, MD, MPH, Thoracic Surgeon / Assistant Professor of Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center/Tufts Medical School

About ABMS
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is responsible for the creation of standards overseeing physician certification in the United States. Dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families and communities they serve, the 24 ABMS Member Boards develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physicians and medical specialists. More than 975,000 physicians and medical specialists are certified by one or more of the ABMS Member Boards in one or more of 40 specialties and 89 subspecialties. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties