Contact: Susan Morris
AVP, Communications
(312) 436-2624
smorris@abms.org
Thirteen scholars will receive financial awards for research in physician well-being, quality improvement, and diversity, equity, and innovations in assessment
CHICAGO–September 11, 2023—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.
