Prof. Murray Rebner is Immediate Past President of the Society of Breast Imaging. Prof. Rebner is Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Molecular Imaging, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Michigan and Director, Division of Breast Imaging, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak Campus.  

1. What are your key areas of interest and research?
My main areas of interest and research are focused on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). We have accrued cases for the evaluation of tomosynthesis images compared to standard digital images, and we have compared synthetic reconstructed digital mammograms from the tomosynthesis data to standard digital images. I believe that DBT will eventually replace standard digital mammography. It is simply a better mammogram.

2. What are the major challenges in your field?
The major challenge for me is convincing some of our clinicians that we are specialised consultants and not just image readers. We are highly trained physicians, who not only interpret tests and perform interventional studies, but also recommend which steps should be followed in the patient’s clinical management. My other challenge is trying to acquire the necessary state-of-the-art equipment for our division to properly perform our job. Decreased reimbursement has made it very difficult to acquire the necessary capital dollars.

3. What is your top management tip?
My management advice is to value and respect your employees. Accentuate the positive and deal with the negatives in a calm, fair manner. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important factor in someone’s job satisfaction is how they get along with their co-workers.

4. What would you single out as a career highlight?
My career highlight to date has been my past two year tenure as president of the Society of Breast Imaging. I feel very fortunate to have worked with an outstanding SBI staff and a highly talented Board of Directors. I valued the collaboration I had with the skilled leadership of the American College of Radiology’s Breast Commission. Working together, all of us made a difference in defending the benefits of early breast cancer detection through high quality screening. SBI also started an outreach programme to teach breast imagers with less experience in other parts of the world. We are also collaborating with the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) to improve breast MRI education and research.

5. If you had not chosen this career path you would have become a…?
If I had not chosen medicine as a career I probably would have become an attorney - (I was accepted to law school and business school in addition to medical school). I likely would have worked as a corporate lawyer, possibly for a high technology firm.

6. What are your personal interests outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy golf (although after 50 years of playing the sport I wish I could play like my son who was a teaching professional before he went to graduate school). I also like to play bridge and I sing with my wife in a choir.

7. Your favourite quote?
 - We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give - Winston Churchill
Prof. Rebner is originally from Montréal, Canada and trained at McGill University. He completed his radiology residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he also also finished a fellowship in breast imaging, chest imaging and ultrasound. He then moved to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit as senior staff radiologist and then section chief of breast imaging. He was treasurer and vice president of the Society of Breast Imaging before serving  as president in 2013 and 2014. 

Prof. Rebner has authored or coauthored more than 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals and presents regularly at scientific meetings. His awards include the Distinguished Leadership Award, Radiological Society of North America (2012), a distinguished reviewer award from the journal Radiology, a Best Doctors in America award for the past 12 years, and a Distinguished Service Award from General Electric for his dedication to the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. 

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Murray Rebner, breast imaging, digital breast tomosynthesis, diagnostic radiology Prof. Murray Rebner is Immediate Past President of the Society of Breast Imaging. Prof. Rebner is Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Molecular Imaging, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Mi