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Extension of Certification (EOC) now available for current CCMEPs

Sandia Park, NM
July 13, 2010

The National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals (NC-CME) is pleased to announce an Extension of Certification (EOC) program offered to Certified CME Professionals (CCMEPs) when their current certificates expire.

The EOC will serve to extend the initial 3-year certification to 5 years for candidates who fulfill the EOC eligibility requirements. Active CCMEPs may submit their EOC applications 3-6 months before the expiration date noted on their certificates. For example, the first Class of June 2008 will submit EOC applications between January 1 and March 31, 2011.Qualified candidates will receive updated certificates and will continue to be included in the National Registry of Certified CME Professionals, accessible online at www.NC-CME.org.

Each candidate's EOC eligibility worksheet will be reviewed for evidence of his/her own personal continuing professional development that has taken place since the initial certification date. The EOC point requirement will be 12 points, compared with 15 points required for initial certification; the EOC registration fee will be $275, compared with the initial fee of $450. Attendance at conferences and webinars, memberships in CME organizations, and volunteer work in the CME community are among the activities that may qualify toward the 12-point requirement.

Candidates for the 2-year extension will not be required to sit for an exam. When the extension period expires candidates for recertification will need to pass the exam that is being given at that time, which ensures that CCMEPs will be tested every 5 years to demonstrate that they have kept up-to-date with current CME rules and regulations.

Notices will be sent to each CCMEP 6 months before his/her certification expires. CCMEPs who allow their certification to expire, then wish to be reinstated, will be required to pass the currently available 3-hour certification exam and will need to document 15 points of education/experience in the CME field within the past 3 years.

For full details regarding EOC and recertification, go to www.NC-CME.org

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