NC-CME

NATIONAL COMMISSION

FOR CERTIFICATION OF CME PROFESSIONALS, INC.

 

CCMEP™ PROGRAM FOR CME PROFESSIONALS

Benefits and Requirements

 

The National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals, Inc. (NC-CME) offers a certification program for individuals in the continuing medical education (CME) field who wish to demonstrate their competence and earn the designation of Certified CME Professional (CCMEP).  The program includes self-assessment tools to assist in identifying strengths and gaps in knowledge across the broad spectrum of CME/CPD and encourages CME professionals to pay attention to their own continuing professional education.

 

The CCMEP program consists of Initial Certification, which requires candidates to document their professional qualifications and successfully pass a validated, secure, three-hour certification  examination; Extension of Certification (EOC), which serves to extend the initial three-year certification  to five years for CCMEPs who can fulfill the EOC eligibility requirements; and Recertification, which is available to CCMEPs who have documented additional performance improvement activities and have passed the currently available form of a validated, secure, three-hour certification  examination.  The ongoing certification program requires sitting for an exam every five years.

 

Active CCMEPs may submit their applications for EOC or Recertification 3-6 months before the expiration date noted on their certificates; i.e., the first Class of June 2008 will submit EOC Applications between January 1 and March 31, 2011.  Each candidate's EOC or Recertification Worksheet will be reviewed and approved as meeting the eligibility criteria. Notices will be sent to each CCMEP six months before his/her certification expires. 

 

CCMEPs who allow their certification to lapse will be required to complete the currently available validated, secure, three-hour certification  examination in order to be reinstated and will need to document 15 points of education and experience in the CME field within the past three years.

 

Initial Certification

Benefits to Individuals

Ø      Motivates individuals to maintain a career path [not just a job] in CME

Ø      Provides tangible evidence of self-improvement and pursuit of one¡¯s own continuing professional education

Ø      Offers the potential to increase earning power and open up new career opportunities

Ø      Framed certificate and lapel pin

Ø      Allows the use of the CCMEP credential on stationery and business cards

Ø      Names are posted online in the "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

Ø      Provides opportunities to volunteer for NC-CME activities.

 

Benefits to Employers

Ø       Raises the level of staff awareness of CME rules and regulations

Ø       Lessens the risk of non-compliance

Ø       Can improve the level of communication with CME partners

Ø       Documents evidence of continuous personal improvement and staff development within the organization

Ø       Complements the certification of other healthcare professionals

Ø       Aids in recruiting, evaluating, and promoting CME staff

Ø       Offers opportunities to publicize organizational excellence and commitment to the CME community.

 

Requirements for Initial Certification

      1.  Submit "Eligibility Worksheet" via email

Worksheet will document 15 points of education and experience in the CME field, including:

o        Formal education:  academic degrees

o        Informal education:  conferences, courses, webinars, certificates that target CME professionals

o        Service to the CME community: participation as conference faculty, author, or as a volunteer on boards or committees of national/regional/local CME organizations

o        Any current clinical license

 

     2.   Apply and Register to sit for the certification examination

o        See details on www.NC-CME.org

o         Fill out online Application Form; obtain ID and Password

o         Register online: $400 examination fee + $50 non-refundable processing fee

o        Select a testing center and test date

 

     3.    Successfully complete and pass the exam

o        Computer-based, multiple-choice exam:  <3 hours; <200 test items

o        At a monitored, secure educational testing center

o        Exam results are printed out immediately by the testing center staff.

 

Extension of Certification (EOC)

Benefits to Individuals [in addition to Benefits of Initial Certification]

Ø      Permits the continued use of the CCMEP credential for 2 additional years

(a total of 5 years)

Ø      No need to sit for an exam at this time

Ø      Reminders will be sent 6 months before current certification expires.

Ø      A new certificate will be mailed to each CCMEP who satisfies EOC requirements.

Ø      Extensions are posted online in the "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals".

 

Benefits to Employers [in addition to Benefits of Initial Certification]

Ø       Documents evidence of a high level of continuous personal improvement and staff development within the organization

Ø       Provides tangible evidence of employees being up-to-date in CME matters

Ø       Offers opportunity to publicize extraordinary organizational excellence and commitment to the CME community.

 

Requirements for Extension of Certification

 1.  Submit "Extension of Certification Worksheet" 3-6 months before certification expires

     Worksheet will document 12 points of new education/experience, earned since the most recent certification, including:

Ø      New formal degrees

Ø      Conferences, courses, webinars, certificates that target CME professionals

Ø      Service to the CME community: participation as conference faculty, author, or as a volunteer on boards or committees of national/regional/local CME organizations

Ø      Any current clinical license

 

2.   Apply for Extension of Certification

Ø      At least 3 months before current certificate expires

Ø       Apply online: $275 extension of certification (EOC) fee

 

Recertification

Benefits to Individuals [in addition to Benefits of Initial Certification]

Ø      Provides tangible evidence of being up-to-date in CME matters

Ø      Documents intense commitment to self-improvement and pursuit of one's own continuing professional education

Ø      Permits the continued use of the CCMEP credential for 3 additional years.

Ø      Additional Extension of Certification will be available after the Recertification period expires.

Ø      Recertifications will be posted in "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

Ø      Reminders will be sent 6 months before Recertification expires.

 

Benefits to Employers [in addition to Benefits of Initial Certification]

Ø       Documents evidence of a high level of continuous personal improvement and staff development within the organization

Ø       Provides tangible evidence of employees being up-to-date in CME matters

Ø       Offers opportunity to publicize extraordinary organizational excellence and commitment to the CME community.

 

Requirements for Recertification 

1.  Submit "Recertification Worksheet" 3-6 months before Extension expires

     Worksheet will document 12 points of new education/experience,

     earned since the most recent certification, and may include:

Ø      New formal academic degrees

Ø      Conferences, courses, webinars, certificates that target CME professionals

Ø      Service to the CME community: participation as conference faculty, author, or as a volunteer on boards or committees of national/regional/local CME organizations; research projects

Ø      Any current clinical license

 

2.   Apply for Recertification and Register to sit for the CCMEP examination

Ø      Must apply at least 3 months before Extension of Certification expires

Ø       Register online: $400 exam fee + $50 non-refundable processing fee

 

3.    Successfully complete and pass the exam at a local secure testing center

Ø      The Recertification exam will be an updated form of the Initial Certification exam

Ø      Exam results are printed out immediately by the testing center staff.

 

Summary

Initial Certification

·         Full 3 year Certification; framed certificate plus lapel pin

·         "Eligibility Worksheet" documenting 15 points of education/experience

·         Certification exam at local secure testing center

·         $400 exam fee + $50 processing fee

·         Certification posted in "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

 

Extension of Certification (EOC)

·         2 year Extension of current certification; updated certificate

·         "Extension of Certification Worksheet" documenting

     12 points of education/experience earned since the most recent Certification

·         No exam required at this time

·         $275 Extension of Certification (EOC) fee 

·         Extensions posted in "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

 

Recertification

·         Full 3 year Recertification; updated certificate

·         "Recertification Worksheet" documenting

     10 points of education/experience earned since the most recent EOC

·         Exam required (every 5 years)

·         $400 exam fee + $50 non-refundable processing fee

·         Recertification posted in "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

·         After each Recertification expires, a 2-year Extension of Recertification will be available.

 

Lapsed Certification

·         Name removed from the "National Registry of Certified CME Professionals"

·         "Eligibility Worksheet" documenting 15 points of education/experience.

·         Reinstatement requires passing the currently available and validated CCMEP exam.

·         $400 exam fee + $50 non-refundable processing fee