NOTE: The CCPM Bylaws and the discretion of the Board overrule any answers shown here. This section tries to express the Bylaws and Board position as much as possible, but is a guide only
Q: Is a Physics Assistant (Physics Associate) eligible to take the MCCPM exam?
A: The short answer is: usually no. Most P.A. positions do not participate in the full spectrum of clinical physics duties. If you have had the same duties as a medical physicist however, contact the Registrar before applying to get clarification. Time as a P.A. might also be used to make up a shortfall in clinical experience from another position (see next question).
Q: As of March 31st, I will be a little short of the required two years of patient-related experience to sit the exam. However, I worked for a time as a (Physics Assistant; Physics Associate; Research assistant; Quality Technician;etc. ). Can I claim patient-related experience from that other position?
A: You may be able to, depending on the nature of the work. The Bylaws require that it be patient-related, in the past five years, and after a post-graduate degree. Note that the patient-related experience does not have to come from a residency position, as long as it involves the patient-related activities a resident or full-time physicist would do. Part-time work during a grad program generally does not count, but the Board might consider it if the shortfall was very small (e.g., a couple of weeks).
The Board will generally only allow “substitute” time to a maximum of about 2–3 months, and usually less time than that, unless the patient-related experience in the other position is quite close to a residency or full-time medical physicist position. A typical Physics Associate/Assistant position would be interpreted with about a 0.5 factor, so a few months in a P.A. position would not be considered equivalent to two months of a residency, but one year as a P.A. almost certainly would.
If your situation is borderline and you would like advice, please contact the Registrar.
Q: I have been working in (a foreign country) and did not take a Canadian medical physics residency nor do I have Canadian work experience. Can I still sit the MCCPM exams?
A: The CCPM certification process is intended to serve Canadians. Candidates are expected to fulfill at least one of the following criteria: be a Canadian citizen; be resident in Canada; have completed a university degree in Canada; have completed a medical physics residency program in Canada; or have a confirmed job offer in Canada.
In addition, the Bylaws require that at least one referee be certified by CCPM or by a U.S. certifying body, and that your graduate degree be from an accredited university. We will also need to be satisfied that your minimum two years of patient-related experience is substantially equivalent to that which would be acquired in a Canadian institution.
Documents on the CCPM website are covered by a Creative Commons license, which means they can be used by other countries (with appropriate credit) as the basis for establishing their own certification process.
Q: I’m working in (other country) but hope to come back to Canada one day. Can I take the exam in my current country of residence?
A: The CCPM Board has carefully considered this, but at present the organization is too small to be able to handle the logistics of exams held in other countries. We recognize that this means two trips for MCCPM candidates (for the written and oral components), but for now all exams will be held only in Canada.
NOTE: The CCPM Bylaws and the discretion of the Board overrule any answers shown here. This section tries to express the bylaw and Board position as much as possible, but is a guide only.
Q: When do I need to submit my recertification documents?
A: You need to recertify every 5th anniversary following the Annual Meeting at which you became a member (for some, it may be aligned with the year they became Fellows). So if you became a member at the annual meeting in 2005, then you would be required to recertify following the annual meeting in 2010, then in 2015, etc. An email notice will be sent out in the summer. The deadline for recertification applications will be specified in the email notice, but will typically be in September.
Q: I’ve changed jobs during the five-year period—should my referee be from my current position or my previous one?
A: You should generally use a referee who is familiar with your more recent work. If you have been in your current position for more than a year, please get a referee from your current work. If shorter than one year, then ask someone from your previous work. The recertification credential review committee may ask for an additional contact if they feel it is necessary to confirm your activities over the full period.
Q: What is the exact time period over which the credits are claimed?
A: The “recertification period” is a five-year period commencing on October 1st of the year that the previous recertification was obtained or the year of initial certification by the College, whichever is later, and ending on September 30th of the current year.
Q: How many credits should I claim?
A: A total of 50 credits are required for recertification, but it is common to claim up to 60 or 70 in case the review committee interprets some of your activities differently. To save yourself (and the review committee) time, please do not claim all of the credits you may have earned, beyond the 70 or so. You would be contacted for more information if the review committee believed that you have claimed fewer than 50 valid credits.
Q: When can I expect to hear back about my recertification?
A: The recertifications are not official until approved at a Board meeting; there is usually a meeting near the end of November, after which official notifications will be sent out.
Q: Are CAMPEP credits equivalent to CCPM recertification credits?
A: No. The two are similar, but credits from CAMPEP do not translate to the same number of credits for CCPM recertification. For CCPM recertification, please refer to the original conferences or courses attended and convert to half-days of attendance to compute the CCPM recertification credits. The credit system in CCPM recertification includes activities that CAMPEP does not cover, and the weighting of the CCPM credit system has been carefully balanced. Changing the system just to be numerically equal to CAMPEP credits is not worth the confusion for a fairly simple conversion.
Q: Where do I submit my documentation (e.g., CAMPEP certificates)?
A: Proof of activities is not submitted with the recertification application, with the exception of CAMPEP credits earned through online learning. If the Recertification Review Committee has questions about the activities you have claimed, the Registrar may ask for further information from you or your referee. Copies of CAMPEP certificates for online learning activities must be submitted with the application.
Q: Should I track my recertification credits as I earn them?
A: How you track your credits is up to you, but it is highly recommended to continually track them over the five-year period; otherwise it can be difficult to recall activities such as courses taken, number of days spent at conferences, and small teaching activities.
Q: Most of my recertification credits are concentrated in one area. Is that a negative for my application?
A: No, the total credits can come from any combination of activities. It is recognized that medical physics positions are not the same everywhere and for all people. Some physicists are more clinically oriented, some do more R&D, teaching, or administration. The credit system is designed to accommodate these differing work activities.
Q: I already paid my COMP dues to remain a CCPM member; why do I have to pay a fee for recertification?
A: A few years ago, CCPM made the decision to try to make all of its activities cost neutral where possible. In other words, fees for activities are based on the costs to the organization to administer them. This includes the COMP/CCPM office time, mailing costs, etc. More details are in a May 2007 InterACTIONS article, “CCPM Recertification Fee” [pdf, 9 MB]. Please note the fee for recertification is posted here, not $120 as stated in the May 2007 article.
Q: As a CCPM member, if I work in the United States, can I be listed as an Authorized Medical Physicist or a Radiation Safety Officer on an NRC licence?
A: The CCPM reached agreement in 2009 with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to recognize CCPM certification as a Specialty Board Certification for Authorized Medical Physicist status in agreement states under 10CFR35.51. Medical physicists with certification in the Radiation Oncology Physics subspecialty from 2009 onwards are recognized by the USNRC as having met the training requirements for AMP and the certification portion of the requirements for RSO. Click here for more details.
Q: I have been working in (a foreign country) and did not take a Canadian medical physics residency nor do I have Canadian work experience. Can I still sit the MCCPM exams?
A: The CCPM certification process is intended to serve Canadians. Candidates are expected to fulfill at least one of the following criteria: be a Canadian citizen; be resident in Canada; have completed a university degree in Canada; have completed a medical physics residency program in Canada; or have a confirmed job offer in Canada.
In addition, the Bylaws require that at least one referee be certified by CCPM or by a U.S. certifying body, and that your graduate degree be from an accredited university. We will also need to be satisfied that your minimum two years of patient-related experience is substantially equivalent to that which would be acquired in a Canadian institution.
Documents on the CCPM website are covered by a Creative Commons license, which means they can be used by other countries (with appropriate credit) as the basis for establishing their own certification process.
Q: I’m working in (other country) but hope to come back to Canada one day. Can I take the exam in my current country of residence?
A: The CCPM Board has carefully considered this, but at present the organization is too small to be able to handle the logistics of exams held in other countries. We recognize that this means two trips for MCCPM candidates (for the written and oral components), but for now all exams will be held only in Canada.
