Frequently Asked Questions For Those Outside of Canada
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 a NRC licence?
A: The CCPM reached agreement in 2009 with the US 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.