Summary of the application procedure

INTRODUCTION

The International Medical Physics Certification Board has the objective to support the practice of medical physics through an accreditation program for national/regional certification boards and an individual certification program for individuals where national certification systems are not available in accordance with the guidelines of the International Organisation for Medical Physics (IOMP). It does this by establishing the knowledge, skills and competences requirements, evaluation of curricula and assessment procedures in the case of accreditation of medical physics certification programs and examinations of individuals in the case of certification of individual medical physicists.

APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION OF NATIONAL/REGIONAL CERTIFICATION BOARDS

Organizations and boards that offer certification are invited to apply for accreditation of their program through IMPCB. IMPCB has developed the requirementsV10b guidelines that state the requirements for this to happen. In the process of developing procedures and guidelines, IMPCB has developed a Model Program of certification (http://www.impcb.org). However, the IMPCB recognizes that there are national/ regional variations to certification in medical physics based on differences in national/ regional legislation and educational traditions. Consequently, IMPCB will give to national/ regional certification bodies considerable freedom to decide on the manner in which a given organization seeking IMPCB accreditation conducts its certification process. However, it is strongly recommended that organizations seeking accreditation by IMPCB familiarize themselves with the Model Program as it provides a broad view on the content and scope sought by IMPCB in any certification program seeking IMPCB accreditation.

Organizations and boards that seek accreditation by IMPCB for their certification program are invited to contact IMPCB prior to submitting to discuss the application. Please contactRaymond Wu, CEO of IMPCB (raykwu@gmail.com) orAdel Mustafa, Chair of the Accreditation Committee of IMPCB (adel.mustafa@yale.edu).

CHECKLIST

Before filling in the application please ensure you have accessed the IMPCB webpage (http://www.impcb.org) and accessed the Model Program and the requirements for certification document V10b.

The following items must be submitted:Cover letter with contact details and list of submitted items:

• Cover letter with contact details and list of submitted items
• Description of the organization/certification body. This should include:
  o Date of foundation
  o National/regional scope
  o Structure
  o Governance (please clarify if there is governance independent of the medical physics profession)
  o By-Laws or similar document
  o List of office bearers and terms of office
  o Links to professional organizations
• List of specialties of medical physics for which certifications are offered (e.g., Radiation Oncology Physics, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiological Physics, Nuclear Medicine Physics)
• Number of certified persons in each specialty – please state any restrictions (nationalities, members of certain professional organizations) that may apply
• Number of certifications per year for the last three calendar years
• Legal/regulatory status of the certification (e.g., is it required to practice?)
• Qualifications and experience required from applicants for certification including:
  o Degree(s) – include any requirements for the universities that provide the education
  o Years of supervised training
• Detailed description of the certification process including:
  o Frequency of examinations
  o Type and length of examinations (written, open/closed book, oral, practical), passmark and grading (if any)
  o Documentation detailing how different parts of the examinations will be combined to obtain the final passing score
  o Sample questions (translated to English)
• A copy of all documents that are made available to candidates
• Details of complaints or appeal process (if applicable)
• Details on any requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) for individuals to maintain certification. Please provide a copy of these or a link to where they are specified online
• Details of any education/training scheme that is leading to the certification in question if applicable.
• Description of methods used to assure equal access to all potential certification candidates and employers
  o Website and online description of certification process
  o Registry listing all certified medical physicists

AFTER THE APPLICATION

The evaluation panel consists of the members of the IMPCB Accreditation Committee plus the CEO of IMPCB.

Once an application is received it is checked for completeness and receipt acknowledged. If compulsory items are missing the applicant will be informed and no further action taken until all required material is received. All panel members will be informed about the application and must declare a conflict of interest if applicable. It will also be identified if other outside expertise (e.g. contents, language, culture experts,…) is required to assess the application.

The chair of the Accreditation Committee is the chair of the evaluation panel ex officio unless she/he has a conflict of interest in which case the CEO will assume the role of chair. A complete package of the application will be made available to all panel members including a score sheet. Panel members will be asked to assess the application against the guidelines of the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP), the contents of the model program, the requirements document and other applicable guidelines.

Based on the submitted document, the panel shall determine the normal education and training scheme and years in duration leading to the certification. If the information is not explicitly described, the applicant needs to clarify.

The process will take several months.

Note: The IMPCB logo should not be displayed in national board certificates unless explicitly authorized after accreditation by IMPCB.

Application Checklist for download