Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

NRC Recognized Status for Radiation Safety Officer and Authorized Medical Physicist

In June 2006, the United State Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted recognized status for specific certifications in Medical Physics. These include:

1. Diagnostic Medical Physics (DMP) and Nuclear Medical Physics (NMP) under 10 CFR § - Training for Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), and
2. Therapeutic Medical Physics (TMP) under 10 CFR § 35.51 - Training for an Authorized Medical Physicist (AMP).

Recognized status, with an effective date of June 2007 forward for the ABR Medical Physics certificates, signifies that the diplomate has met the NRC requirements for training and experience in those areas at the time of certification.

To maintain NRC recognized status as is in the best interest of the Diplomates in Medical Physics, it is the responsibility of the ABR to review all registrations and verify that each candidate has fulfilled the associated requirements effective for those taking Part 2 and the oral examination in June 2007 and thereafter. An overview of critical aspects regarding the NRC requirements is provided below:

• International candidates holding only non-United States (U.S.) degrees must provide documentation that their foreign degrees are equivalent to those granted from an approved institution in the U.S. and that the granting institution is equivalent to a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. ABR - approved Credential Evaluation List
• To be eligible for ABR certification in Medical Physics, candidates must document at least three years (36 months) of full-time equivalent experience post-graduate degree in active association with an approved department, division, or practice in the area(s) in which certification is sought. (Limited credit toward the 36 months may be given for a clinical component of the graduate program [http://www.theabr.org/RP_Pri_Req.htm].) To qualify for NRC recognized status as eligible to be an RSO or AMP, at least two (2) years of that clinical experience must have been under the supervision of an ABR Medical Physics Diplomate.