Initial Certification for Medical Physics

Time Limits and Board Eligibility

Last verified on December 17, 2023
Candidates have specific time limits for remaining eligible to take the initial certifying exams and to ultimately achieve certification:
 

Part 1 Approval to Passing

Candidates have five full calendar years from Part 1 approval to fully pass the Part 1 exam. If the Part 1 Exam is not passed within this period, one year of additional medical physics academic training at an institution with a CAMPEP-accredited medical physics education program is required before a candidate may re-enter the exam process. For more information on the additional training requirements, please see: Medical Physics Part 1 Exam: Re-entry Eligibility Policy.
 

Part 1 Passing to Board Eligibility

Candidates who have passed the Part 1 Exam will be allowed 10 years from the date they passed Part 1 to become board eligible. For more information, please see: Policy Limiting the Time between Passing the Part 1 Exam and the Beginning of Board Eligibility to 10 years.
 

Board Eligibility to Certification

Board eligibility for medical physicists begins once a candidate has been approved for the Part 2 Exam, or has completed a CAMPEP-accredited residency, whichever occurs first. Once board eligible, medical physics candidates have six calendar years to attain certification, that is, fully pass the Part 1 and Part 2 (computerized) and Part 3 (oral) certifying exams.
After the period of board eligibility ends, candidates failing to successfully complete the initial certification process will no longer be considered by the ABR as board eligible, will no longer be permitted to designate themselves as such for communications or credentialing purposes, and will no longer be reported as such to external agencies in verification letters.
Please see the ABR’s Board Eligibility Policy for further details.