The mission of the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM) is to serve the public by identifying through certification individuals who have acquired, demonstrated, and maintained a requisite standard of knowledge, skill and understanding essential to the clinical practice of medical physics.

Medical physicists who satisfy certain educational and experience criteria are certified by examination to the level of Member or Fellow. Membership certifies medical physics competence in the delivery of patient care and requires maintenance through recertification, while fellowship attests to excellence in the provision of clinical service, education and/or research. This provides the necessary mechanism for medical institutions to ensure that a high standard of medical physics services are available for patient care.

Certification

Individuals seeking certification from CCPM must meet certain requirements. Applicants for Membership must hold a suitable graduate degree, and must meet a minimum requirement for patient-related work experience. Applicants for Fellowship must have additional work experience, and have made significant contributions in clinical service, education and/or research related to medical physics. Details of the requirements for both Membership and Fellowship can be found in the Application Instructions.

If the requirements are met, the applicant must then successfully complete the examination process, after which he or she will be elected to Membership or Fellowship at the next Annual General Meeting of the College.

Maintenance of Certification

Retention of competency certification (Membership) in the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine requires re-certification every five years. Re-certification consists of a credential review of evidence of clinical practice and appropriate continuing education.

CCPM Organizational Structure

The College is governed by a Board of individuals elected by the membership. Details of the positions and their terms are in the bylaws.

Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists

CCPM certified medical physicists also belong to the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), a professional organization for medical physicists in Canada. The CCPM and COMP are independent organizations but they maintain a close relationship.

Meetings

The College holds yearly meetings which are generally held at the same time as the annual meetings of COMP. The College meetings usually include symposia on specialized topics in medical physics.

Fees

An annual membership fee is set jointly by COMP and CCPM. Members and Fellows are required to pay COMP membership fees to maintain certification status.

Further Information

Further information on the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine may be obtained by contacting the Registrar. 

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