Message from the MDCB – Future Eligibility Standards

We appreciate the valuable comments and feedback regarding our recent announcement of new standards for medical dosimetry certification. The medical dosimetry profession has grown and advanced through the efforts and hard work of our certificants, and we appreciate your input as the certification program evolves to address a changing healthcare environment.

With the announcement of the future changes in routes to eligibility, the MDCB headquarters office received many congratulatory messages from dosimetrists and educators. Leslie F. Winter, M.S., Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiation Technology (JRCERT) said, "It's apparent that both of our organizations are committed to achieving the same goals of excellence in education and quality patient care. I applaud your organization and directors for making decisions that will assure these goals are achieved. We thank you and your board for your ongoing support." We also received a message of support from the AAMD, "The AAMD is pleased to endorse the recently announced modifications to the MDCB Certification process. We feel strongly that this is an important step in moving our profession forward."

The MDCB Board of Directors carefully considers change on an on-going basis. Many other professions, both medical and non-medical, have their roots in on the job training. Most of those professions evolved first to require an exam, then continuing education, accreditation and a minimum education standard. To advance as a profession, the MDCB believes that dosimetry must evolve in a similar way.

Below are some of the considerations we reviewed in changing eligibility requirements:

• The MDCB has also been working with the AAMD regarding the current Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identification of the field of medical dosimetry. The BLS in its Standard Occupational Classification lists radiation therapist (29-1124). Currently, dosimetrists are included in 29-1124 as a subset of Radiation Therapists. If Medical Dosimetry is to be recognized as a stand alone entity by the BLS, educational standards must be set in place.
• As with any profession, if the IRS and the BLS recognize medical dosimetry, we will be able to plan for the future with an accurate projection of supply and demand of medical dosimetrists.
• The recent congressional hearings on medical radiation safety demonstrate the importance of formal education for medical dosimetrists. It also sends a strong message to our profession to establish a minimum education standard for the profession.
• The ARRT recently announced a minimum education standard for radiation therapists of an Associates level degree.

What do all these changes mean to the Certified Medical Dosimetrist? Dosimetrists who are currently certified will remain certified by completing MDCB maintenance of certification requirements. Classification by the BLS will result in recognition by both the BLS and IRS and will provide better planning for the future with accurate projections of supply and demand for the medical dosimetry field that affect both salaries and workload.

The MDCB is made up of 12 members – 2 Radiation Oncologists appointed by ACR and ASTRO, 2 Board Certified Medical Physicists appointed by AAPM and ACMP, 7 Certified Medical Dosimetrists (2 appointed by AAMD and ASRT and 5 appointed by the Board) and 1 Public Member, The Public Member is a requirement of our NCCA accreditation. The MDCB is responsible to the profession and its members to abide by its mission, to steer the advancement of the Medical Dosimetry profession by establishing certification and continuing education standards to enhance quality patient care, and work closely with its professional sister organizations to move the field forward and adapt to the ever changing field of technology. This is a very exciting time for our profession and we appreciate your continued support.