Application Instructions

Eligibility

The criteria for membership in The Greek College of Physicists in Medicine are set out in the By-Laws of the organisation.

Membership

Certification is intended to assure medical institutions that the medical physics needs of patients are being provided by competent Medical Physicists. Membership applicants must hold a graduate degree in medical physics, physics, science with physics as a major, or another field deemed acceptable by the Board of the College. (Under exceptional circumstances the Board may approve an application from a person with only a B.Sc. in the above fields.)

Only those with patient-related experience in physics as applied to medicine for two years after a postgraduate degree are eligible. This experience must have been obtained within the last five years and must not have been acquired in pursuit of a graduate degree. The term "patient-related" refers to activities such as those that occur in the design, development, purchase, commissioning, calibration and use of medical equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The experience must be comprehensive within the specialty, and thus a research associate position would not generally provide the opportunity to acquire acceptable experience. (The experience required by B.Sc. level applicants will be set on an individual basis by the Board.)

Applicants must also satisfy the Board that they meet the standards deemed desirable in a Member and must pass a written and oral examination. The format of the examination is described in an associated document. The candidate should use the Examination Question Book (see links below) to prepare for the examination.

Fellowship

Only those who have successfully fulfilled the requirements for membership are eligible to become Fellows of the College. Fellowship applicants must satisfy the Credentials Committee of the College that they have made significant contributions in clinical service, education and/or research related to medical physics. A minimum of seven years full time equivalent experience in medical physics is required. Applicants must also satisfy the Board that they meet the standards desirable in a Fellow and must pass an oral examination.
 

Referees

Three references are required -- two must be medical physicists and preferably both, but at least one, of these physicists must be Fellows of the CCPM or medical physicists certified by the ABR or the ABMP. The third reference must be a physician. All three must be familiar with the applicant's professional performance and must have worked with the applicant within the last five years.
 

Application process:

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1. Medical Physicists with appropriate experience may apply for Membership in the College using the PDF Membership application form. This and other required forms may be filled out using most versions of the PDF reader allowing them to be completed and transmitted as attachments to E-mail massages. Note that Section 2.4 is very important and is used to assess your patient-related experience and your more general medical physics experience. Be specific about duties and dates.
2. Append an up-to-date curriculum vitae and documentary evidence of university degrees, in the form of academic transcripts or copies of diplomas.
3. Give a copy of the  PDF Membership referee form, the PDF Membership referee cover letter, the College by-laws , and the PDF Membership standards document to each referee along with a copy of your application form and curriculum vitae. The referees will be asked to review the application, complete the assessment form and forward the form and their copy of the application directly to the Registrar. Be sure to inform the referees of the application deadline so that all documentation is received by the Registrar on time.
4. Members of the College, who have had at least five years experience beyond that required for Membership, and who have demonstrated a leadership role in their field, may apply for Fellowship in the College. Candidates for Fellowship must demonstrate wide ranging knowledge in Medical Physics and advanced knowledge in their field of specialty. Separate application forms are used by Fellowship candidates. The PDF Fellowship application form, should be completed and copies of the PDF Fellowship referee form, the PDF Fellowship referee cover letter, the PDF College by-laws, and the PDF Fellowship standards should be sent to the referees.
5. Send the original application with a cheque or money order for $450.00 for Membership or $300.00 for Fellowship, payable to the CCPM, to the Registrar at the address on the application form. (The original application sent directly plus the copies sent by the referees provide the copies necessary for review.) You may apply for both membership and fellowship in the same year ($750.00 total cost) but in this case do not send the fellowship fee until after you have passed the membership exam.
6. There is only one membership and one fellowship exam each year. The fellowship exam is normally held at the location of the COMP/CCPM annual scientific meeting on one of the days immediately prior to the start of the meeting. The written membership exam is generally held about twelve weeks prior to the fellowship exam. Written exam locations are dispersed throughout the country, with every effort made to provide exam writing centres close to the applicant’s place of residence. The oral membership exam is held about 3 weeks prior to the COMP/CCPM annual scientific meeting. The oral exam is held in one central location only, and candidates will need to make personal travel arrangements to sit the exam, as required. The application deadline for both Membership and Fellowship examinations will be about ten weeks prior to the written Membership exam. Consult the schedule for the exact dates.
7. Applicants will normally be notified of their eligibility for examination within five weeks after the receipt of their completed application including the referees' assessments.
8. Applicants who have been given permission to take an examination within the last two years but who withdrew or failed need only write to the Registrar by the application deadline indicating they wish to be examined and enclosing the appropriate fee. Applicants who have passed the written but need to resit the oral examination again need to say so in writing to the Registrar and enclose the fee of $300 (oral only fee) by the deadline date.
9. Members who wish to apply for fellowship must submit an application unless number 8 above applies. The requirement for three referees can be reduced to only one medical physicist referee if the applicant became a member within the last two years.
10. The application fee will be returned (less a $50.00 administrative fee) if the application is not approved or is withdrawn at least one week prior to either the written Membership or oral Fellowship exam. Once the application has been approved, notification of withdrawal should be directed to the Chief Examiner. If the applicant fails the written Membership exam, the portion of the fee associated with the oral exam will be refunded.
11. Applicants may appeal decisions for denial of application to the Board.
12. The annual fee to maintain membership or fellowship in the College is $100.00 but this fee is waived if the Member or Fellow is a member of The Greek Organization of Medical Physicists.

Documents:

By-Laws of The Greek College of Medical Physicists (PDF version)

The Examination Format         (Membership, Fellowship)

Examination Schedule

5/6/2005 2:38:00 PM