FAQs

As a recognized member of the health-care field providing critical care to individuals facing life-threatening illnesses, it is the sole responsibility of each Certified Medical Dosimetrist to adhere to the MDCB Ethical Standards, renew their credential annually by December 31 of each calendar year, earn and document a minimum of 50 continuing education credits in each five year cycle and make necessary updates to personal contact information in the CE Center. Renewal fees submitted after December 31 will be subject to a $50 late fee. Failure to submit the renewal and penalty fees by February 1 of any calendar year will result in loss of the CMD credential. A CMD whose credential has lapsed can apply for reinstatement.

If you require technical support or have administrative questions, please contact info@mdcb.org.

The CE Center at https://mdcb.learningbuilder.com provides listings of currently approved courses and how many credits each course is worth. If a course you are looking for is not on the list, the activity did not meet the MDCB requirements for approval or approval was not requested by the provider and is not available for CE credits.

You can determine how many credits you have and need to complete your five (5) year cycle by viewing your Learning Plan. A current Learning Plan for each active CMD is maintained in the CE Center and includes information regarding how many credits you have, how many you need to complete and by what date the credits must be completed. The “Units Accepted” for each type of activity and the “Units Added” for each type of activity are indicated at the top of each section of your Learning Plan. Please keep in mind you need to accrue 50 CE credits in five (5) years to maintain your Medical Dosimetry Certification.

You can update your Learning Plan by logging in to to your personal record at https://mdcb.learningbuilder.com and clicking on "My Learning Plan." To add activities, click on the blue “Add Activity” button in the appropriate section of the Learning Plan for the activity type. If you have multiple documents for one activity, please merge your documents into one comprehensive document for upload. If you have questions about how to upload an activity to your learning plan, while you are in the process, click on "show more instructions."

You can submit a request for assessment of your college level courses on your learning plan by going to the "Personal Credit Request" section of your learning plan, clicking the blue “Add Activity” button for that section, and choosing “Academic Coursework” from the drop down menu for “Activity Type.” Illustrated instructions can be found on the "Reporting Credits" page of the "Continuing Education" area of the MDCB website. Requests for credit for speaker presentations, published journal articles or journal editing can be requested in the same way.

Complete and illustrated instructions for updating your learning plan can be found on the "Reporting Credits" page of the "Continuing Education" section of the MDCB website.

The best way to search for an activity is to use only one search field. If you are sure of the MDCB-approved course number you can enter it into the "Course Number" field and click on the "Search" button. If you are not certain of the course number, to conduct your search use the "Keyword" field and type in a partial activity title.

The MDCB continuously audits CMD learning plans. A learning plan review schedule is posted here. Once your learning plan has been audited you will receive an email that advises you of your status. When you receive the audit message, check your learning plan to determine what activities may need further documentation.

CMD's learning plans are under continuous review based on the posted audit schedule. Once your learning plan has been reviewed, you will receive an audit notification.

To determine the reason an activity has been rejected or received 0 credit, click on the "list" icon next to the activity and read the "Activity Rejection Reason."

Your login is the email address the MDCB has on file for you or your MDCB number.  To retrieve your password, enter the CE Center and click on the link “Forgot Your Password?” and follow the instructions. You will be prompted to provide your email address for password reset instructions to be forwarded to you. If you no longer have access to the e-mail address on file with the MDCB, please contact us at info@mdcb.org.

Yes, beginning in 2008, MDCB was approved as an ARRT RCEEM (Recognized Continuing Education Evaluation Mechanism) and all MDCB-approved credits can be submitted for ARRT Category A credits. Although ARRT accepts credits approved by other RCEEM member entities, they do require that documentation for the approved credits come from the original CE provider.

In the "My Account" section of the CE Center you can update the contact information on your personal profile by editing the fields on the left-hand side of the page. To ensure approval of activities on your learning plan, if your name has changed, documentation must be submitted to the MDCB office at info@mdcb.org.

Any institution can download a letter of verification from https://mdcb.learningbuilder.com by clicking on the link for "CMD Verification" and searching for the CMD's name. The system will generate a letter of good standing for all CMDs who are current on their credits and renewal fees. The CMD verification letter will indicate your valid date through the latest year for which you have submitted your renewal fee. The letter will not indicate your cycle end date.

You must register as a provider to submit an RFE. This will allow you to enter your contact information once and have it associated with all of the activities you submit. Please visit https://mdcb.learningbuilder.com and click the orange “Register as a Provider” button at the left side of the page and follow the instructions provided.

If you already have a registered profile as a CMD, simply log in, click “My Account” at
the top right corner, click the “Providers” link at the top left of the ensuing page, and
then click “Add a Provider” at the far right. You will see a form for creating a new record for your affiliated institution. Be sure that your existing account has a work address with the country field filled in.

To check the status of your RFE, log in to your queue to determine if your activity has been approved or if additional action is required on your part.

To determine your CMD number, log into the CE Center. Your CMD number will be indicated on your profile as “unique identifier.”

Since 2011, the AAMD has been uploading completed activities to Learning Plan transcripts for CMDs. The updates take place nightly. Be sure your MDCB number is on file with the AAMD.

All MDCB-approved ASRT activities in which CMDs participate will be uploaded to
learning plans as “Activity Accepted,” providing the CMD has completed the following
fields on their profiles: “DOB” and “ASRT number.” Completed ASRT activities are
uploaded to learning plans in the month following completion of the activity with no
further action required by the CMD. The MDCB will not recognize for credit any activity
that is duplicated across bienniums.

To access certificates of completion for MDCB-approved activities:

1. Go to www.asrt.org and login to the website by entering your username and password.
2. Click on “View My ASRT.”
3. Click the link that says “My Learning.”
4. Locate the completed course on the “Enrolled” tab and click the link that says “Certificate.”

To ensure that your credits from the ASTRO conference are loaded to your MDCB learning plan, be sure to register for the meeting as a dosimetrist and complete the evaluation by the deadline. Credits typically will upload to your learning plan approximately 30 days after the end of the conference.

To guarantee that credits from AAPM meetings are loaded to your learning plan, registrants must complete the AAPM online meeting evaluation. Registrants must indicate the type of credits needed and are prompted to enter a valid CMD number. Credits are typically uploaded a minimum of 30 days after the end of the meeting.  

Credits can only be applied to the cycle in which they are earned.

Click on the icon to the right of the orange button to see the "Activity Rejection Reason" field to determine why the activity has not been approved. Delete the current documentation by clicking on the trash can icon to the right of the documentation you have uploaded. Upload documentation that fulfills the additional information request.

To print a copy of your Learning Builder transcript, navigate to your learning plan and click the list icon next to "Complete Learning Plan" in the blue bar at the top of your learning plan web page. Next, select the "Summary" option and click either the "Printer Friendly" or "View Offline" links to extract a copy of completed activities.

If you meet the minimum 50 credit requirement and are in the final year of your current cycle, you can submit your learning plan for completion or continue to accumulate continuing education credits. To submit your learning plan for completion, click on the orange “Complete Learning Plan” button found at both the top and bottom of your learning plan. If your learning plan is audited and deemed complete, you will receive an email confirmation and your learning plan will be locked from adding additional CE credits. Your learning plan for the next 5-year cycle will also be locked until January 1st after the start of the new cycle. While you will not be able to update a learning plan with additional credits, you will be able to submit the credential renewal fee. 

Your first 5-year cycle will begin on January 1st in the year following the successful completion of the exam, providing the annual certification fee is submitted. You can begin adding courses to your transcript for any CE credits completed after January 1st.

As of 2017, there is one route to eligibility for U.S. candidates. All first time candidates who practice in the U.S. are required to be a graduate of a JRCERT-accredited dosimetry program and hold a minimum of a Bachelor's degree. Applicants are required to provide an official diploma and official transcript for JRCERT Bachelor's Degree programs; Certificate Degree programs require an official certificate and official transcript from a certificate program as well as an official Bachelor's Degree (or higher) diploma. Candidates who applied as a Route 2 candidate before September 2011 and who have not completed three attempts must complete a Route 2 application.

Applicants who have graduated in advance of the application deadline but have not received a diploma must provide a letter from the program director confirming the date of graduation from the program following graduation.

• Demonstrate completion of 1,000 clinical curriculum hours in medical dosimetry treatment planning during Bachelor of Science or higher degree course of study - or - other formal non-US structured dosimetry training program. 

Clinical curriculum hours are defined as training in a medical setting creating clinically deliverable treatment plans for radiation oncology patients as part of the medical dosimetry education. They are in addition to the education received in a classroom setting. Clinical training hours completed in conjunction with employment or while "on the job" will not be considered to have achieved the requirement for clinical hours. Transcript and course descriptions will be required for certificate or other formal non-US structured dosimetry training programs. Hours for: (1) treatment delivery, (2) on-the-job training or (3) for which the candidate received a salary do not qualify as in-curriculum hours.

• Document current non-US employment.

Each applicant must be aware of the information outlined in the handbook and the most current information in regard to exam administration, eligibility, application requirements, deadlines, and adherence to the Ethical Standards of the MDCB.  Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application.  Applicants are solely responsible for the timely submission of complete applications.

The MDCB is the sole and only judge of each candidate's qualifications to sit for the MDCB Certification Exam. To ensure fairness to all candidates, no exceptions can be made to the requirements and/or documentation. In consideration of a candidate's application, the individual's moral, ethical and professional standing will be reviewed and assessed by the board. The board may make inquiry of the persons named in the application and of such persons as the board deems appropriate with respect to moral, ethical and professional standing.

The most frequent reasons applications are denied:

• transcript confer date does not correspond to date on diploma – program completion date on diploma and transcript must correspond
• FIS or IERF foreign equivalency documentation is not provided/or is incomplete – the foreign equivalency documentation must include an evaluation of each course to ensure equivalency to the coursework requirements.
• insufficient academic equivalent course work in medical dosimetry – coursework must include all requirements detailed, i.e. Anatomy and/or Physiology, Brachytherapy, Clinical Lab, Computer Technology, Cross-sectional Anatomy, Radiation Oncology, Radiation Physics, Radiobiology and Treatment Planning
• name on application does not correspond to name of other documentation – name on all documents submitted must be the same.
• no confirmation of current international employment status – letter on employer’s letterhead confirming current employment.
• no demonstration of completion of 1,000 clinical curriculum hours in medical dosimetry treatment planning – in addition to didactic coursework documentation must demonstrate completion of the required clinical hours in treatment planning.

Applicants who receive notification of initial denial must submit appeals on the Learning Builder platform with documentation to specifically address the issues as identified. Only additional documentation will be considered. Applicants have one opportunity to appeal. Narratives regarding experience or education are not considered documentation. Queries regarding the appeal should NOT be addressed via email.

The MDCB will not communicate with a third-party inquiry regarding any individual's eligibility.

Exam candidates are subject to a three attempt rule. A candidate who has failed the exam on the third attempt will not be eligible to sit for the examination for two calendar years. After the two year waiting period, candidates can submit an application for examination. The prevailing requirements will apply. There is, however, no restriction or requirement as to when an unsuccessful candidate may sit for the exam.

If a candidate misses the exam (i.e. no-show) it will NOT be a strike counted against them under the three attempt rule. Please see the handbook regarding no-show and re-application fees. 

The CE Center at https://mdcb.learningbuilder.com provides an "Activity Search" of currently approved activities such as courses/lectures/seminars/webinars, directed readings and applications training courses, and lists for how many credits each activity is approved. If a course you are looking for is not on the list, the activity was not submitted as a RFE or did not meet the MDCB requirements for approval and does not meet eligibility criteria.

Exam results will be made available to candidates approximately six weeks after the exam administration date.

CMDs can begin to accumulate credits in January following the exam administration. Credits earned prior to January cannot be applied to CMDs transcripts (learning plans).

To update your contact information, once you login to mdcb.learningbuilder.com, click on “My Account” in the upper right hand corner of your record. Then click on “Edit”, change any of the fields and hit the orange "Save” button in the lower right hand corner of the page.

To retrieve your login and password, enter the CE Center and click on the link to “Forgot Your Password?,” and follow the instructions. You will be prompted to provide your e-mail address for password reset instructions to be forwarded to you.

Once you have received confirmation that you have been approved to sit for the exam, you will need to register with Prometric, the MDCB exam vendor. You can select from a number of test sites nearest to your location.

Candidates should refer to the test blueprint outlined in the Applicant Handbook. References used for MDCB exam item writing include popular textbooks covering subjects in radiobiology, physics, dosimetry, cross sectional anatomy, principles of radiation oncology and industry recognized reports that are relevant to current dosimetry practice. Details about texts to use for studying can be found at https://mdcb.org/certification-exam-information/exam-development.

There is a study guide available for download at https://mdcb.org/certification-exam-information/study-guide which contains questions that mirror those found on the actual exam.

Candidates initially approved to sit for the exam before a change in routes to eligibility will be eligible to sit for the exam for two additional attempts. Re-applicants, subject to the three attempt rule who are attempting the exam for the first time after the two year waiting period will be subject to the prevailing routes to eligibility.

Questions developed for the exam are reflective of the test matrix. Each item must include a reference from the approved reference list. After questions are submitted to the MDCB, Item Editors review each item for structural and technical content. Once an item has been approved for the exam, it is embedded as an un-scored item. Upon statistical analysis of the un-scored items, it is determined if the item meets the rigors necessary to be included on the exam for scoring.

A Cut Score Study of the first exam used following the Job Task Analysis is conducted to determine a passing score. The passing score identifies what the minimally qualified candidate will know. Each candidate’s ability is measured against the determined cut score. Thus, scores are not based on a curve as is typical for non-certification testing and represent only individual overall performance.

MDCB international eligibility requirements closely align with US Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic (JRCERT) accredited programs’ didactic and clinical curricula providing some assurance that all candidates, whether Route 1 US applicants or applicants outside the US, are assessed on fair and equal due process procedures.  Due process is the cornerstone of valid and reliable certification exams.

The MDCB will suspend the international eligibility route following the administration of the September 2025 exam. During the period of suspension, the MDCB will investigate and determine how to ensure we are meeting our mandate to provide procedural fairness to all applicants.

A certificate program does not meet the requirement for formal dosimetry training. 

The MDCB will suspend the international eligibility route following the administration of the September 2025 exam. During the period of suspension, the MDCB will investigate and determine how to ensure we are meeting our mandate to provide procedural fairness to all applicants.

The MDCB does not have a requirement that non-US based dosimetry training programs be accredited by the JRCERT.

The MDCB will suspend the international eligibility route following the administration of the September 2025 exam. During the period of suspension, the MDCB will investigate and determine how to ensure we are meeting our mandate to provide procedural fairness to all applicants.

The MDCB is a certification body. Accreditation is outside the scope of MDCB’s function and expertise.

It is recommended that International candidates read and understand the handbook well in advance of application deadlines to secure required documents outlined. In addition, each applicant should assess their own knowledge, skills and education in deciding when to apply for the exam.  

The MDCB will suspend the international eligibility route following the administration of the September 2025 exam. During the period of suspension, the MDCB will investigate and determine how to ensure we are meeting our mandate to provide procedural fairness to all applicants.

No exceptions or exemptions to the eligibility criteria or required documents can be considered.

Transcripts are considered “Official” when the word “Official” appears at the top of the transcript document, whether or not the applicant has broken a seal on a mailed document or downloaded an emailed document.