New Certification In Medical Publications Planning Reinforces Professional Credibility And Integrity

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 19 Nov 2008 - 8:00 PST

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The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is implementing a certification program that will, for the first time ever, offer professionals an opportunity to earn the newly established Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) credential.

Publication planning is a relatively new profession with few defined common standards and established "best practices." At the same time, the profession is under significant and increasing scrutiny from a range of external stakeholders to ensure the highest levels of scientific and professional integrity. These two potentially conflicting drivers have led ISMPP to increase its leadership role in establishing professional standards and to promote adherence to those standards through the provision of a formal, voluntary, professional certification examination to become a CMPP.

The CMPP program will allow medical publication professionals to become credentialed in this increasingly specialized practice, and will help promote integrity and excellence in the profession by encouraging adherence to best practice standards across the industry. The CMPP credentialing effort demonstrates both ISMPP's ongoing commitment to the medical publication planning profession, and also provides assurance to the public and the professional and lay media that the industry is striving towards achieving practices that ensure scientific and professional integrity in medical publications.

Medical publication professionals are responsible for publishing clinical research and information that can affect medical decision making and clinical judgment. A CMPP credential will signify a level of knowledge and experience required to effectively plan, develop, and implement a medical publications program. Notably, a CMPP has also been assessed via a psychometrically validated examination on all aspects of professional publication planning, and has agreed to act in a positive manner to practice and promote ethical and legal standards, while upholding the integrity of medical publication professionals and ISMPP as an organization.

To achieve certification, candidates must pass a validated 150-item, multiple-choice, computer-based examination administered at an approved testing center. This exam assesses candidates' knowledge across numerous content domains related to publication planning and development. Open to ISMPP members and non-members, CMPP applicants must have either a bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university or an equivalent credential and at least two (2) years of demonstrated professional experience in the medical publications field, or a high school diploma (or equivalent) and at least five (5) years of demonstrated professional experience in the medical publications field.

Qualified candidates can take the three-hour exam during two 30-day testing windows each year at approved testing center locations across the United States and Europe. The CMPP application process and exam are administered through CASTLE Worldwide, a specialized testing services company. The program has been developed by members of ISMPP under the supervision of the ISMPP Credentialing Committee. This Committee is, in turn, overseen by the ISMPP Executive Committee, comprising elected officials from organizations representing a cross-section of its membership from industry, publishing, and agency partners.

As candidates for the CMPP each have unique knowledge, experience, and educational backgrounds, the examination is designed to ensure a minimum acceptable standard of practice across the industry. While candidates work within highly specialized areas, the examination assesses a more general core set of skills that is common across functions and disciplines within the profession. Accordingly, the body of knowledge assessed through examination comprises the myriad of skills, abilities, and practices that are integral components of the profession.

The CMPP Candidate Handbook is now available through the ISMPP Web site, providing a comprehensive overview of how potential CMPP candidates can register and prepare for the exam. Numerous opportunities for examination preparation-ranging from educational programming through ISMPP U monthly webinar series, to other online reading materials and guides-are available through ISMPP as well. Examinations will be offered during the months of February and September in 2009.

Established in 2005 and now 700 members strong, ISMPP is the only not-for-profit organization for medical publication professionals. ISMPP is at the forefront of information sharing and debate among medical publication professionals and offers a variety of education and advocacy programs to help industry members stay abreast of the ever-changing landscape and address issues affecting their profession and the medical publication community at large. The members of ISMPP represent a cross-section of the industry and include professionals who are actively engaged in medical publication planning in the agency, pharmaceutical company, and publishing settings.

ISMPP