Certification

The CMD credential is an experiential and education-based certification. There is no exam. Candidates must meet eligibility under three steps, each of which includes education and experience qualification requirements. 

Applicants will have up to one year to complete all the application requirements after paying the CMD application fee for initial certification. Those who have not yet registered for the Core Curriculum on Medical Direction will be prompted to do so during the application process.
 

General Requirements  

• Completion of PALTmed’s Core Curriculum on Medical Direction within the past five years. Refer to Step 1 below for details.* 

• Completion of a U.S. ACGME or AOA accredited post-graduate training program (or a Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons or College of Family Physicians accredited post-graduate training program).*

  OR

  Relevant U.S. post-graduate training and successful attainment of U.S. state licensure to practice medicine.*

• Current, unrestricted state license in good standing as an MD or DO in the U.S. (or Canadian equivalent medical license).

Experience: 

• Spend a minimum of 8 hours each month in service as a medical director/associate medical director in a post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) setting.
• At least 2 years of experience as a clinician in PALTC within the past five years.
• At least 2 years of experience as a medical director/associate medical director in PALTC within the past five years. (If you’ve completed a geriatric fellowship within the past five years, this management experience is post-fellowship and can be concurrent.)

Download Initial Certification Requirements Checklist

Download CME Definition

Note: recertification is required every six years.

*Waiver requests can be submitted to certification@paltmed.org