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Impartiality Statement
NCMA and its employees, volunteers, and contractors understand the importance of impartiality and the consideration of any potential conflict of interests in carrying out its certification activities.
Certification of individuals is based on objective evidence obtained by the NCMA through a fair, valid and reliable assessment, and is not influenced by other interests or other parties.
NCMA will identify and assess risks in all relationships which may result in a conflict of interest or pose a threat to impartiality. Threats to impartiality include, but are not limited to, the following:
- self-interest threats: threats that arise from a person or body acting in its own interest to benefit itself;
- subjectivity threats: threats that arise when personal bias overrules objective evidence;
- familiarity threats: threats that arise from a person being familiar with or trusting of another person, e.g. an examiner or certification body personnel developing a relationship with a candidate that affects the ability to reach an objective judgment;
- intimidation threats: threats that prevent a certification body or its personnel from acting objectively due to fear of a candidate or other interested party, and;
- financial threats: the source of revenue for a certification body can be a threat to impartiality.
Management conducts an annual risk assessment on impartiality and conflict of interest. The Governing Board is responsible for ensuring that threats to impartiality and conflict of interest are reviewed regularly.
Conflict of interest and objectivity is addressed further through binding agreements to ensure that all activities undertaken throughout the certification process are conducted in an independent and impartial manner.
NCMA aims to inspire confidence in its certification to its clients and the public at large by:
- being impartial;
- employing competent personnel;
- being responsive to complaints;
- being open;
- providing access to relevant information gathered;
- fairness;
- transparency of processes, and;
- maintaining confidentiality.
Non-Discrimination
The National Certification Medical Association does not discriminate against an individual with respect to age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic legally protected by law. Reasonable and consistent use of non-discrimination and impartiality policies and procedures will apply to all programs of the NCMA, to include application processes, testing processes, and business operations. NCMA complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws and policies shall be administrated in a non-discriminatory way. NCMA business operations includes but is not limited to the selection of volunteers and vendors, volunteer or staff member conduct, hiring and firing of certification staff, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Examinations will be job-related and developed based on the program’s current role delineation studies and close adherence to the program’s test specifications. NCMA shall make its services available to all applicants, candidates, and members who meet the eligibility criteria as defined in the program’s publically available procedures subject to limitations defined in policy.
Special Accommodation Requests
Applicants who wish to request special arrangements because of a disability must notify the NCMA in writing along with sending supporting documentation to info@ncmanow.org. Applicants are required to submit documentation on the letterhead stationery of the medical authority, specialist, or learning institution that rendered a diagnosis. Verification must include the following:
- Description of the disability and limitations related to testing;
- Recommended accommodation/modification;
- Name, title and telephone number of the medical authority or specialist;
- Original signature of the medical authority or specialist, and;
- Procedure for special arrangement request.
Conflict of Interest
The Board maintains a rigorous conflict of interest policy. As such, to maintain the confidence of the public and the medical profession in the integrity of the Board, it is important for those doing its work to avoid certain activities that could provide opportunity for a conflict of interest or the appearance thereof. A conflict of interest is defined as an instance wherein a competing outside activity or holding could influence or appear to influence the Board’s activities in the area of policy development, evaluation of training programs, or examination development.
No Board member shall participate in any discussion or vote on any matter in which he or she (or a member of his or her immediate family) has a conflict of interest. All board employees and officers shall avoid all conflicts and disclose all potential conflicts between their respective personal, professional or business interests and the interests of the Board.
As an alternative to regulating investment or employment, the Board has chosen to manage matters related to the appearance of a conflict of interest by encouraging disclosure of significant financial interests or relationships and abstention from participation in decision-making related to a matter that could give rise to a conflict of interest (due to a material financial interest or relationship).
Annually, board members, committee members, and staff members of the Board are required to disclose informational conflicts and potential conflicts of interest during the meeting to be entered in the meeting minutes which serves as formal documentation as well as being effectively communicate to present members, and recipients of the meeting minutes.
Any individual who participates in any review course that is publicized as being a review course, or in any course that could be construed as a review course, or who has edited or provided written or audiovisual materials for publications identified as preparation for examinations, or who copies, reproduces, or discloses examination materials or content should not participate as an examiner in an oral examination, as a proctor in any written examination, or as a member of any committee for at least 12 months subsequent to the course or publication of any written or audiovisual materials.
Confidentiality
As a member, all information you share about yourself will be kept confidential. Only with your written permission will information be released to anyone outside of the NCMA except as required by law. Legal exceptions include the following:
- clear and imminent danger to you or someone else
- if there is a reasonable expectation that you will engage in dangerous conduct as defined by Illinois state statute
- reasonable suspicion that a child or elder is currently being abused
Permissible released information will include:
- Name
- Member ID Number
- City, State, Zip
- Credentials
- Credential Status
- Date of Attainment and Expiration
While NCMA staff members may consult with one another, all staff members are ethically and legally bound to treat that information confidentially.
Appeals
To appeal sanctions, the applicant/member/academic institution must submit a letter of appeal to the Governing Board within ten (10) business days from the date the grade is released, or sanction is handed down:
- Submit an appeal in writing
- Attach documents that support specified circumstances described in appeal
Upon receipt of the appeal, the board will issue notice of it’s receipt within 10 business days and conduct a thorough investigation pertaining to the matter at hand, which includes but is not limited to interviews, document assessments, background checks, etc. Upon evaluation of the written request and all supporting documents, Governing Board will make decision and notify the appellant the findings within four weeks via email and/or certified mail.
Once a applicant/member/academic institution has returned to good standing, any previous interventions shall have no future bearing on the student’s current status, unless a pattern has developed or numerous of the same complaint(s) are received. The Governing Board will not base their decision on discrimination, subjective reviews or impartiality. Under no circumstances will the Governing Board issue a decision as retaliation.