International Health Care Provider

An International Medical Doctor is an individual who graduated from a medical school outside the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada. This includes U.S. citizens who completed their medical education outside the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada.

We understand that a medical doctor’s science knowledge and medical procedure skills are intensely ingrained in your during your medical school learning. With that being said, the scope of practice of a clinical medical assistant, for example, is completely different than the scope of practice from any medical doctor, within or outside of the US. Medical doctors are unaware of the protocols and standards for phlebotomy (adult and pediatric), among the numerous other medical specialties. The NCMA requires any doctor wishing to obtained the NCMA credentials to enroll in a continuing education program that has been specifically created for medical doctors that includes guidelines, standards, skills, procedures, etc. within the scope of practice of that specialty. 

Ideally, the program should consist of a minimum of 200 hours at any state licensed and board of education approved academic institution, or a minimum of 84 hours along with 60 clinical externship hours at your native medical school. The curriculum content of the program must meet the NCMA standards. Also, we require all members to hold an active American Heart Association BLS Healthcare Provider certification. 

Once the academic requisites are met, candidates must challenge our 2-part examination, which includes a clinical science written examination and our clinical practical skills examination.