Important Message About Examiner Certification

Section 4116 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to establish a national registry of medical examiners who are qualified to perform examinations and issue medical certificates. The FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) program would require medical examiners receive training and pass a certification test before being listed on the Registry - which will be available to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and motor carriers to identify medical examiners authorized to conduct the CMV driver physical examination.

The NRCME program would establish core curriculum specifications for training - based on a comprehensive Role Delineation Study - that addresses the range of knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform physical examinations of CMV drivers. The specifications would be available to qualified training organizations for development and delivery of FMCSA medical examiner training.

The Role Delineation Study will also be the foundation for the development of a certification test to assess the competence of the medical examiner. Long-term quality management of the program, accomplished through national accreditation, would include consistent application of the certification process, the avoidance of bias and the representation of stakeholders’ needs.

The NRCME program is integral to FMCSA’s medical program and would be the only program to qualify and list certified medical examiners that perform the required physical examination of interstate commerce CMV drivers. Until FMCSA completes the notice-and-comment rulemaking, medical examiners are not required to be listed on a registry or other database concerning qualifications to perform physical examinations of truck and bus drivers. At this time, FMCSA does not endorse any medical examiner training, education or certification programs.