Post-Approval Development Process
Following the approval of a subspecialty recognition application, the final development process begins.
Accreditation - A Measure of Excellence
- Three subspecialty experts identified and appointed by sponsoring organization(s) to finalize and submit proposed program requirements
- Proposed subspecialty program requirements submitted to Accreditation Council for approval, followed by a comment period, necessary revisions, and approval by the Board of Directors
- Application materials developed and piloted by training program directors
- Fellowship training program accreditation announced to existing and potential programs
- Accreditation development process takes approximately 6-12 months
- Fellowship training program applications are accepted throughout the year with semi-annual deadlines of June 1 and December 1 for application review by the Accreditation Council
Certification - A Measure of Expertise
- Ten subspecialty experts are identified and appointed by sponsoring organization(s) to form an examination committee that begins development of certification examination
- Examination Committee receives item writing and examination database training
- Initial examination date determined
- Eligibility criteria finalized
- Examination content outline and weighting of the content areas determined
- Initial pool of 300 questions developed for utilization in the 200-question initial examination
- Examination committee meets at UCNS headquarters in Minneapolis for final examination review and criterion standard setting exercise
- Examination development process takes approximately 12-18 months
- Initial examination will include a practice track eligibility pathway as new accredited training programs grow