This course has been designed to meet the core curriculum for the medical examiner training in accordance with the National Registry for Certified Medical Examiners Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in an accelerated four-hour class.

This course will cover the eight core competency areas designated by NRCME, specifically designed for the family physician, NP’s and PA’s. This course assumes a prior mastery and skill set in the basics of history and physical examination techniques.

Upon successful completion of the course, Medical Examiner candidates should be prepared to sit for the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners certification examination.

With the release of the FMCSA’s final rule establishing the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME), all Medical Examiners who conduct physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers must be trained, tested, and certified to be on the FMCSA National Registry. As of May 21, 2014, drivers may only obtain DOT physicals from examiners who are on the FMCSA National Registry.

To be eligible to sit for the FMCSA National Registry examination, Medical Examiners must obtain training from an organization that is CME accredited to provide health care professional training. 

Please note that the IAFP is offering only the training course. Those taking the course will receive verification of training allowing you to register for the Federal exam. For complete instructions on registering with the NRCME as an examiner, and finding a testing location, please go to this website:

https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/home

After successful completion of this training program, you may register for your NRCME number on the above website, and after successful completion of the exam you will be listed as an NRCME examiner in the National FMCSA Registry.

After participating in this educational activity, the learner will have an understanding of the following seven core content curriculum areas that are mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration for NRCME candidates

1. Background, rationale, mission, and Medical Examiner’s role;

2. CMV driver’s responsibilities and work;

a. CMV driver’s identification and medical history. Obtaining, reviewing, and documenting.

b. Prescription and over-the-counter medications.

3. Medical Examination;

a. Performing and documenting.

4. Additional diagnostic tests or medical opinions, as needed;

a. Performing, obtaining, and documenting diagnostic test.

b. Obtaining medical specialist/treating physician opinion.

5. Inform/educate CMV driver;

a. Medications/non-disqualifying medical conditions needing care.

6. Determining driver certification outcome;

a. Including period for which certification is valid.

7. FMCSA reporting and documentation requirements.

In addition to these curriculum topics, the training will address the medical examiner’s responsibility to teach or inform the driver about medications and the impact the medications may have on the safe operation of a commercial motor vehicle.

30 Minutes Understanding FMCSA and NRCME / Responsibilities and Job Tasks of CMV Drivers

30 Minutes Identifying the Driver / History and Physical Examination Component Requirements

30 Minutes Determining When Diagnostic Tests and Specialty Evaluations are Needed

30 Minutes Educating the Driver / Medication Concerns

90 Minutes Determining Driver Certification Outcome for Various Medical Conditions

30 Minutes Reporting and Documentation Requirements / Q&A / Post Test

20 Minutes New Updates

Speaker for all Sessions: Douglas W. Martin MD FAAFP FACOEM FAADEP

Douglas W. Martin, MD, FAAFP, FACOEM, FAADEP is a family physician who is a practicing occupational medicine physician in Sioux City, Iowa. He is a past president of both the IAFP and the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians. Dr. Martin is the current Chair of the Medical Review Officer Section of the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. He serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Official Disability Guidelines, an evidence based treatment guidelines document. He has been involved in educating physicians during his 19 year medical career on a number of topics, including the prevention of disability. He is frequently called upon as an expert in medicolegal contexts, specifically on the management of musculoskeletal injuries and impairment and disability issues.

Faculty Disclosure

Iowa Academy of Family Physicians asks all individuals involved in the development and presentation of Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities to disclose all relationships with commercial interests. This information is disclosed to CME activity participants. Iowa Academy of Family Physicians has procedures to resolve apparent conflicts of interest. In addition, faculty members are asked to disclose when any discussion of unapproved use of pharmaceuticals and devices occurs.
Unlabeled/investigational uses of commercial products are not discussed in this activity.

Dr. Martin disclosed that neither he nor any member of his immediate family has a relationship or financial interest with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services.

In addition to our speaker, the IAFP Education Committee along with IAFP staff have also disclosed that neither they nor any member of their immediate family has a relationship or financial interest with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services.

This Enduring Material activity, Accelerated NRCME Online Training, has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 5.00 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Term of approval begins 12/03/2023. Term of approval is for one year from this date. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. When applying for AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit not as Category 1.
AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AAFP Prescribed Credit. Physician assistants may receive a maximum of 5 hours of Category I credit for completing this program.
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners accepts AAFP approved courses for its CME requirement.

1. Please note that there have been technical problems with the NRCME website that required the FMCSA to shut it down at the end of November, 2017. No one has been able to enter examination information as required since that time. Recently, a new partially active website has been re-opened which will allow medical examiners the ability to upload examination information. However, it does not yet allow medical examiner administrative assistants (MEAA) the ability to do so. The FMCSA at this time, is not requiring medical examiners to upload their exams within 24 hours, a rule that technically became effective on June 22, 2018. For complete information regarding the progress on the NRCME website, uploading, and other information, please go to:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/medical-examiner%E2%80%99s-requirement-upload-examination-results

2. Make sure that you as an examiner periodically check your listing on the NRCME website to make sure you are Certified prior to doing exams, and also to update your demographic information Since the FMCSA uses this database for all communication to you, it is imperative that your contact information including address, telephone, and email address are up to date. Frequently, examiners will forget to log back in when their medical licenses are renewed, and if the database shows that your license has expired, it will no longer show you as a valid certified examiner. 

3. The examiner or administrative assistant who enters the exam information on the NRCME website sometimes will make an error. Errors can occur when incorrect entries or spelling of driver names, incorrect certification expiration dates, etc. and some have realized that when they attempt to go back into the website to change it that the system does not allow them to do it. FMCSA wants the examiner (or assistant) to enter a new exam in this situation. Their software will override the prior incorrect exam as long as it is entered under the same examiner and within a few weeks. It will “red flag” the entry if put in under a different examiner (obviously to catch drivers who “doctor shop”)

The material presented at this program is being made available by the IAFP for educational purposes only. This material is not intended to represent only, or necessarly best, methods or proedures appropriate for the medical situations discusses; but rather is intended to present an approach, view, statement, or opinion of the faculty, which may be helpful to other who face similar situations. The IAFP disclaims any and all liability for injury or other damages resulting to any individual attending this program and for all calims, which may arise out of the use of the techniques, demonstrated therin by such individuals, whether a physician or any other person shall assert these claims.

Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the data presented at this program. Physicians may care to check specific details such as drug doses and contraindications, ctc., in standard sources prior to clinical application.

Materials will be produced solely for the education of attendees. Any use of content or the name of the speaker or the IAFP is prohibited without written consent of the IAFP.

If you are a certified medical examiner through the FMCSA/NRCME, your certification is valid for 10 years, are required to recertify every 10 years. For those of you certified in 2013, you are eligible to recertify any time before your certificate expires. In order to maintain your ability to continue to perform DOT exams, you are required to complete an accredited training course and pass the NRCME certification exam before your certification expires. You can complete the recertification starting at 9 years following your initial certification. Examiners who were certified in 2013 can now pursue recertification through the IAAFP.

Past or Currently Due Recertification

Regardless of 2023 expiration date, all MEs will have a full year to complete the required recertification training and pass the certification test.

This will not impact their ability to perform physical qualification examinations and use the National Registry system.

Those who do not complete the training and certification test by December 31, 2023, will be removed from the National Registry.

Take the following steps to complete these requirements:

1. Complete either live or online training.
3. Log into your National Registry account and upload your training certificate
4. Contact one of the 2 FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric or PSI) to schedule the certification test
5. Take and pass the certification test prior to your National Registry certification expiration