ANCDS Board Certification Process

The applicant must complete the Board Certification process within two-years from the approval of their application. The certification process involves the following steps (see below for specific details):

• Step 1: Submission and review of the first Case Study (see details) – The first case study must be submitted for review within three months of the applicant’s notification of approval of Candidacy.  The written Case Study will be reviewed and deemed “Pass,” “Revise,” or “Does not meet standards.”
• Step 2: Submission and review of the second Case Study (see details) – The second Case Study cannot be submitted until the first Case Study has been deemed a “Pass” and must be submitted within three months of the notification that the Candidate has passed the first case study. 
• Step 3: Oral Presentation and Discussion (see details) – The Candidate will not be approved to move to this step until both Case Studies have been successfully completed.  The oral presentation must be arranged within one month of the notification that the Candidate has passed both case studies. 
• Final Evaluation: The Written Case Studies and the Oral Presentation & Discussion will be judged as a whole and will be evaluated as “Pass” or “Does not meet standards” immediately following the Oral Presentation & Discussion.  The evaluation result will be conveyed to the Candidate at that time and written verification of the result will be sent to the Candidate.

The Certification process is confidential throughout.  Only the Chair of the Board of Clinical Certification knows the Candidate’s identity until the final step of the process, the presentation step.  Additionally, the Candidate does not know the identity of the reviewers until the presentation step.  The identity of a Candidate who does not meet the standards at any stage of the process will remain confidential.

Upon achieving Certification, the individual will receive a Certificate attesting to the attainment of Board Certification and will be listed in the official ANCDS Directory as Board Certified.  Upon request, a press release about the individual’s Board Certification can be prepared for distribution to press outlets designated by the individual.  These may include in-house publications or state association newsletters, as well as papers for general circulation.  In addition, upon request, an individualized letter will be sent to employers, colleagues, and referral sources identified by the holder of Board Certification describing the individual’s accomplishment.

Apply Today