What is the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will soon propose a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME). The NRCME would provide a list of medical examiners who are authorized to examine interstate truck and motor coach drivers and effectively determine their physical qualifications to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. A national database of certified medical examiners who have received training to perform such examinations would ensure that these examiners are knowledgeable of driver qualification standards and guidelines. The training would also help the medical examiner better understand the physical and mental demands of driving a commercial vehicle. The medical examiner would perform physical examinations with full awareness of the conditions under which drivers work.
The NRCME is a program intended to produce trained, certified medical examiners who can effectively determine the physical qualifications of CMV drivers. Information about the certified medical examiners placed on the NRCME would be made available to CMV drivers. The primary method of information dissemination would be through the NRCME Web site, but a resource center with a toll-free phone number would also be available. The NRCME Web site would also provide program information to certified medical examiners, medical examiners who wish to become certified, and to the interested public.
The NRCME program would require training using a standardized curriculum, a certification examination, and recertification of medical examiners listed on the NRCME. The NRCME Web site would disseminate information to practitioners on new medical discoveries, policies or requirements relevant to the examinations. The certification program would ensure that medical examiners are qualified and educated about occupational issues for drivers, maintain ongoing competency, and have specific guidance and readily identifiable sources of information (via the Web site and resource center) for questions concerning the physical examinations.
The objectives of the NRCME are to: maintain ongoing competency of medical examiners through training, testing, certification and recertification; ensure that medical examiners fully understand the medical standards in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and how they apply to CMV drivers; ensure that the list of certified medical examiners is easily accessible; promote public confidence in the quality of the medical examinations of CMV drivers; and disseminate information about the medical examination of CMV drivers to meet the objectives of the President’s strategy for e-government.
FMCSA would be involved in all facets of the NRCME program development and implementation and maintain an oversight role. Implementation of the NRCME program demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to making our Nation’s highways safer.