What are the benefits of becoming a certified Medical Examiner?
To begin to answer this question, we must first recognize that the economy has depended on drivers to transport freight to cities and towns for over 125 years. Back then, the population was only 65 million. Now with over 330 million people in the country, the demand for goods continues to rise and so does the need for commercial truck drivers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 2 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the US, and each are required to have a commercial driver license (CDL) physical examination every 2 years, or more often, depending on their health and use of medication.
The role of the certified Medical Examiner is to perform the CDL examination on the driver to determine their eligibility to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). Since the 2014 DOT regulation took effect, most hospitals and clinics offer CDL examinations because of this growing demand. Non-MD/DO providers who are uncertain of the benefits of being certified, which include Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, and Clinical Nurse Specialist, are finding that most employers are now requiring that providers be NRCME certified. There is a constant need for certified Medical Examiners in the industry because providers who perform CDL examinations quickly get promoted, transfer, or retire, requiring organizations to replace them with a certified provider.
A benefit of becoming certified is that since a CDL examination can only be performed by a certified Medical Examiner, independent of MD/DO supervision, and since there is no set price on the market for a CDL exam, many non-MD/DO providers are becoming certified and perform mobile examinations at local trucking companies There are plenty of drivers to examine too, as the statistics for driver growth show that there was an increase of over 30,000 drivers in 2020, and it is likely to double in 2021. Once certified, Medical Examiners can perform CDL examinations on drivers for 10 years and can add ME to their medical title.
See our blog entries for CDL Examination Fees, Free CDL Examination Marketing, Growing Your CMV Driver Examination Business, and Charging for DOT Examinations.
For questions regarding our accredited NRCME training program or the NRCME certification process, call us at (941) 600-8411 9am-9pm EST 7/365.