About Us
Our Mission
Our purpose is to serve the health care community relative to the certification of Biomedical
Engineering and Dialysis Technologists and Technicians.
Accordingly, the Canadian Board shall formulate general polices on certification,
recommend candidates to the ICC to grant certification, and assist the education
community in developing a body of knowledge relevant to continuing education and
fundamental training programs.
The Canadian Board shall ensure that applications are carefully evaluated and that written
examinations are prepared, administered and evaluated to determine the qualifications of
individuals seeking certification.
Code of Ethics
The Canadian Board recognizes the precepts of personal integrity and professional competence as fundamental ethics, and as such The Canadian Board and members of The Canadian Board shall:
- Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public, the protection of the environment and the promotion of health and safety
- Provide an opinion on professional subject only when it is founded upon adequate knowledge and honest conviction
- Act with integrity towards applicants or references, maintain confidentiality and avoid a conflict of interest but, where such conflict arises, fully disclose the circumstances without delay to The Board
- Keep informed to maintain proficiency and competence, to advance the body of knowledge within their discipline and further the opportunities for professional development
- Conduct themselves with fairness, courtesy and good faith towards applicants, colleagues and others
- Report to the appropriate agencies any hazardous, illegal or unethical professional decisions or practices by fellow members or others
- Promote the public knowledge and appreciation of biomedical engineering certification and protect the Canadian Board of Examiners for Biomedical Engineering Technologists and Technicians from misrepresentation and misunderstanding
- Shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan
- Shall not endorse any commercial enterprise or any candidate for public office
- Neither the name of The Board nor the name of any of its members in their official capacity shall be used in conjunction with a commercial company with partisan interests
- Members of The Board shall not receive any money or gifts for any function of The Board other than stipend covering expenses directly involved in certain board activities
- Members of The Board shall not conduct a course of study whose sole purpose is to prepare non-certified individuals for certification examination
- The Board does not sponsor/accredit educational programs or courses of study preparing the non-certified individuals for certification examination
- The Board membership and composition are determined by The Board, not by outside agencies
Founding History
1976
Or thereabouts, the Biomedical Engineering Technician/Technologist members of the CMBES, attending the annual CMBES conferences, started to steer conversation and informal meetings towards the trend of Certification, and that it was possibly a good time to evaluate the BMET Certification program sponsored by their US counterpart, AAMI. The feeling was that whether we liked it or not, it will probably happen in Canada…..so let’s look into it. Not unexpectedly, two camps of thought emerged, one querying the need for Certification and the other claiming to see the “writing on the wall”. Eventually it was agreed that this programme was of benefit to all involved, and the machinery to set-up a similar programme, or affiliate it with the AAMI sponsored Certification Commission, was established.
1979 October
The core group (later to become the first members) submitted a proposal to the CMBES Professional Affairs Committee, to form a Board for the Certification of Biomedical Engineering Technicians and Technologists.
1980 August
First Meeting of the Initial Sub-Committee at the Hamilton CMBES conference.
1981 April
The Proposal was revised and sent to the Certification Commission for approval.
1981 April 16
Allison Illsley is appointed Chairman of the Sub-Committee, on the request of Ms. Monique Frize of the CMBES Professional Affairs Committee.
1981 April 23
Five members of the Sub-Committee agree to write the US Certification Exams. It was agreed that all members of the future Board must be certified. (Larry Boyce, Robert Gillies, Allison Illsley, Stephen Retfalvi, Ross Smith). Date limit: by August 31st 1981. This was achieved.
1981 Sept. 22-24
CMBES Conference, Saskatoon - After several marathon meetings of the SubCommittee, the Canadian Board of Examiners was formed, with Allison Illsley as the first Chairman.
1982 April 8
The Board was formally approved by the Certification Commission. As a result of the affiliation of the Canadian Board with its US counterpart, the Commission became the International Certification Commission (ICC).
1982
A Press Release was issued announcing the formation of the board.
1982 August 15
The first Canadian Certification Examination was written at the CMBES conference held in Fredericton, NB, by Derek Uttley – certificate number 001.
2009 June 1
The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) transferred the rights, title, and interest to The Canadian Board of Examiners to issue the “cdt” designation to Certified Dialysis Technologists and Technicians.
2009 June 8
At the annual meeting of the International Certification Commission (ICC) in Baltimore Maryland, a revised certification program of the Canadian Board of Examiners for Biomedical Engineering Technologists and Technicians that includes a “cdt” designation for Certified Dialysis Technologists and Technicians was approved. This permitted BMET Board to recommend candidates to the ICC for dialysis certification.
2014 Oct. 7
The Board of Examiners awarded Derek Uttley Emeritus status in recognition for his long contributions to both the Biomedical Engineering field and support to the Canadian Board of Examiners.
2015 Jan 1
The International Certification Commission (ICC) was replaced by the AAMI Credentials Institute (ACI).
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