Application Instructions

Instructions

PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING ANY INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION.
Applicants bear the sole responsibility for meeting all eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and submission requirements, as delineated in the application.

Only applications that are received by the deadline and that are legible, clear, complete, and accurate will be reviewed by the Credentials Committee. This committee determines each applicant’s eligibility for certification.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Once all information has been received at the World Institute of Pain office, it will be sent for review. Any delay may jeopardize the timely review of the application for the current certification cycle.

The application form and all supporting documents are to be mailed at one time in the same envelope.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to keep personal copies of all submitted materials.

Applicants who want immediate acknowledgment of delivery should send materials via certified mail, return receipt requested, or via a national courier service.

After initial review of application materials, each candidate will receive a notice from the World Institute of Pain office indicating that the materials appear complete and will be forwarded to the Credentials Committee or that the materials are incomplete and require additional information.

Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify the World Institute of Pain office immediately of any change in mailing address that takes effect during the certification process. Notification should be sent to: Examination Board, World Institute of Pain – Section of Pain Practice, Gabor Racz, Registrar, 3601 4 th Street, Lubbock, TX USA.

Your acknowledgment, your Admission Packet, and your examination results will be sent to the mailing address you indicate on the application form.

If you rotate among clinics or hospitals, or if you have more than one office, please provide the telephone number where you will be most likely to receive a timely message. If possible, include the name of a contact person if you are not readily available.

You are not required to disclose your Social Security number. It is done on a voluntary basis. It is used as a secondary check in matching registration information to ensure that they are reported correctly.

Application Fee

The application fee must accompany all submitted materials. Payment must be in U.S. dollars in the form of a money order or cashiers check payable to the

WIP-Section of Pain Practice. Failure to submit the fee in the correct form will result in the rejection of your application.

A $250 nonrefundable fee is incurred upon receipt of your application by WIP, regardless of eligibility outcome. Your application fee will be refunded less the $250 nonrefundable fee if you fail to meet the eligibility requirements or if you withdraw (in writing) from the certification process.

The Purpose of Certification

WIP-Section of Pain Practice is committed to certification of qualified physicians in the field of Pain Medicine who do interventional techniques. The certification process employs practice-based requirements against which members of the profession may be assessed. The purposes of the WIP-Section of Pain Practice Certification Program in Interventional Techniques are as follows:

• To establish the knowledge domain of the practice of Pain Medicine for certification.
• To assess the knowledge of interventional techniques of Pain Medicine physicians in a psychometrically valid manner.
• To encourage professional growth in the practice of interventional techniques.
• To formally recognize individuals who meet the requirements set forth by WIP-Section of Pain Practice.
• To serve the public by encouraging quality patient care in the practice of Pain Medicine.

Pain Medicine has emerged as a separate and distinguishable specialty that is characterized by a distinct body of knowledge and a well-defined scope of practice, and that is based on an infrastructure of scientific research and education. Competence in the practice of Pain Medicine requires advanced training in interventional techniques, experience, and knowledge. The interventional techniques are unique procedures performed by pain physicians, and appropriate examination and certification are designed to accurately reflect the quality of care given to pain patients. The WIP-Section of Pain Practice certification program has been designed to help recognize practitioners’ knowledge and skill in this field; however, certification by WIP cannot and is not intended to serve as a guarantee of competence.

Scope of Certification

The World Institute of Pain (and its Section of Pain Practice) has developed the eligibility requirements and examination materials for the Examination in Interventional Techniques based on its review of the current state of medical and scientific knowledge about the treatment of pain, as documented in medical literature. The WIP-Section of Pain Practice and its Examination Council have developed this certification program which it believes recognizes currently accepted levels of knowledge and expertise in interventional techniques in order to improve patient care.

New developments are included in the examination only after they have been accepted by practitioners of Interventional Techniques Pain Medicine. Periodic practice analyses are conducted to ensure that the examination continues to reflect actual practice conditions.

WIP-Section of Pain Practice welcomes comments from the public and the profession designed to assist in improving this program.

Test Development and Administration

WIP-Section of Pain Practice retains Dr. Gerald Rosen of Huntington Valley, PA to provide assistance in the development of the annual certification examination. Dr. Rosen specializes in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of professional certification programs.