From Credibility to Career Growth: The CMPP Advantage

Rob: You might be asking yourself, what's the real value of a credential in medical communications? With so many demands on your time and career, is earning a CMPP certification really worth the effort? In today's episode, we'll explore why earning a credential like the CMPP is not just a box to check, but a strategic move that can elevate your career, boost your industry credibility, and keep you at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field.

This is In Plain Cite, a podcast exploring the biggest questions and trends facing medical publication and communication professionals. I'm your host, Rob Matheis, president and CEO of ISMPP. In today's episode, we'll address some of the most pressing questions: How does the CMPP credential set you apart in a competitive field? What are the real world benefits for career growth, skill development, and leadership opportunities? How has the certification evolved with industry trends like patient engagement, digital tools, and AI? 

To discuss all this and more, I’m joined by Danita Sutton, Director of Credentialing at ISMPP; Ann Gordon, Managing Scientific Director at CMC Affinity; Claudia Piano, EVP, Client Services at ApotheCom; and Haruko Isomura, Medical Publication Lead at Takeda. All members of the ISMPP Certification Board. 

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Rob: Why don't we just jump right into it and start at the very beginning and ask, why is it that we actually need to have a credential for our profession? 

Ann: So in the late 1990s, medical publishing really came under a lot of scrutiny from external stakeholders who were citing some specific practices that we would now recognize as not being compliant with.

good publication practice. So for example, there was cherry picking of the positive data within publications and sometimes minimal or no reporting of those less favorable results. And in addition, there was a lack of transparency in relation to how disclosure and conflict of information was reported. And in fact, it may not have been mentioned at all in the publications that were being developed. The other issue we saw was that the marketing departments within pharma companies would often take a key role in reviewing the draft manuscripts and directing both their internal publication teams and the agencies who supported them. 

And some of our listeners will also be aware that at that time, guest or ghost authorship was very prevalent and medical writers were almost never acknowledged in publications. And in response to this, and to try to ensure the highest level of transparency, as well as scientific and professional integrity within medical publications, ISMPP set about establishing the CMPP credential. And the first credential was awarded in 2009, which Rob, I believe is the year that you were certified. 

Rob: That's correct. Yeah, yeah. So it sounds as though the origin of the certification program was really, uh, born out of professional ethics in our profession. 

Ann: Yes, it really is to try to ensure that we uphold the best possible standards and that we are ethical and transparent in everything that we do.

Rob: Excellent. So what does the credential mean itself? Like, what does it mean once you get certified? What can people expect from a person who has the certification? 

Claudia: So, attaining the CMPP credential signifies that you have expertise as a publications professional. Uh, and it's essentially proof that you've demonstrated proficiency in good publications practice.

It also means that the credentialed individual has made a commitment to being a leader in the field of medical publications. That means fostering integrity and excellence by adhering to ethical and transparent data dissemination standards. The credential essentially ensures that an individual has the specific skills and knowledge needed to develop and implement a publication plan. And it also ensures that they must stay abreast of evolving practices and standards in the field in order to maintain the credential.

Rob: So that's great. You know, there's so many different stakeholders that we work with and among in our profession, right? We think about…it's the CMPP themselves, it's their employers, and sometimes there are differences, obviously, between industry and agency. So I want to try to dive into that for a little bit.

So let's say I'm someone who's working on the agency side of our profession, and I am considering going for my own certification. What does it mean or what's the value, potential benefits for someone working particularly on the agency side of our business? 

Ann: If I focus on the agency perspective and put a business hat on, having our staff with the CMPP certification really enhances the overall value to our business, and it can also increase opportunities to work with new clients because, for example, that's one of the questions that is often asked in requests for proposals, how many of your staff hold the CMPP credential.

Rob: So that's interesting. Would you say it's accurate that if a person gets certified, they have a better likelihood of perhaps scoring more business on the agency side? Is it, is that really something that's an accurate statement? 

Ann: Particularly when you are looking for not just the publications request for proposal, but other types of proposals as well, then it’s often one of the questions that can be asked.

And I think we'd all agree that there is an increasing number of job postings where the CMPP credential is preferred or even required. 

Rob: Yeah, we've definitely seen that over time. And it's been kind of amazing to see that over the years that the certification has been put in place that there are different positions now that are posted that are requiring certification. And it really does speak, I think, to the significance that the credential has begun to earn or has earned over time. 

If we turn our attention now to the industry side of our profession and think about it from that point of view, um, what would be the value proposition of getting certified for someone working on the industry side?

Claudia: Well, the benefits to pharma companies have really evolved along with the credential. I think perhaps in the beginning it was not nearly as critical, but now I think hiring managers have more confidence in candidates who have the CMPP credential because they know that employee will have mastery over relevant industry regulations and good publication practice, and they will intuitively know how to apply that in many different situations in the workplace.

It also gives the pharma organization peace of mind knowing that the people who are leading the publication activities are competent and will ensure that the guidelines are followed. 

Rob: So you use the word confidence, right, an employer can have confidence. Can you tell me more, like, what do you mean when you say that an employer can have confidence in someone who has a certification?

Claudia: Well, in order to get your CMPP, you need to study quite a bit and understand all of the guidelines. Uh, if you were to hire someone who did not have their CMPP, there's a good chance that they would not be as well versed in, in good publication practice or the guidelines. And one of the things about the, the CMPP exam is that it's not just about memorizing facts and figures and, and uh, and references, we actually give hypothetical real life situations and scenarios as part of the test. And so in order to pass that, you have to almost know how to handle each situation. For example, if you have a situation where several people are claiming to be internal authors on an abstract, someone who has their CMPP would know who belongs on the acknowledgements list and who is actually qualified to be an author.

Rob: It occurs to me that, you know, in our profession, a lot of the things we do are not just black and white and really the value of knowing how to be a strong publication professional comes in being able to be flexible and deal with different situations. Do you think the credential signifies that a person has that flexibility? Do you think that it makes them better in terms of being flexible to handle those gray situations? 

Claudia: That's an interesting question, Rob. I think that having a really deep understanding of all the potential issues that could come up when developing a publication plan and when implementing a publication plan and dealing with internal authors and dealing with external authors, I think that all of the, the knowledge that's required there, uh, the credential gives you kind of an advantage over someone who doesn't have the credential, because I think having all that knowledge enables you to pivot more quickly, perhaps, and make, be more decisive. And, and I think also, I think it gives you more confidence as a publication professional. So I know for me, I am a lot more assertive about making decisions because I have the confidence to do so.

Rob: If I'm thinking about getting certified and I'm just thinking about what resources I want to look at or ways in which I need to study, what's some of the best things that I can do in order to get ready for this exam and to study for it? 

Ann: Well, I would say based on my experience, because I have sat the exam I think four times now, and there is a critical reading list, which it is imperative that anyone planning to take the exam goes through.

In addition to that, there is also a supplementary reading list, which are those ‘nice to haves,’ but they are so beneficial to understand. Naturally, there are some items where there is some overlap between them. But for anyone who is sitting the exam for the first time, I would strongly encourage you to not only look at the critical reading list, but to go through the supplementary list as well.

And this does keep being updated over time to try to help keep our folks up to date. The other thing I would recommend that you do is you talk to your colleagues who are also sitting the CMPP exam at the same time as you, or who are maybe undergoing the recertification process, because there's often things that they might have come across as well that it's, it's best to do. And in my organization, we often have some folks who get together in small study groups to try to help them prepare for the exam. 

Rob: That's great. Claudia, do you have any advice for anyone who might be thinking about sitting for the exam, what they should do? 

Claudia: I would say that, uh, what always surprises me is how little people know about what's available on the ISMPP website. If you go to the website, there is a tab there that talks about the certification, the recertification part, there's a whole section on certifying. In addition to the reading list, there is a handbook, which essentially spells out what to expect. I believe there's some sample questions, exam questions. 

And as Ann pointed out, when I took my test, a bunch of us got together and had a little study group, and um, it made it so much easier. Every one of us passed, by the way. There was a study group of eight of us when I first got my exam and every single one of us passed, and I don't think that was a coincidence. I think the fact that we all got together every week for a couple months leading up to the exam, talked about the materials that we'd read, and shared with each other questions that we had or things that we didn't understand, I think that's also hugely important.

Rob: So if I hear you right, both of you are saying that a great starting place would probably be the ISMPP website,     www.ismpp.org. And then to consider getting together in study groups and just maybe looking into mentors. What's a certification mentor? 

Ann: Yeah, so for anyone who is sitting the exam, it could be for the first time, it could be if they're looking to recertify or it could be even if they're looking for some career advice, then, um, we encourage any of our CMPPs who would like to, to sign up for the mentoring program, if you go on to the CMPP website, there is a link there that you can click on, and that will allow you to request a mentor. And what happens if, say, they're going to have a mentor for the exam is they would maybe meet for a few weeks before the exam to help talk about any questions that they've got and really just to help prepare them. But like I say, it's not just meant for the exam, the mentoring relationship can continue after that. And it's a wonderful way for CMPPs and quite often newly certified CMPPs to give something back to the program as well. 

Rob: That's great. You know, I really like the comment you made too about the fact that, you know, once you have a mentor, certainly that helps you prepare for the exam, but then even beyond having a mentor through the program, then gives you a colleague to turn to for questions and things that you might have come up over the course of your career, which is great.

So I want to switch gears a little bit now to the accessibility of the program itself. We know that people definitely have different needs in terms of being able to participate in the exam and may have some concerns, anxiety. Um, can they get to the exam? Can they take it with ease? Um, what are some things that ISMPPP has put in place and the certification has put in, in place to make the exam more accessible?

Ann: So I think to, to try to answer that, um, Rob, what I would say is that one of the biggest things that we've done is, in 2023, as you've heard, is that the exam became available online because many people, including myself, had to travel many miles to try to take this. And we have a month testing window, so it could mean that sometimes availability was quite limited. But now, we're able to take the exam almost anywhere and at any time. And I would just say that if anyone is thinking of taking the exam online, then it's definitely worth familiarizing yourself with the OnVUE exam rules and procedures. And that can be found in the CMPP handbook. 

The other thing just to mention, and again all kudos to ISM{P here, is that since 2013 we've been offering expanded access through reduced exam fees to those countries who are classified as developing by the World Bank and we've also offered free freelancers a discounted exam fee in the past. I think over the last year or so we've been incredibly mindful about the tough economic climate that we have faced and that we're continuing to face and we have offered assistance with the exam fee on a case by case basis for those candidates who've really demonstrated financial hardship but who've clearly illustrated that they want to ensure their CMPP credential remains current because, as we've said, that can, of course, help them look for alternative employment, but we also want to know that they stay up to date with key developments in the field.

Rob: Yeah, ISMPP certainly wants to make sure that anyone who wants to have this credential can have it. And we definitely seek to take barriers away if there are barriers in place to having the credential. 

Danita: Um, what I would add to Ann's comment is it definitely improves the convenience and accessibility of the exam. But we do caution candidates that if they choose this option, because this is a high stakes exam and people's careers and career growth depend on this, the security around the exam, especially in an online environment are pretty stringent. So although we're definitely excited to offer this option, um, we always urge candidates to familiarize themselves with the online procedures and rules because they do differ from those that occur in a test center.

Rob: Okay, this all sounds good. So it means that nowadays, I don't have to actually go to a testing center to take the exam. Does that mean I can just kind of hop on the couch in my living room and take the exam? 

Danita: Technically, not really, because anyone who's taken online exams in the past probably know that you usually have to be in, in our case, you have to be in a walled room. Your room is going to be completely inspected by the online proctors who will have you scan your room, usually with your cell phone. And show them every wall to make sure nothing's written on it, make sure your desktop is clear. When I took it, I was taking it to find out what the experience was like for our CMPPs, they made me show them under my desk. I mean, you cannot even have your cell phone on your desk. And if your cell phone rings, there are certain rules about how to handle that situation. No one can be heard talking, for example, or entering your room. So, yes, it's very convenient. You can take it at your home or office, but there are parameters about your environment. That is all spelled out in great detail in our handbook and in a letter, a confirmation letter, when you're approved to test for the exam, what things have to happen if you choose to take it online. 

Rob: Does that mean I have an online proctor, like, staring at me the whole time I'm taking the exam? Is there somebody watching me directly? Like, how does it feel? 

Danita: The proctors talk to you at the beginning of the exam and go through the, what they call the check in process to scan your environment, to validate your identity, that you are who you say you are. And then they are not on camera, but you are being watched by AI and by human proctors throughout the three hour duration of the exam. And if they see you, for example, move out of the webcam and they can't see your head and shoulders, for example, they will talk to you via your microphone and say, please put your head in the camera. Please don't do this. This could be a violation. And they will give you warnings of what you may be doing.

So if, for example, you're a candidate who does not want to be disturbed and does not want to be sitting tightly, not moving out of your webcam, the online exam might not be appropriate for you. However, a third of our candidates take the exam online every test window, and they are all successful in following the procedures and rules, and they are very complementary of the experience.

Rob: So, over the years, the certification program has certainly evolved, it's changed over time. But let's talk a little bit about how it's expanded and what it looks like from it's early days and how it looks now. 

Ann: Yeah, so I think one of the things that we, we should all, you know, take great heart from is the fact that the CMPP program and the credential celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, which is just all kudos to everybody involved from those very early days where only a few people have the credential to now, where we've got more than 1,650 CMPPs across more than 30 countries and spanning six continents. And that to me just highlights the real value that people see in the credential. And, you know, in 2024, we welcomed CMPPs from five new countries: Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, the United Arab Emirates. And in addition to just the expansion, we also welcomed 40 new CMPP mentors. And that means that we've now got 95 mentors in 12 countries. And I think that really shows how others want to support their colleagues obtain this credential and the value they gain from that. 

And in addition, there's obviously a greater number of global clinical studies and those increase year on year. So we have an ongoing need to ensure that local regions know about good publication practice and any international guidelines covering ethics and transparency. And all of that is covered by the CMPP credentials. 

Rob: And Haruko, you're with us from Japan. Would you agree with Ann's assessment of how the certification has been beneficial for our members in Asia?

Haruko: Yeah, with the increasing international clinical studies, it has become important to agree on the basic approach regarding publication plans and manuscripts. So I think, you know, not only publication professionals in Western countries, but also those in non native English speaking countries, as you said, like Asia, should understand the principle of international guidelines and ethics so far, so that regional authors can be supported. We have, the mentor program has experienced significant growth in the Asia Pacific region and 2024, we added 10 new mentors specifically in the APAC region, including China, Singapore, and India. This brings the total number of mentors in Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and India to 33. 

Rob: That's great. So the CMPP program has been around for quite some time. It's certainly grown and we've talked about the benefits and the value of the credential, but are there particular ways in which things we've put in place have made the program better over the course of time? 

Claudia: Well, Rob, I, I would say that it was a big deal when we launched the recertification program, which enabled everyone who was already credentialed to recertify using CE credits rather than retesting. Some people prefer studying and retesting every few years, but many people, myself included, would rather use continuing education, uh, credits to keep the credential. And our recertification program has evolved greatly throughout the years, and today it's more streamlined than ever. 

Ann: I think that the other one that I just like to call out is just how for people who would like to recertify by credit is just how the amount of self study, um, number of self study activities has just increased because we know that not everybody is able to attend one of the ISMPP live meetings. And I think, you know, the CMPP program and the committee involved in that has made huge inroads into making sure that as many of these self study activities are possible, so that even for folks not able to attend a live meeting, they can still recertify by credit. And there's some really fantastic resources there that I would encourage people to look at, even if you're not planning on recertifying by credit.

Danita: Yeah. Um, I think, within the last few years, the program has really tried to use evolving technology in particular. What I have started talking about is the CMPP experience. And I think the program has really begun to use technology to improve that experience. 

For example, in 2022, we replaced paper certificates with digital badges. And this was important because a digital badge is convenient, it's flexible. You can take your digital badge and post it in your signature on your CV or resume. And even many of our newly certified post it on LinkedIn showing their achievement. 

The other thing is we introduced Learning Builder, our new certification management platform. And this is a convenient place where all the CMPP’s information can be stored. So each CMPP has their own profile and account in Learning Builder where they can find all their CMPP information. They also have access to the mentor program, their recertification application, the credit tracking function. And we put everything in one place on Learning Builder to really make dealing with your CMPP and managing your certification convenient and easy. And one of the best things that Learning Builder is able to do for us, which many CMPPs have been asking for, is the ability to have a one click credit tracking process. So you can find your activity right in Learning Builder if you're recertifying via continuing education and with one click you enter it into your tracker.

The other even more exciting thing for the program is that for CPMPs who register, for example, an ISMPPU webinar, or attend a meeting session or several sessions at an ISMPPU meeting, such as our annual meeting, ISMPP Academy, the EU meeting, ISMPP can track the attendees of those sessions, and we now have the ability to upload all of a CMPP’s credits from that session or activity into their tracker and learning builder on their behalf. So theoretically, if you earn your continuing education to recertify by attending a meeting every year where you can earn more than the credits required per year of your cycle, you don't have to ever touch the credit tracker because ISMPP will be loading those credits for you on your behalf. All you have to do is submit your recertification application in the last year of your cycle.

Rob: Wow, well, gone are the days of just keeping track of those recertification credits on a post-it. And it sounds like ISMPP and the credentialing program itself has really taken some of the feedback and tried to make the user experience a better process for people and making it easier to get and maintain the credentials. So that's all great news to hear. 

If we took the same idea and started to think about how the field of medical publishing, medical communications, publications has evolved over time, would you say that it's accurate that the exam has changed? And if it has changed in what areas? Like, how is the exam flexible to the needs or the changes in the profession?

Danita: Yeah, well, we gather a group of subject matter experts on a yearly basis who work on exam questions, they’re called items in the exam development world. And not only does a CMPP have to know the basics, in terms of guidelines and how to be an ethical publication professional, they also have to keep up with what we call evolving trends in the industry. So, the exam also covers, for example, these days, patient involvement and engagement such as in the form of plain language summaries or plain language summary publications. It covers digital enhancements and extenders. And obviously we've incorporated the use of AI in publications as part of the content on the exam.

So we continue to ensure that our exam content does evolve with the industry. 

Rob: Terrific, terrific. So if I'm listening to the podcast here today and I'm on the fence, what would you say, Claudia, to me if I'm trying to decide between sitting for the exam, not sitting for the exam, what's your advice? 

Claudia: I would say that if you are working in the field of medical publications, and you are definitely committed to staying in that field, then you really need to do this. You need to do it for your own confidence level. You need to do it so that you can ensure that you stay abreast of everything that's going on in the field. I think it's very easy for all of us to get very busy with our day to day life and not stay, uh, involved in emerging trends and, and, uh, and, and I think by being a CMPP, it really does force you to do that and in a good way.

Um, so I would say if you're on the fence and you plan on being a publication professional, you need to do this for your own enhancement and your own development. 

Rob: So I'm a listener and I have been thoroughly convinced by the conversation we've been having here today that I do want to go ahead, I do want to get the credential, I do want to sit for the exam. But thinking about it, I know my boss doesn't know anything about this. My direct supervisor really is not an ISMPP person, they don't know about the value of the credential. Is there anything that you would say to me that I could say to my supervisor that would help them back me with this? 

Ann: Yeah, absolutely. So I think one of the key things that I would say to do is if you're thinking about this, but your employer is not aware of it, would be to direct them to the CMPP website. But it's more than that, you also want to bring it to life as well and hear somebody talk about the value of this. So I would suggest that you reach out to ISMPP directly and, um, invite somebody to just have a short meeting, even if it's just a 15 to 20 minute meeting with your boss to cover the value of the credential and what it actually means.

Rob: Well, that's us for today. Thank you all for listening. Please take a minute to subscribe to In Plain Cite on your favorite podcast app. Share with your colleagues and rate our show highly if you like what you heard today.

In Plain Cite is a production of ISMPP, the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals. 

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