To begin the certification process applicants must be a physician medical director at a long-term care facility, and have completed a post-graduate training program accredited by the U.S.
Certification is earned with competence in clinical medicine and medical management in long-term care, after completing educational requirements.
[3] Continuing medical education in both clinical and leadership areas is a requirement to retain certification, as well as to recertify in the future.
The AMDCP was started in 1991, following the release of Role and Responsibilities of the Medical Director in the Nursing Home, a document supported by the AMDA's House of Delegates.
Credentials of a Certified Medical Director include efficiently acting in clinical and managerial roles while overseeing the long-term care interdisciplinary team.