The impending CEIP Requirement from the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) for Oncology Data Specialists (ODS) seems to support a convoluted system that places undue stress on professionals juggling career and personal responsibilities. Behind the professional in this field, there often stands a dedicated parent to children, a compassionate caretaker to elderlies, or simply an individual trying to balance work with life. Mandating in-person education is unfairly burdensome.

Starting 2025, the NCRA requires ODS-Certified Professionals to comply with this guideline, securing at minimum 8 CE-credits of in-person training every four years. This impacts thousands of professionals whose certificates may face revocation upon non-compliance. Networking should not be compulsory within education, it should instead be a choice. Nothing in the description of our credentials or job duties mention networking. It is unfair to impose unnecessary financial strains on professionals who are already performing multifaceted roles in life.

I urge the NCRA to reconsider this new requirement, to keep in mind the financial and personal implications it poses on individuals in this profession. Allow for flexibility within the educational structure and remember the essence - facilitating learning and enhancing professional skills, not creating additional obstacles in life. Voice your opposition to the in-person CEIP requirement, by signing this petition today.