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Certification · Established 2014

The Clinical Phototherapy Practice Certification.

Issued by the Medical Light Association, the CPPC is the only internationally recognized credential standardizing clinical light-medicine practice across forty-seven countries — held today by 6,200+ dermatologists, wound-care clinicians, and biomedical researchers.

Apply for Membership Verify a credentialed practitioner →
  • 6,200+Active credential holders
  • 47Countries represented
  • 14Active clinical practice guidelines
A clinician calibrates a handheld phototherapy device during a clinical examination.

The Pathway

Four steps from applicant to certified clinical phototherapy practitioner.

The CPPC is a structured, peer-reviewed credential built for licensed clinicians with active patient responsibility. Each stage is administered by the MLA's Standards & Compliance Council in coordination with the Journal of Medical Phototherapy editorial board.

  1. 01

    Eligibility

    Confirm clinical standing.

    Candidates must hold an active MD, DO, NP, PA, or equivalent clinical license and demonstrate twelve months of documented phototherapy case exposure. International applicants submit credentials through the MLA's equivalency desk for credential review.

    • Active clinical license in jurisdiction of practice
    • ≥12 months phototherapy case log
    • Sponsorship from one active CPPC or MLA Fellow
  2. 02

    Curriculum

    Complete the 86-hour modular curriculum.

    Self-directed and instructor-led modules cover dosimetry, PBM mechanism, photodynamic therapy, UV-based modalities, device selection, and adverse-event reporting. Delivered through the MLA learning portal with quarterly cohort intakes.

    • Six core domains, 86 CME hours
    • Quarterly cohort enrollment
    • Case-portfolio requirement (minimum 40 logged cases)
  3. 03

    Examination

    Sit the proctored written and practical exam.

    The CPPC examination is administered twice yearly at accredited testing centers across 22 cities and via secure remote proctoring. The 240-question written component is paired with a 90-minute practical assessment on calibrated equipment.

    • 240-question proctored written component
    • 90-minute practical assessment
    • 22 testing cities, plus remote proctoring
  4. 04

    Active Credential

    Maintain the credential through annual reporting.

    Successful candidates are listed in the public CPPC Directory and issued a five-year credential. Maintenance requires 30 CME hours per cycle, an annual practice attestation, and adherence to the MLA Code of Phototherapy Ethics.

    • Listed in the public CPPC Directory
    • Five-year credential term
    • 30 CME hours per renewal cycle
Begin your candidacy

Candidates must hold active MLA membership before submitting a CPPC application.

Examination Blueprint

Six competency domains, weighted across the 240-question examination.

The CPPC examination is rebuilt each cycle against the current MLA Phototherapy Clinical Guidelines. The 2024 blueprint reflects a 5x growth in published photobiomodulation literature over the past decade — and the resulting demand for clinicians who can apply it at the bedside.

22%

Dosimetry & Treatment Parameters

Fluence, irradiance, exposure time, wavelength selection, and pulsed-versus-continuous delivery — calibrated against the 14 MLA Clinical Practice Guidelines.

19%

Mechanism & Photobiomodulation

Mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase response, ATP kinetics, cellular signaling cascades, and the dose-biphasic response curve across tissue types.

17%

UV-B & Photodynamic Therapy

Narrowband and broadband UV-B protocols, psoralen-UVA, topical and systemic photosensitizers, and oncologic PDT applications.

15%

Wound Care & Dermatology Indications

Diabetic ulcers, venous and pressure injuries, psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and acne — referenced in 19,400+ PubMed-indexed papers.

14%

Device Selection & Calibration

Device review status against the MLA Standards & Compliance Council's 480+ reviewed phototherapy systems and FDA 510(k) / EU MDR submission readiness.

13%

Safety, Adverse Events & Ethics

Reporting into the MLA adverse-event registry (312,000+ tracked patient outcomes since 2016), contraindication screening, and the MLA Code of Ethics.

Editorial line-art illustration of the phototherapy light spectrum used in the CPPC examination blueprint.

The Public Directory

6,200+ active CPPC holders across 47 countries — verified through the public practitioner directory.

The MLA maintains the field's only searchable international registry of credentialed clinical phototherapy practitioners. Department chairs, hospital procurement committees, and referring physicians query the directory to verify a clinician's standing before scheduling a patient referral or credentialing committee review.

6,200+

Active CPPC credential holders

Across 47 countries on six continents

47

Countries represented

Largest cohorts: United States, Germany, Japan, Brazil, United Kingdom

480+

Devices reviewed by the Standards Council

For FDA 510(k) and EU MDR submission readiness

312,000+

Outcomes tracked in the adverse-event registry

Since 2016, the field's largest outcomes database

Verify a colleague

Search the public CPPC practitioner directory.

Hospital credentialing committees, referring physicians, and procurement directors use the directory to confirm a clinician's CPPC standing before scheduling a referral or approving a device procurement. Directory listings are updated nightly from the MLA credentialing database.

Before You Apply

Questions clinicians and department leads ask before applying for the CPPC.

Is the CPPC accepted by the American Academy of Dermatology and the European Society for Photobiology?

Yes. The CPPC is endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology, the European Society for Photobiology, and the International Photodynamic Association. The credential is referenced in AAD, NHS, and WHO dermatology and wound-care policy documents as the field's primary practitioner certification.

Do I need to be an MLA member before sitting the CPPC examination?

Yes. Active MLA membership is a prerequisite for CPPC candidacy. Membership funds the Standards & Compliance Council, the adverse-event registry, and the Journal of Medical Phototherapy — the infrastructure that gives the credential its evidentiary weight. Most candidates apply for membership first and submit their CPPC candidacy packet in the same quarter.

How does the CPPC differ from a device-manufacturer training certificate?

Manufacturer certificates attest that a clinician completed a vendor's training on a specific device. The CPPC certifies the clinician themselves — across dosimetry, mechanism, six core competency domains, and a peer-reviewed examination — independent of any device or vendor. The credential is portable across institutions, devices, and countries.

What does the CPPC pathway cost, and is there an institutional rate?

Individual candidacy fees are itemized on the MLA membership portal and include the curriculum, two examination sittings, and the first five-year credential term. Institutional members (240+ currently) receive cohort pricing for department-wide certification programs and access to the MLA Photomedicine Fellowship faculty network, which spans 22 academic medical centers including Mayo Clinic, Charité, and Johns Hopkins.

Next Step · Membership

Begin your CPPC candidacy.

Apply for MLA membership to unlock the certification track, the curriculum portal, and the public CPPC directory listing on completion. The Medical Light Association is the only international, clinician-led body dedicated to standardizing evidence-based phototherapy protocols — and to translating peer-reviewed light-medicine research into bedside practice.

Apply for Membership About the MLA
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Telephone
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Office
2120 Beacon Street, Suite 4B, Boston, MA 02146