A Reciprocal Agreement Between NBRC and SSRC

The Saudi Society for Respiratory Care’s Credentialing Exam is to be Considered Equivalent to the National Board of Respiratory Care’s Credentialing Exam.The National Board of Respiratory Care and the Saudi Society for Respiratory Care have come to a mutual agreement that states that Individuals who pass the Saudi respiratory board exam will be recognized as holding equivalent credentials as those who have passed the NBRC’s exam. The NBRC has recognized the SSRC as a competent body capable of evaluating the professional competences of Respiratory Care practitioners and awarding them the deserved credentials.Dr.Gazi Al-Otaibi president of the SSRC and Dean of the College of Applied Medical Sciences at Dammam University made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the Saudi Society for Respiratory Care’s fourth Scientific Conference held on 24-May-2011 at Dammam University.The surprise announcement was highly received by the audience and the whole of the respiratory care community. This announcement has been highly anticipated by all Saudi RTs.This recognition gives all Saudi RTs a great since of pride and finally provides the Respiratory Care community a way of testing the competencies of the work force, establishing standards to credential practitioners and setting a standard level of competency that must be achieved by the professional RT . As well as creating an opportunity for mutual collaboration between the two societies and opening many doors for continuing education for prospective students who now have a greater choice of schools for higher education to choose from, while in the past the choices were limited due to the fact that most post graduate programs in Respiratory Care in north America require the applicant to have RRT as a prerequisite. This historical event is what many at the SSRC have been working hard to achieve and many steps have taken place in preparation for this announcement including the visit of the NBRC to Saudi Arabia during Jan 2011. The visit included a tour by the NBRC to many facilities around the country and awarding the SSRC an international plaque of recognition.The announcement was a joyous and emotional moment that will be remembered by all who witness it. The happiness could be heard throughout the conference hall while the audience clapped and cheered after hearing what they have been waiting to hear for years.After the ceremony Dr.Gazi said, “The best thing about the timing of the announcement is that we were able to keep it a secret until this time and surprise everyone with this good news during the ceremony”.The SSRC has not yet announced when the Saudi Respiratory Care board exam will be available but the society is working hard on finalizing the details of the agreement