The healthcare professional development landscape can be challenging terrain. With multiple offerings of certificates and certifications, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two, to determine which is right for you and your organization, and to create your professional development plan.
Let me start by saying that once you know the characteristics that separate a certificate from a certification, it becomes much easier to navigate all the resources out there. By becoming a savvy consumer, you will be able to tell if a certificate program is inappropriately calling itself a certification (yes, these programs do exist out there). You will also be able to understand how both certifications and certificates are instrumental in creating your personal professional development plan. One certificate or certification does not equal a development plan—instead, think of utilizing these resources over multiple years to create and illustrate your learning and expertise.
