If you are registered in the Dutch GCP-WMO register, you know your certification is time-limited. Three years after you pass the GCP exam, your registration expires, and you need recognized re-certification training to stay on the register. At the same time, finding a long, uninterrupted block in a clinical or research schedule is rarely realistic.
GCP Central has redesigned its GCP-WMO Re-certification course with that reality in mind. The new version keeps full alignment with the requirements of the GCP-WMO register, is updated to ICH GCP E6(R3), and can be completed in approximately three hours. This article outlines how re-certification works in practice, what happens with EMWO after you finish the course, and what has changed in the training itself.
How GCP-WMO re-certification works
Your entry in the GCP-WMO register is linked to the date you pass the GCP exam. From that moment, your registration is valid for three years. After three years, it expires. To remain listed, you need to complete recognized GCP-WMO re-certification training within that period. When you do, your registration is extended for another three years.
The GCP-WMO Re-certification training from GCP Central meets all requirements for re-certification in the GCP-WMO register. Successful completion of the course is sufficient to renew your registration; you do not need additional or separate GCP-WMO training for this purpose.
What happens after you complete the course
Once you complete the re-certification training, a clear process is set in motion. Each month, GCP Central submits an overview of all completed GCP-WMO re-certifications to the national examination committee, EMWO. EMWO verifies these data and extends the corresponding entries in the GCP-WMO register by three years.
When your registration has been renewed, you receive a confirmation of your re-certification from EMWO. This confirmation is sent to your myGCP email address. There is no need for you to send certificates or forms yourself. Completing the training is the trigger for your re-certificationto be processed.
What has changed in the GCP-WMO re-certification course
The most visible change in the renewed course is the duration. The previous version took around eight to eight and a half hours to complete. The updated training can now be finished in about three hours, without losing the depth required for re-certification.
The course is delivered online via the myGCP platform. You decide when you work on it. You can start, pause and resume at any point, and your progress is stored at the last completed learning activity. This makes it feasible to fit re-certification around ward rounds, consultations, study visits or sponsor responsibilities.
Content has been restructured so that it supports direct application in WMO-governed research. Rather than repeating only the core principles you already know, the training highlights what is new or sharpened and how this influences your daily practice.
Key characteristics of the renewed course include:
- Duration reduced from approximately 8.5 hours to a maximum of 3 hours
- Fully updated to ICH GCP E6(R3)
- Online, self-paced delivery with saved progress
- Designed specifically for re-certification in the GCP-WMO register
At the end of the course, you will find a concise summary that functions as a reference document. You can return to this overview when preparing a new study, addressing protocol changes or responding to questions during audits and inspections.
Updated to ICH GCP E6(R3)
Regulatory guidance continues to evolve, and GCP training needs to keep pace. The renewed GCP-WMO Re-certification course is fully updated to the ICH GCP E6(R3) guideline. This ensures that you are not only renewing your position in the GCP-WMO register, but also aligning your knowledge with the latest international expectations for good clinical practice.
The training addresses where E6(R3) brings additional emphasis or clarification and translates this into the context of Dutch medical scientific research under the WMO. This helps you identify where current processes remain adequate and where adjustments may be needed in study design, oversight, documentation or participant safety management.
More than a formality: learning from real cases
The course is intentionally not designed as a minimal tick-box exercise. Its focus is on continuous learning and on connecting regulatory requirements to the reality of running and supporting clinical studies.
Throughout the training, you move through a mix of formats, including text, infographics, interactive learning activities and video. Almost fifty cases are discussed, based on realistic scenarios from both trial sites and sponsor environments. These cases address issues such as protocol deviations, informed consent, safety reporting, documentation gaps and communication with monitors and inspectors.
The case-based approach encourages you to reflect on how similar situations are currently handled in your own studies and where there may be room for improvement. It is aimed at experienced investigators and research staff, as well as colleagues who are taking on broader responsibilities and want to consolidate their understanding of GCP.
Developed with experts from the field
The renewed GCP-WMO Re-certification course has been developed together with clinical research experts Viviënne van de Walle and Tanja Hoffman. Both work actively in the field and bring practical experience into the training. Their involvement helps to ensure that the content remains close to daily practice, with examples and dilemmas that will be recognizable to investigators, research nurses, coordinators and sponsor representatives in the Dutch setting.
Recognitions and accreditation
The GCP-WMO Re-certification training is TransCelerate recognized. In addition, accreditation applications have been submitted to GAIA, VSR and V&VN. For many professionals, this means the course can contribute not only to maintaining GCP-WMO registration, but also to broader professional development or re-certification requirements, depending on role and professional body.
The course itself is offered in Dutch and uses terminology, examples and case material that match the Dutch regulatory context and working environment.
What this means for you and your team
For investigators and research staff working under the WMO, the updated GCP-WMO Re-certification course offers a practical way to maintain certification without losing focus on study quality. You extend your registration in the GCP-WMO register for another three years, align your knowledge with ICH GCP E6(R3), and revisit issues that regularly surface during monitoring visits, audits and inspections.
For research organizations and sponsors, the shorter, flexible format reduces disruption to patient care and study operations, while maintaining a consistent GCP knowledge base across teams.
If your GCP-WMO registration is approaching the three-year mark, this renewed course provides a focused, practice-oriented route to re-certification. In a limited number of hours, you secure your place in the GCP-WMO register and return to your studies with refreshed, guideline-aligned insight.
Take a look at the renewed GCP-WMO Re-certification training here.
