Over 9,000 cancer registry professionals have earned the ODS credential since it was first offered in 1983. Today, there are over 6,000 active ODS-certified professionals worldwide.
Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) Credential
The ODS credential demonstrates a requisite knowledge and professional competence needed within the cancer registry. It promotes excellence in the cancer registry field by:
- Establishing a standard of knowledge and experience required for professional registry practice.
- Promoting professional growth and individual study by cancer registrars to attain and maintain the ODS credential.
- Assisting employers, members of allied-health professions, and the public in the assessment of cancer registrars.
Value of the ODS Credential
- Recognized internationally in the recruitment and retention of cancer registry personnel.
- Validates competence to practice in the cancer registry.
- Demonstrates commitment to the cancer registry profession.
- Required continuing education ensures ODS-certified registrars are current with changes in cancer screening, diagnosis, staging, and treatment.
- Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited facilities require an ODS-certified registrar to be a member of the cancer committee (Standard 2.1).
- CoC-accredited facilities require case abstracting to be performed by an ODS-certified registrar (Standard 4.3).
- NCRA’s Salary and Compensation Considerations for Cancer Registrars reports ODS-certified cancer registrars earn $25,000 more than non-credentialed cancer registrars.