Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 700-7-.03 - Continuing Veterinary Education
The Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine in accordance with the provisions of State Law and for the purpose of establishing certain minimum standards for continuing education in the best interest of and for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare hereby adopts the following rule:
(a) General Requirements:
1. Each veterinarian and veterinary faculty
member licensed to practice in the State of Georgia must obtain thirty (30)
hours of Board approved continuing education per biennium for license renewal.
(i) Of the thirty (30) hours required, two
(2) per renewal period must be acquired in Georgia laws, rules and
professionalism, which may be acquired in person or by live, interactive
webinars that include measures to ensure active participation throughout the
course. Georgia licensees who do not practice in the State of Georgia are not
required to meet the two (2) hour requirement in Georgia laws, rules and
professionalism; and
(ii) Eighteen
(18) of the thirty (30) hours must include scientific subject matter.
Scientific subject matter includes all conventional medical and surgical
sub-categories that are evidence based in addition to the science of diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of disease as it relates directly to patients and
includes a comprehensive range of the practice of veterinary
medicine.
2. At the time
of license renewal, each veterinarian shall certify to the Georgia State Board
of Veterinary Medicine that he/she has completed the continuing education
required for license renewal.
3.
Veterinarians and veterinary faculty member licensed during the first year of a
biennium must obtain fifteen (15) hours of continuing education and is not
required to meet the two (2) hour requirement in Georgia laws, rules and
professionalism. Veterinarians and veterinary faculty members licensed during
the second year of a biennium is exempt from obtaining continuing education for
that renewal period. After this time period, the entire thirty (30) hours is
required for each renewal.
4. In
the event that a veterinarian or a veterinary faculty member fails to verify or
submit documentation of continuing education credits at the same time of
renewal of his/her license, the Board will not process his/her renewal until
continuing education requirements have been met and proof of such has been
received and approved by the Board.
5. If documentation of continuing education
is requested in conjunction with any audit and not received by the Board on or
before the deadline date provided, the licensee will be subject to disciplinary
action.
6. A veterinarian or
veterinary faculty member may not carry over continuing education credits from
one biennium license renewal period to the next.
7. Each veterinarian or veterinary faculty
member must maintain a record of credit hours earned and proof of attendance of
such hours for a period of three years from the date of the preceding renewal
period and must provide the Board with said documentation upon
request.
8. Veterinarians or
veterinary faculty members who attend programs where more than one course is
taught must maintain proof of the courses attended and the number of hours
awarded for each course.
(b) Approved Continuing Education Programs
and Hours:
1. Blanket approval is awarded to
any National, State and International veterinary association meetings, United
States Department of Agriculture and Georgia Department of Agriculture
sponsored meeting, Board Certified Specialties programs recognized by the
American Veterinary Medical Association, all AVMA accredited veterinary college
or school sponsored classes and programs, all AAVSB RACE approved programs, any
GVMA constituent organization programs, AAHA programs, programs sponsored by
the United States or Southern Animal Health Association and any course approved
by another state board.
2. Blanket
approval does not apply to any continuing education programs on Georgia laws,
rules and professionalism (LEAP). All LEAP courses and any other (non-LEAP)
continuing education course which is not offered by a blanket approved
organization must be awarded Board approval before the course is
offered.
3. Providers may be
awarded Board approval for a continuing education course by submitting the
following for consideration by the Board:
(i)
A continuing education application form;
(ii) A detailed course outline or
syllabus;
(iii) A current
curriculum vitae or resume must be provided for each speaker or
lecturer;
(iv) The procedure to be
used for recording attendance; and,
(v) The number of continuing education hours
for which the course sponsor requests approval.
4. In addition to the LEAP requirements, the
remaining credit hours may be earned as follows:
(i) One (1) hour may be given for each 50
minutes of contact time. Seminars are composed of lectures or labs; welcoming
remarks, business sessions, unstructured demonstrations or degree programs are
not considered seminars.
(ii) Three
(3) hours can be for journal studies where follow-up testing is required.
Fifteen (15) hours of interactive computer generated courses will be allowed.
Follow-up testing is required.
(iii) A maximum of twelve (12) hours will be
allowed per calendar day.
(iv) A
maximum of six (6) hours for veterinarians can be acquired through in house
training at the licensees' place of employment.
(v) A maximum of ten (10) hours can be
acquired through in house training for veterinary faculty at AVMA accredited
institutions. For the purposes of this rule, "in house training" refers to
programs that are only offered to employees of the institution.
(vi) A maximum of three (3) hours can be
acquired by licensees who conducted peer reviews for the Board.
(vii) Two (2) hours of continuing education
credit per lecture for a subject area, regardless of the number of times the
licensee presents the course, for a maximum of five different
subjects.
(c)
Continuing Education Audit:
1. During the
renewal period, the Board staff will randomly select a percentage of its
licensees to audit for continuing education compliance.
2. If selected for continuing education
audit, each licensee must submit continuing education records to meet the
renewal requirements for that license renewal period.
(d) Provider and Sponsor Criteria: All
providers and sponsors must provide the following information to the Board if
they have not been awarded blanket approval:
1. Each sponsor or provider shall have an
administrator whose responsibility is to maintain the criteria for quality in
programming.
2. Providers shall use
qualified personnel to develop and present the programs, which shall utilize
appropriate instructional materials and resources.
3. Providers shall provide to the Board
adequate advanced promotional information, material about target audiences,
program content, faculty credentials and fees.
4. Providers shall provide a means of
registration of the participants at each program and maintain a record of
attendance for a period of three years from the date of the program.
5. Providers shall develop policies and
procedures for the management of grievances.
6. Providers shall provide each participant
with adequate documentation of his/her successful completion of the program.
The documentation shall include:
(i) Name and
license number of participant;
(ii)
Name of provider;
(iii) Name and
title of program to include the date and time each individual course was
offered;
(iv) Hours/CEU's
completed;
(v) Date of completion;
and
(vi) Authorizing
signature.
7. All
continuing education providers seeking approval of the continuing education
program by the Georgia State Board of Veterinary shall submit a current Program
Approval Form for each program presented to include all program materials
requested. These forms must be complete and should be submitted 60 days in
advance in order to be considered by the Board.
Notes
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