Continuing Education Information

Continuing education is an essential verification that a Member has made efforts to enhance their skills/knowledge and remain current with the best practices in their field. The requirement for CE with the BCVTA is a minimum of ten (10) credits per year unless otherwise determined by your registration status see BCVTA Bylaw Article I: Membership. Documentation for CE activities must be retained by the Member, and uploaded to the CE section of the BCVTA website for auditing purposes.  As there are a variety of topics that can be used towards CE credits, it is up to the individual Member to contact the BCVTA Executive Director if there is any question as to the validity of the CE.  Failure to maintain appropriate CE credits may affect registration status. Many avenues for CE will specify the number of CE credits their course or conference is worth. If a specific number of credits is indicated, that will be the number that is accepted by the BCVTA.  For those learning opportunities that do not specify number of credits obtained, credits will be calculated at the following rate 1 hour = 1 credit *please see below as some categories have a maximum credit limit per year If a member obtains more than 10 CE credits in one year, the extra credits (max 10 credits) can be rolled over into the following year.  CE credits can only be rolled over once. Ex: you obtain 30 CE credits in 2018. 10 credits apply to 2018, 10 credits roll over to 2019, no credits roll over into 2020. CE courses/programming should optimally:

• Address regional and contemporary needs of RVTs;
• Be educational and relevant to the  Member’s area of professional activity, including activities that stimulate the development of non-technical professional skills (eg. practice management, self-care, compassion fatigue prevention, ethics, critical thinking, communication, mindfulness);
• Identify specific learning outcomes;
• Be provided by instructors trained in teaching methodology and/or mentoring;
• Include a process to evaluate or assess the knowledge, skills, or learning outcomes attained;
• Provide documentation of satisfactory completion and,
• Be re-evaluated periodically to ensure content and delivery methods remain relevant.

The following list contains examples of activities that can qualify for CE credits.  *For CE that is not featured on this list, please see CE evaluation form. For those learning opportunities that do not specify number of credits obtained, credits will be calculated at the following rate 1 hour = 1 credit *please see below as some categories have a maximum credit limit per year

• Conference/Workshop/Seminar Attendance
• RACE approved courses
• Presenter/speaker/workshop facilitator *please note, prep time does not count toward CE hours. Only actual presentation time will be accepted.
• Webinars
• In-Clinic Training (ex. Lunch & Learn with sales rep.  Please note, “on the job training” does not count towards CE credits) *maximum 3 credits per year
• Specialty certification completion *20 credits at time of completion
• BCVTA AGM* 1 credit per year
• BCVTA (or other RVT/animal health organization) Committee Member *1 credit per committee to a maximum of 5 credits
• BCVTA, RVTTC, NAVTA, VHMA, or other animal related professional organization, Executive Board Service *5 credits per year for board(s) service
• Member in good standing with an animal related professional organization other than BCVTA or RVTTC (ex. CALAS, CAZA, AZVT) *1 credit per year
• Outreach (Manning a booth for BCVTA etc. at conference/job fair etc.) *1 credit per outreach event, maximum 3 credits per year.  Please note, prep time does not count toward CE hours. Only actual presentation time will be accepted.
• Volunteering with a recognized animal welfare organization (ex. BC SPCA, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.) *1 credit per event to a maximum of 5 credits per year.  Volunteering credits do not roll over to the following year.
• WHMIS *maximum 2 credits
• CPR/First Aid
• Chainsaw Safety
• Radiation Safety
• Biosafety
• ATV Ticket

Activities that meet the stated criteria (above), but do not appear on this list may be eligible for CE credits.  For concerns about CE validity please fill out the application form online and submit to moc.liamgnull@draobatvcb. You may be required to submit additional information to the BCVTA to support your reasoning for including certain events/activities as valid CE; please keep all information regarding your CE accumulation for at least 4 years. The BCVTA performs yearly audits on 10% of Members to ensure validity of reported CE. Download Application for BCVTA Alternate CE Acceptance

PROTOCOL FOR ASSESSING CE EVENT/SPEAKERS/PRESENTERS

The AAVSB and RACE credits are synonymous and are a trusted source for most of our present CE events. At the BCVTA, we believe that by following their guidelines for presenter qualifications we will be able to comfortably assure the integrity of the CE credits issued to our members. The following guidelines are taken from the AAVSB Standards of Continuing Veterinary Medical Education document. http://www.aavsb.org/RACE/Standards/ Veterinary Technologist has been added to the guidelines to reflect Canadian Terminology.

PRESENTER QUALIFICATIONS

GENERAL

EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR PRESENTERS

• Presenters for a particular continuing education Program shall be competent in the subject matter and qualified by experience.
• In general, presenters for a given topic should have at least the same level of education or higher as the individuals to whom the Program is to be presented. (ie: a Program for Animal Health Technologists/Veterinary Technicians should be presented by an individual holding at least a degree or diploma from an AVMA/CVMA accredited animal health technology/veterinary technician program or greater).
• Presenters who do not meet this minimum Standard will be required to submit reference letters from such individuals to support their ability to present the content requested

QUALIFIED PRESENTERS FOR:

a) Scientific/Clinical Programs for Animal Health Technologists/Veterinary Technicians shall:

• Hold the minimum of a DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA/CVMA accredited veterinary school/college, OR
• Be a member of the faculty of an AVMA/CVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine, OR
• Hold the minimum of a degree or diploma from an AVMA/CVMA accredited animal health technology/veterinary technician program OR be a registered or licensed/credentialed animal health technologist/veterinary technician AND
• Present evidence of special education or training in the subject area to be presented.

a) Non-Scientific Programs:  Programs that are non-scientific in subject matter, such as Practice Management and Professional Development shall be presented by certified veterinary practice managers (CVPM) or individuals who can provide evidence of sufficient education and special knowledge in the subject matter. If not a CVPM, the following qualifications should be met:

• Have three (3) years of practice management or other applicable experience, and/or
• Provide documentation which demonstrates 18 hours of practice management or other applicable continuing education courses, and or,
• Provide three (3) letters of recommendation from a CVPM or other individual qualified in the field (MBA or higher) which attests to the presenter’s ability to provide quality continuing education courses.

a) Commercial/Promotional/ Programs:

• Presenters of Programs which are promotional in nature that provide scientific content shall meet the same educational and experience criteria as for other Scientific/Clinical Subject Matter programs.
• No program that is primarily promotional in nature, regardless of subject material, will be acceptable.