Continuing Education

All orthopedic physician assistants must comply with the following continuing education rules as a prerequisite to licensure renewal. (1) Continuing Education - Hours Required (a) All orthopedic physician assistants must biennially complete sixty (60) hours of continuing medical education in courses approved by the A.M.A., N.B.C.O.P.A., or other associations approved by the Committee and Board. (b) The Committee approves a course for only the number of hours contained in the course. The approved hours of any individual course will not be counted more than once in a calendar year toward the required hourly total regardless of the number of times the course is attended or completed by any individual. (c) The committee may waive or otherwise modify the requirements of this rule in cases where there is retirement or an illness, disability or other undue hardship which prevents an orthopedic physician assistant from obtaining the requisite number of GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 1130-02 THE PRACTICE OF AN ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT continuing education hours required for renewal. Requests for waivers or modification must be sent in writing to the Committee prior to the expiration of the renewal period in which the continuing education is due. (2) Continuing Education - Proof of Compliance (a) The due date for completion of the required continuing education is the expiration date of the orthopedic physician assistant’s licensure renewal. (b) All orthopedic physician assistants must, on the licensure renewal form, enter a signature which indicates completion of the required continuing education hours and that such hours were obtained during the calendar years of report. (c) All orthopedic physician assistants must retain independent documentation of completion of all continuing education hours. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the renewal period in which the continuing education was acquired. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by the Committee during its verification process. This documentation must consist of one or more of the following: 1. Certificates verifying the licensed individual’s completion of the continuing education program(s). The certificates must include the following: Continuing education program’s sponsor, date, length in minutes awarded (continuing education units must be converted to clock hours), program title, licensed individual’s name, license number and social security number. 2. An original letter on official stationery from the continuing education program’s sponsor indicating date, length in minutes awarded (continuing education units must be converted to clock hours), program title, licensed individual’s name, license number and social security number. (d) If a person submits documentation for training that is not clearly identifiable as appropriate continuing education, the Committee will request a written description of the training and how it applies to the practice as an orthopedic physician assistant. If the Committee determines that the training cannot be considered appropriate continuing education, the individual will be given ninety (90) days to replace the hours not allowed. Those hours will be considered replacement hours and cannot be counted during the next renewal period. (3) Acceptable continuing education - To be utilized for satisfaction of the continuing education requirements of this rule, the continuing education program must be approved in content, structure and format by either the A.M.A., N.B.C.O.P.A., or other associations approved by the Committee and Board. (4) Violations (a) Any orthopedic physician assistant who falsely attests to completion of the required hours of continuing education may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to Rule 1130-02-.15. (b) Any orthopedic physician assistant who fails to obtain the required continuing education hours may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to Rule 1130-02-.15 and may not be allowed to renew licensure. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 1130-02 THE PRACTICE OF AN ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (c) Education hours obtained as a result of compliance with the terms of a Committee or Board order in any disciplinary action shall not be credited toward the continuing education hours required to be obtained in any renewal period.