Continuing Education

The first continuing education period shall begin after the licensee has renewed his or her license for the first time. Continuing education is not required during the initial license period.

Renewal Requirements

To renew an orthotist or prosthetist license, a licensee must complete the following required continuing education:

Acceptable Activities

Continuing education hours must be directly related to prosthetics, orthotics, physical or occupational therapy, orthopedic, podiatric, pedorthic, physical medicine or other subjects approved by the department.

At least 50% of the total hours of continuing education required must be live, instructor-directed activities. Live, interactive, online events such as remote conferences or webinars fulfill this requirement. In-person attendance is not required. Recordings of these events would not be considered live. The other fifty percent or less may be self-directed study.

Continuing education credits must be offered or approved by a state, regional or national prosthetic or orthotic, or allied health organization or offered by a regional accredited college or university. Continuing education undertaken by a licensee shall be acceptable if the licensee attends and participates in an activity in the following categories:

1. Academic courses
2. Clinical courses
3. In-service educational programs, training programs, institutes, seminars, workshops, and conferences
4. Self-study modules (^{See Note 1, Note 2})
5. Distance learning activities, audiovisual teleconferences, and interactive computer generated learning activities ¹
6. Instructing or presenting in activities listed in items 1-3, above (^{See Note 3})
7. Publishing a book or article applicable to the practice of prosthetics or orthotics

Notes:

1. Acceptable if a post-test is required, completed and passed.

2. The number of hours completed must not exceed 50% of the credits required.

3. Multiple presentations of the same program or equivalent programs may only be counted once during a continuing education period.

Unacceptable Activities

Activities unacceptable as continuing education for which the department may not grant continuing education credit are:

• Education incidental to the licensee's regular professional activities, such as learning occurring from experience or research
• Professional organization activity, such as serving on boards, committees or councils or as an officer
• Continuing education activities completed before the renewal period
• Performance of duties that are routine job duties or requirements

Determination of Credits

For seminars, lectures, presentations, symposia, workshops, conferences and similar activities, 50 minutes shall be considered as one credit hour.

Course work completed at or through an accredited college or university shall be credited based on eight credits for each semester hour completed for credit. Continuing education credit will be granted for a grade of C or better for the continuing education period in which the course is completed.

For publishing articles, 4 credits will be granted, and 8 credits will be granted for writing a book. The hours may only be used in the continuing education period in which the book or article was published. Multiple publications of the same article or an equivalent article may only be counted once during a continuing education period. Publications may account for 25% or less of the required credit.

Exemptions

You may be exempt from the continuing education requirement if, during the 2 year cycle prior to your license expiration date, you can submit documentation of either of the following:

• You suffered an illness or disability (mental or physical) that prevented you from meeting the continuing education requirements.
• You suffered a catastrophic event, such as a flood, fire, tornado or hurricane that prevented you from meeting the continuing education requirements.

Licensees employed as faculty in CAAHEP accredited programs or in programs having educational standards equal to or greater than CAAHEP in prosthetics and orthotics shall be exempt from 50% of the continuing education requirements in this section.

Reporting of Continuing Education

At the time of license renewal, licensees shall file a continuing education report on a department-approved form.

You are responsible for maintaining a record of your continuing education experiences or certificates until the next renewal is completed.

The Department will select a random sample of license holders for each renewal month. If selected for an audit, you will be notified at the time you receive your renewal notice. During an audit, you will be required to submit copies of certificates, transcripts or other documentation to verify your attendance, participation and completion of continuing education requirements.