The purpose of staying certified contributes to professional development by certificants to stay current in the field and enhance their knowledge and skills through participating in continuing education. The AMCA and subject matter experts attempt to stay abreast of current events affecting the profession so therefore they review continuing education credits based on current events, industry mandates and relevance to the field.
The two-year time period also contributes to professional development because it:
The allied healthcare fields are in constant change and all healthcare professionals must stay current with those changes. Education taken outside of the AMCA or through the AMCA are both convenient ways to keep certification current. The AMCA certification is good for 2 years from the date of testing or on 18th birthday. The AMCA requires 10 continuing education credits every two years to keep certification current. Policies for Continuing Education are established by the AMCA Certification Board. For example, if a candidate tests in February 2017 their certification is valid for 2 years – February 2019.
The requirement for 10 continuing education credits ensures certificants complete learning activities that provide multiple opportunities to enhance existing knowledge and provide exposure to new and emerging practice information. The job analysis and a competitive review of other healthcare certifications are utilized to inform the Certification Board’s decision regarding total CE hours.
The AMCA offers the following two options for fulfilling continuing education credits.
Continuing Education through the AMCA
AMCA offers continuing education volumes each worth 5 CE credits each that can be completed online for $79.00. This means that two volumes would need to be submitted to recertify and meet the 10 CE credit requirement. The AMCA also offers Career Advancement Home Study Certificate Programs worth 10 CE credits that can be completed and submitted to recertify. AMCA Home Study Certificate Programs are $158.00.
Continuing Education through Outside Credits
Outside education/credits are accepted, however they require the submission of a certificate of completion indicating the candidate’s name, number of hours attended, date of attendance and the title of the course taken. Outside credits are reviewed based on current events, industry trends and relevance to the allied health industry. If the outside credits are deemed relevant, the equivalency is 1 hour = 1 credit. All outside credits are reviewed by the Compliance Department. Outside credits are accepted at $11.00 per credit hour.
Upon submission of recertification, all certificants must agree to the Recertification Agreementwhich states:
By completing and submitting this form, I agree to the following:
The AMCA will process all CE orders within 10 business days and you will receive an email confirming receipt of your order/payment. New certification card(s) will only be issued after 10 continuing education credits are completed.
