5 Easy Ways To Make Progress Towards Your Renewals
Like many genetic counselors, I’m a very busy person. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, so non-urgent things usually get put-off for another day. Making progress towards my certification and license renewals is one of those things that usually doesn’t get done until it absolutely has to. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are 5 easy things you can do to make real progress towards your renewals.
1. Review your renewal requirements
It often takes more than just CEUs to renew a genetic counseling license. Some states have special courses that must be taken by an approved provider. Others require things like a passport photo or proof of liability insurance. Realizing you’ve forgotten a renewal requirement when your deadline is approaching can throw you into a panic. Take a few minutes to read over your requirements at least once a year to avoid last minute surprises.
2. Calculate how many CEUs you need per year
Looking at the total number of contact hours you’ll need over 5 or 10 years can be daunting. Divide that number up by the number of years you have left to make that number more manageable. If you’re licensed in multiple states, you’ll need to make sure you’re earning enough CEUs per year to satisfy the most strict renewal you have.
3. Make a plan for the year ahead
Once you know how many CEUs you need, you can make a plan to earn them. Conferences are great for earning contact hours, but they aren’t the only way. Check out NSGC’s online course offerings, or see if your institution offers any CEU or CME courses. Genetic labs or other companies sometimes offer free webinars that you can claim for credit. Put your planned courses on your calendar so you don’t end up cramming them all in at the last minute.
4. Submit your non-NSGC approved courses and PAC activities
If the hospital or institution where you work offers free CME or CEU courses, take advantage. Many hospitals have Grand Rounds or other educational sessions that are directed towards MDs or other medical professionals. Just because they aren’t approved by NSGC doesn’t mean you can’t use them. As long as the topic is relevant to genetic counseling (and many are), you can submit the course as a Category 2 CEU. You must submit within 3 months to get credit, so don’t wait and let them go to waste. And don’t forget about Professional Activity Credits. While some states don’t allow them for license renewals, ABGC still accepts several activities for certification renewals.
5. Log and organize the CEUs you’ve earned
Whether you use the ABGC CEU tracker, your own spreadsheet, or my GC renewal tracker, Elsie, you won’t know where you stand unless you actually log-in your units. Having a bunch of CEU certificates buried in your email doesn’t help you see your progress. Take a few minutes to tally up what you’ve done, so you know how much further you have to go.
Adding just one of these steps to your to-do list for today can help you make some real progress towards keeping you licensed and certified. And who doesn’t like checking easy things off their list?
