REQUIREMENTS TO RENEW CVOM CERTIFICATION
1. Certification must be renewed every two (2) years.
2. Eighteen (18) hours of acceptable and documented continuing education (CE) must be submitted to the Certification Board.
3. The recertification fee of $199 must be received. Checks must be payable in U.S. funds to the Certification Board. Credit cards are accepted online. Renewals received after July 31 must include a $110 late fee.
4. All certificants enjoy a 12-month grace period after the renewal date in which they may still renew. Renewals received 30 days past their renewal date incur a $110 late fee.
5. Applicants who have not maintained the renewal requirements may not use the CVOM designation.
All continuing education must be documented to be accepted. A certificate of attendance, certificate of completion, transcript, or record of sessions attended are acceptable as proof of continuing education.
ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING EDUCATION
Acceptable CE programs must have clearly identified learning objectives linked to the CVOM Job Task Analysis/Test Blueprint. Credit will not be given for courses relating primarily to veterinary medicine or for product and/or service presentations provided by vendor representatives.
One full CE credit is awarded for 50-60 minutes of actual instruction. Half of a CE credit will be awarded for 25-30 minutes of actual instruction. No credit will be awarded for less than 25 minutes of instruction.
When renewing for the first time, certificants may apply CE earned after the date of their certification even if it falls before the renewal cycle starts.
Excess hours (those over eighteen (18)) do not carry over from any given renewal period into the next renewal period.
It is recommended that certificants post their CE documentation to the Certification Portal as it is earned. This ensures documentation is readily available when it is time to renew.
The CVOM program subscribes to the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) definitions and standards for educational programs and credentials. By subscribing to industry standards, the CVOM program seeks to provide clarity and consistency for the purposes of evaluating a CE program’s benefits to potential or current CVOM credential holders. The Certification Board will apply the following definitions to assess the validity of claims made by the CE Program. Programs that are presented or marketed in a way that is not consistent with this standard will not be applicable to the CE requirements of the CVOM program.
Certificate Program
An assessment-based certificate program is a relatively short, non-degree granting program that provides instruction and training to aid participants in acquiring knowledge/skills/competencies and designates those participants who have passed an end-of-program assessment derived from learning/course objectives. Although assessment is an integral part of the certificate program, the program's primary purpose is to provide instruction and training with intended learning outcomes.
Certification Program
Certification is a voluntary process by which individuals are assessed against predetermined standards for knowledge/skills/competencies and granted a time-limited credential, which requires ongoing recertification (renewal requirements) to ensure certificant maintenance or improvement of competencies (and, therefore can be revoked). The primary purpose of certification is assessment, and the assessment process is independent of a specific course of study or any education/course/curriculum provider.
The CVPM Board will be the final judge of which courses or seminars are acceptable and the number of hours that can be credited for each course.
Acceptable professional development activities include:
- Live, face-to-face classes (in-person), conferences, meetings, seminars, and symposiums.
- Live Webinars/Webcasts/Videoconferences/Podcasts (i.e., facilitated via Zoom or another virtual technology).
- Workshops, panel discussions, and roundtable discussions sponsored by an acceptable CE provider in a formalized setting. CVOM question writing sessions sponsored by the Certification Board are applicable.
- College or university courses taken for academic credit at an accredited academic institution. 1 credit/semester hour earns 6 CE hours.
- Self-paced study (asynchronous learning) which includes an interactive component such as quizzes, post-tests, or other learning assessment exercises or activities by which participants apply and demonstrate comprehension of the covered content areas (i.e., on demand).
- E-Learning (synchronous learning) which includes real-time components/interactive sessions, as well as quizzes, post-tests, or other learning assessment exercises or activities by which participants apply and demonstrate comprehension of the covered content areas. (i.e., online, virtual, distance learning).
- Instruction – 1.5 hours of CE will be accepted for every hour of presentation time for each course/workshop that is instructed. Credit is accepted only once per program/topic.
- Writing – 1 hour of CE will be accepted for each published article (published in an industry professional journal, magazine, and newsletter), chapter or book. Credit is accepted only once per article/topic. Articles must have a minimum of 500 words.
- CVOM Test Question Development – 1 hour of CE will be accepted for every five new test question items submitted. Each test question item must be complete, following the instructions provided for submission.
ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROVIDERS
The Certification Board accepts applicable CE that is sponsored by a state, national, or international veterinary organization (i.e., AAHA, AVMA, VHMA, VetPartners, State Veterinary Medical Association, etc.).
The Certification Board accepts applicable CE that is provided by a recognized educational or governmental entity, such as a university, college, community college, or government agency.
The Certification Board accepts applicable CE from non-industry recognized education providers (i.e., SkillPath, Padgett-Thompson, National Seminars, Society for Human Resource Management, American Management Association, and Fred Pryor). The Certification Board will review non-industry providers on a case-by-case basis.
In-house training programs may be accepted with prior approval. Training programs that are specific to the organization's own internal policies and procedures are not applicable; program content should be relevant to generally accepted practice management concepts and techniques.
The Certification Board will determine on an individual basis whether a local seminar, or one given or sponsored by an unfamiliar speaker or sponsor, will be accepted. For a course to be considered, the applicant must submit:
A. A biography or list of credentials of the instructor
B. A detailed outline of the subjects covered
C. Copies of all documents given in connection with the seminar