New
Mexico Register / Volume XXV, Number 1 / January 15, 2014
TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
CHAPTER 25 VETERINARY MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS
PART 4 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS -VETERINARIANS
16.25.4.1 ISSUING
AGENCY:
New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine
[16.25.4.1 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.1 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.2 SCOPE: Applies to
all veterinarians licensed to practice in the [State] state of New Mexico.
[16.25.4.2 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.2 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: NMSA 1978,
Sections 61-14-5(F) and (I) and 61-14-12.
[16.25.4.3 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.3 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.4 DURATION: Permanent.
[16.25.4.4 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.4 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: 01-17-2014
unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.
[16.25.4.5 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.5 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.6 OBJECTIVE: To establish
requirements for continuing education (CE) necessary for veterinary license
annual renewal.
[16.25.4.6 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.6 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.7 DEFINITIONS: [RESERVED]
[16.25.4.7 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.7 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.8 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
A. Each
veterinarian licensed to practice in New Mexico must obtain, each year of
licensure, a total of 15 instructional hours derived from seminars, short
courses, or scientific programs approved by the registry of approved CE (RACE),
AVMA, or by the board; or sponsored by a veterinary medical association,
organization, or university.
(1) In general, CE must be in the form of
contact hours. Credit for non-contact
forms of instruction, including online training or articles in printed
professional periodicals, is accepted.
Non-contact hours may comprise no more than half of the annual
requirement of 15 CE hours.
(2) Instruction in aspects of facility
management, records management or the complaint process may count for
credit. These hours may comprise no more
than five CE credit hours per year.
(3) Instruction in alternative, non-western
medicine must be specifically applicable to veterinary medicine and approved by
RACE, AVMA, or sponsored by a veterinary organization or university, or by the
board. CE credit cannot exceed 75% or
11.25 of the 15.00 instructional hours required annually.
B. There
are no exceptions for age, retirees or other non-practicing veterinarians who
want to maintain their New Mexico license.
Pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 61-14-12(E) the board may provide a
waiver of the CE requirement to a licensed veterinarian during any period when
he is on active duty with any branch of the armed services of the United States
or for the duration of a national emergency.
C. CE
hours are accumulated on an annual basis for the 12 months preceding individual
veterinarian's license expiration date.
D. A
new licensee must comply with the continuing education requirement beginning
the next full licensing year after the licensee receives his initial New Mexico
license.
E. A
maximum of 15 credit hours may be accrued as excess and carried forward to the
next licensing year.
F. The
month before a veterinarian's annual license renewal is due, a license renewal
form will be provided on which the veterinarian must record the CE taken during
the previous licensing year.
G. The
burden of proving the validity of the reported CE hours lies solely with the
licensed veterinarian reporting. The
board may conduct audits on CE reporting; photocopies of seminar registrations
or completion certificates shall be submitted by the licensee upon request.
H. Beginning
with the effective date of this part, each licensee should retain proof of his
CE completion for a minimum of four years.
[16.25.4.8 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.8 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.9 CONTINUING EDUCATION
REQUESTS:
A licensee in doubt about whether a particular course, class, or seminar
will be approved for credit may submit to the board, in writing, a course
description with course outline and the number of contact hours. The approval
request form is available at the board’s web site or by calling the board
office. The board will make a
determination at its next meeting.
[16.25.4.9 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.9 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
16.25.4.10 CONTINUING EDUCATION
EXTENSIONS:
A. The
board may grant an extension of time to complete the annual CE requirement for
a given licensing year upon licensee’s written request.
(1) A licensee who is granted a CE extension
must obtain the CE hours lacking within six months following the licensee’s
birth month to avoid being placed on suspended status. During the suspension period, the licensee
may not lawfully practice veterinary medicine in New Mexico.
(2) A licensee may be granted only two
consecutive CE extensions i.e. for two separate licensing years and a maximum
of four extensions during his entire career practicing veterinary medicine in
New Mexico.
B. The
board does not automatically grant requests for CE extensions.
(1) The licensee's request must be in the form
of a letter stating the reason the required CE cannot be completed for the
year.
(2) A licensee's first request for a CE
extension may be approved administratively by the executive director, assuming
the licensee is in good standing with the board.
(3)
All CE extension requests are presented at the next board meeting for
the board’s determination. CE extension requests approved by the executive
director, as described in (2) above, are presented for board confirmation at
the next board meeting.
(4) Should a licensee fail to meet the CE
requirement when applying for license renewal and does not request an
extension, his name shall be presented at the next board meeting for the
board’s determination of possible disciplinary action.
C. In
cases of extreme hardship involving physical health or family crisis concerns,
special consideration for CE may be granted by the board on the merits of the
individual case.
[16.25.4.10 NMAC - Rp, 16.25.4.10 NMAC, 01-17-2014]
HISTORY OF 16.25.4 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC History: The material in this part was derived from
that previously filed with the State Records Center:
BVE 78-1, Pertaining to
Continuing Education Requirements for Relicensure,
filed 1-20-78.
BVE 79-3, Rules Governing
Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure,
filed 9-21-79.
BVE 88-3, Rules Governing
Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure,
filed 10-14-88.
BVE 92-3, Rules Governing Continuing
Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure,
filed 5-22-92.
BVE 93-3, Rules Governing
Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure,
filed 6-3-93.
History of the Repealed Material:
16 NMAC 25.4, Continued
Education Requirements, filed 5-17-96 - Repealed effective 9-1-00.
16.25.4 NMAC, Continuing
Education Requirements for Veterinarians, filed 8-2-00 - Repealed effective
01-17-14.