Continuing Education
When an Athletic Trainer (AT) renews their national certification, it shows they value professional development, evidence based practice and are committed to the BOC mission of serving in public protection. We are your partner in promoting excellence in practice throughout your career.
The BOC sets the national standards for certification and through our list of BOC Approved Providers, we offer tools to maintain your continuing education (CE). CE requirements are intended to promote continued competence, development of current knowledge and skills and enhancement of professional skills and judgment. They must focus on increasing knowledge, skills and abilities related to the practice of athletic training. CE programs must also be intended for credentialed health care providers and wellness professionals.
ATs must complete a predetermined number of continuing education units (CEUs) during the certification maintenance period. The current period ends December 31, 2023.
| Requirement |
Year 1 Due Dec. 31, 2022 |
Year 2 Due Dec. 31, 2023 |
|
1. ATTEST TO COMPLIANCE WITH BOC STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE |
REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
| 2. UPLOAD CURRENT EMERGENCY CARDIAC CARE (ECC) CARD/CERTIFICATE OR CONFIRM CURRENT ECC CERTIFICATION | REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
| 3. PAY ANNUAL CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE FEE |
REQUIRED (waived if certified in 2022) |
REQUIRED |
|
4. REPORT CONTINUING EDUCATION |
DUE DEC. 31, 2023 | REQUIRED |
|
If above requirements not met by deadline: *Late fees may be assessed for each year requirements are late (e.g. $20 if late in 2022 and $20 if late in 2023 = $40 in late fees) |
Certification remains active, AT must submit missing requirements and pay a $20 late fee by Dec. 31, 2023. | Certification expires. To return to Certified status, AT must submit missing requirements and pay a $20 late fee by Feb. 29, 2024. |
All CE programs described for each category must be intended for an audience of credentialed health care and/or wellness providers (i.e., ATs, PTs, RNs, PAs, PTAs, MDs, CPTs) and the content must be at least entry level and pertain to the domains identified in the "Practice Analysis, 7th Edition."
There is no cost to use the BOC’s online CE reporting system. There is a $25 processing fee to submit CEUs using a paper CE reporting sheet.
More information about CE requirement is available in the Certification Maintenance Requirements document.
Category A programs are available through BOC Approved Providers. If you’re interested in live events, think about attending workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars, or other events. If you prefer taking CE programs in the comfort of your own home or while on the road, there are home study programs available for your convenience.
Starting with the 2022-2023 recertification period, principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) have been incorporated into all Category A programs.
Note, if certified in 2021 and issued a certificate awarding EBP credit, report these activities in Category A.
| Requirement |
|---|
| 10 CEUs is the minimum number required if you have 50 CEUs due |
| 5 CEUs is the minimum number required if you have 25 CEUs due |
| No maximum number of CEUs |
| Possible Activities | Number of CEUs |
|---|---|
| Live events and home study programs (workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars, etc.) | As awarded by provider |
| Post-certification coursework from a CAATE accredited athletic training post professional program | 10 CEUs per credit hour |
| Graduate of a PhD/EdD/DSc/DAT program may qualify if dissertation has a narrow focus of athletic training3 | 10 CEUs if 50 CEUs required 5 CEUs if 25 CEUs required |
| Program faculty/speaker or author of Category A program (speaking engagements can be counted once per topic) | Primary1=10 CEUs per topic Secondary2=5 CEUs use per topic |
| CAATE accredited athletic training residency/fellowship | 25 CEUs per year |
Accredited medical or health care provider residency/fellowship with a focus closely related to athletic training. This may include, but is not limited to:
|
25 CEUs per year |
Author of a peer-reviewed journal article or textbook chapter(s) addressing patient-oriented clinical research or translational research. This may include, but is not limited to:
|
Primary=15 CEUs per article/text Secondary=10 CEUs per article/text |
| Competence Assessment Modules | As awarded by BOC |
| Quality Improvement project | 10 CEUs |
1Primary faculty refers to the presenter who prepares the presentation.
2Secondary faculty refers to those who assist with conducting lectures, workshops or labs who must prepare based on the primary faculty's instructions. A lead lab instructor would fall under secondary faculty.
3The college/university attended must be accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
Category B programs include professional and scholarly activities. If you participate in speaking engagements, this activity could be counted once per topic. If an abstract and/or poster is connected to a presentation, CE credit can only be obtained for one activity or the other. If you’d like to use articles, textbooks, abstracts, home study programs and multimedia for your CE requirements, remember they must be published during the reporting period to receive CE credit.
| Requirement |
|---|
| 33 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 50 CEUs due |
| 17 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 25 CEUs due |
| No minimum number of CEUs required |
| The number of CEUs awarded have been defined by the BOC |
| Possible Activities | Number of CEUs |
|---|---|
| Professional Goals Appraisal (PGA) | 10 CEUs per reporting period |
| Program faculty/speaker at a conference/seminar that does not qualify for Category A | Primary2=10 CEUs per topic
Secondary3=5 CEUs per topic |
| Panelist at a conference/seminar | 5 CEUs per topic |
| Primary author of an article in a non-refereed journal4 | 5 CEUs per article |
| Author of an article in a refereed journal1,4 | Primary=15 CEUs per article Secondary=10 CEUs per article |
| Author of an abstract in a refereed journal4 | Primary=10 CEUs per article Secondary=5 CEUs per article |
| Author of a published textbook1,4 | Primary=33 CEUs per book Secondary=20 CEUs per book |
| Contributing author of a published textbook1,4 | 10 CEUs per book |
| Author of a poster presentation - peer reviewed or refereed4 | Primary=10 CEUs per presentation Secondary=5 CEUs per presentation |
| Primary author of published multimedia material (CD ROM, audio or video)4 | 10 CEUs per publication |
| Participating member of a clinical research team | 10 CEUs per research project |
| Primary author of a home study program that does not qualify for Category A1 | 10 CEUs per home study course |
| Reviewer of a refereed publication | 5 CEUs per publication (limit 10 CEUs per year) |
| Exam item writer5 | 5 CEUs per year of active item writing |
| Preceptor for a CAATE accredited athletic training program | 5 CEUs per year (a minimum of 200 hours per calendar year) |
1Does not qualify for Category A (does not address patient-oriented clinical research or translational research.)
2Primary faculty refers to the presenter of a conference/seminar who prepares the presentation.
3Secondary faculty refers to those who assist with conducting lectures, workshops or labs who must prepare based on the primary faculty's instructions. A lead lab instructor falls under secondary faculty.
4The following explanations apply to publication activities:
- Published: prepared for commercial distribution
- Journal: a periodical containing scholarly articles and/or current information on research and development in a particular field
- Refereed: the manuscript/document has been reviewed by an editor and one or more specialists prior to publication
5Includes BOC exam item writers and exam item writers for other health care professional exams.
In some cases, post certification college/university coursework can count for your CE requirements. College courses, including practicum courses (i.e. clinical and internship experiences) must be listed on an official transcript with assigned credit hours. A transcript will be requested if audited.
Teaching a college course is not acceptable for CE credit. Also, non-credit college courses are not acceptable for CE credit in Category C.
| Requirement |
|---|
| 40 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 50 CEUs due |
| 20 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 25 CEUs due |
| No minimum number of CEUs required |
| CEUs are awarded for successful completion of college/university courses if the content of the course falls within the domains identified in the "Practice Analysis, 7th Edition" |
| The college/university attended must be accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education |
| Possible Activities | Number of CEUs |
|---|---|
| College/university official course | 10 CEUs per credit hour |
Category D programs are reserved for a professional program that is sponsored by groups other than BOC Approved Providers. You can include activities that are offered by non-BOC Approved Providers. You can also view videos, DVDs, audiotapes, multimedia or webinars where the content falls within the domains identified in the "Practice Analysis, 7th Edition."
| Requirement |
|---|
| 28 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 50 CEUs due |
| 14 CEUs is the maximum number you can use if you have 25 CEUs due |
| No minimum number of CEUs required |
| Possible Activities | Number of CEUs |
|---|---|
| Activities by non-BOC Approved Providers | 1 CEU per contact hour |
| Videos, DVDs, audiotapes, multimedia, webinars | 1 CEU per contact hour |
Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities
Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs)
Increase clinical expertise through professional article review and assessment.
| Topic: Cultural Literacy |
|---|
| Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs) provide meaningful learning in evolving areas of athletic training practice. Participating in the CAMs offers the ideal way for Athletic Trainers to identify areas of need for self-actualized learning. CAMs are also expected to increase the current foundation of knowledge, enhance clinical practice and improve patient care. Cost: 3.5 Category A CEUs for $35 |
| Topic: Mental Health |
|---|
| Competence Assessment Modules (CAMs) provide meaningful learning in evolving areas of athletic training practice. Participating in the CAMs offers the ideal way for Athletic Trainers to identify areas of need for self-actualized learning. CAMs are also expected to increase the current foundation of knowledge, enhance clinical practice and improve patient care. The CAMs - Mental Health includes three modules:
|
Quality Improvement (QI)
Complete a QI project to enhance your patient-centered care and outcomes. QI provides the framework to continuously and systematically evaluate Athletic Trainer's healthcare delivery to improve their practice and quality of service for patients. These four-week projects provide a hands-on opportunity to apply a solution within your practice setting to a targeted quality problem. These projects involve short pre and post assessment items to help measure improvement. QIs address real problems in the workplace where the participant attempts to create real solutions that ultimately improves practice and patient outcomes.
| Topic: Facility Principles |
|---|
| This quality improvement project focuses on facility principles, an important part of administration of any athletic training facility. Local, state and federal entities issue regulations and standards – which often overlap – to ensure the quality of facilities where health care services are delivered. You may not be aware of all regulations and best practices, which could open you up to increased exposure to liability. In this project, you will assess using the “BOC Facility Principles” to assemble baseline data of adherence to requirements. This evaluation will be followed by implementation of actions to address gaps in facility requirements. Finally, you will reflect and analyze the impact of your intervention. |
| Overview of FP Project |
|
Project Time: 4 weeks, upon completion of this QI project 10 Category A CEUs will be issued. Instructions:
|
| Topic: Hand Hygiene |
|---|
| This quality improvement project focuses on hand hygiene, an important practice to reduce the spread of infection. Proper hand hygiene by health care providers will lead to decreased infections in patients. This four-week project includes implementation of a one question patient survey to gather baseline data. This step will be followed by implementation of an improvement process to increase the level of hand hygiene compliance in your setting. At the conclusion of the project, a final survey will measure change in improvement. |
| Overview of HH Project |
|
Project Time: 4 weeks, upon completion of this QI project 10 Category A CEUs will be issued. Instructions:
|