Upcoming Need for Orthopedic Specialty Certification Continuing Education
The Board of Certification (BOC) for the Athletic Trainer is pleased to announce the BOC Orthopedic Specialty Certification (orthopedic specialty) for Athletic Trainers (ATs). The Board Certified Specialist in Orthopedics (BCS-O) credential will formally recognize ATs who have attained advanced knowledge and skills in defined areas of orthopedics. Armed with this new credential, ATs will be better positioned to work within the orthopedic field where they are highly valued by employers for increasing patient throughput, serving as an extension of the physician, connecting systems to create efficiency and building patient relationships.
The inaugural administration of the BOC Orthopedic Specialty exam is taking place between Oct. 15 and 24, 2021. Those holding the BCS-O credential must demonstrate continuing competence by complying with Continuing Specialty Certification requirements. These requirements will be in addition to the ATC® credential.
The BOC will be implementing changes to the Program Directory in 2022. These changes will provide a way for BOC Approved Providers to indicate specific activities that BCS-O credential holders can take to meet their continuing education (CE) requirements. BOC Approved Providers are already eligible to offer orthopedic specialty CE and will simply indicate which CE activities align with the Orthopedic Practice Analysis (OPA) by selecting which domain(s) and task statement(s) the activity falls within.
At this time, BOC Approved Providers should begin reviewing the domains and tasks outlined in the free Content Outline of OPA. The OPA defines the domains (medical knowledge, procedural knowledge, professional practice) and task statements that are assessed on the Orthopedic Specialty Certification Exam. If you would like to order the full OPA that includes the knowledge and skill statements within each task statement, please visit the BOC website.