TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING

CHAPTER 25 VETERINARY MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS

PART 4 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR VETERINARIANS

16.25.4.1 ISSUING AGENCY: New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine.

[16.25.4.1 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.1, 09-01-00; A, 11-08-04]

16.25.4.2 SCOPE: Applies to all veterinarians licensed to practice in the state of New Mexico.

[16.25.4.2 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.2, 09-01-00]

16.25.4.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Veterinary Practice Act, NMSA 1978 Section 61-14-5.F and I and 61-14-12.

[16.25.4.3 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.3, 09-01-00]

16.25.4.4 DURATION: Permanent.

[16.25.4.4 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.4, 09-01-00]

16.25.4.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 2000 unless a different date is cited at the end of a section.

[16.25.4.5 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.5, 09-01-00]

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 NMAC 25.4.6, 09-01-00]

16.25.4.7 DEFINITIONS: (Reserved).

[16.25.4.7 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.7, 09-01-00]

16.25.4.8 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

A. Each veterinarian licensed to practice in New Mexico must obtain, for each year of licensure, a total of 15 instructional hours derived from seminars, short courses, or scientific programs approved by the board and sponsored by a veterinary organization or university.

(1) In general, CE must be in the form of contact hours; however, the board may, on a case-by-case basis, approve credit for non-contact forms of instruction--including on-line training or articles in printed periodicals--if the instruction:

(a) includes structured testing of course content,

(b) is designed by veterinarians, specifically for veterinarians, and

(c) is approved by the American veterinary medical association.

Non-contact hours may comprise no more than half of the annual requirement of 15 CE hours.

(2) No more than four hours of credit per year will be given for local meetings that include short scientific programs.

(3) Instruction in aspects of facility management or records management may count for credit. These hours may comprise no more than five CE credit hours per year.

(4) Instruction in alternative, non-western medicine is not necessarily disqualified from counting toward CE credit; however, such instruction must be provided by, and specifically for, veterinarians. These hours may comprise no more than half of the annual requirement of 15 CE hours.

B. There are no exceptions for age or for retirees or other non-practicing veterinarians who want to maintain their New Mexico licenses.

C. CE hours are accumulated on an annual basis for the 12 months preceding each veterinarian's license expiration date.

D. A new licensee must comply with the continuing education requirement beginning the next full licensing year after the new licensee receives his/her 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, board staff send a license renewal form on which the veterinarian must record the CE taken during his/her past licensing year.

G. The burden of proving the validity of the reported CE hours lies solely with the veterinarian reporting. Photocopies of seminar registrations and/or completion certificates should be submitted with CE reports for inclusion in the licensee's file.

H. Beginning with the effective date of this part, each licensee should retain proof of his/her CE completion for a minimum of four years, retrievable from personal files.

[16.25.4.8 NMAC - Rp, 16 NMAC 25.4.8, 09-01-00]

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 board will make a determination at its next meeting.

[16.25.4.9 NMAC - N, 09-01-00]

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 if the licensee makes a request in writing.

(1) A licensee who is granted a CE extension must obtain the deficient hours of CE within the first six months of the following licensing year or he/she will be placed on suspended status. During the suspension period, the licensee may not lawfully practice veterinary medicine in New Mexico.

(2) Beginning with the date this rules revision takes effect, a licensee may be granted only two consecutive CE extensions (i.e., for two separate licensing years) and a maximum of only four extensions during his/her 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, per career, for a CE extension may be approved administratively, by the board's director, assuming the licensee is in good standing with the board.

(3) All CE extension requests are brought to the next board meeting, for a board vote. (In the case of pre-approval by the director, as described in (2), above, the request is brought for board confirmation.)

(4) Should a veterinarian fail to meet the CE requirement when applying for license renewal, and not request an extension, his/her name shall be brought to the next board meeting.

C. In cases of extreme hardship involving physical health or family crisis concerns, special extensions or considerations for CE may be granted by the board as the merits of the individual case justify.

[16.25.4.10 NMAC - N, 09-01-00]

HISTORY OF 16.25.4 NMAC:

Pre-NMAC History:

BVE 78-1, Pertaining to Continuing Education Requirements for Relicensure, 1-20-78.

BVE 79-3, Rules Governing Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure, 9-21-79.

BVE 88-3, Rules Governing Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure, 10-14-88.

BVE 92-3, Rules Governing Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure, 5-22-92.

BVE 93-3, Rules Governing Continuing Education Requirements for Veterinary Relicensure, 6-3-93.

History of the Repealed Material:

16 NMAC 25.4, Continued Education Requirements - Repealed, 9-1-2000.