CE Guidelines

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Certifications run from July 1 – June 30 on a two year cycle.
• CACVT is currently in the 2018-2020 Certification cycle (which runs July 1, 2018 – June 30 2020)
• The next Certification Renewal will be for the 2020-2022 Certification cycle (which runs July 1, 2020– June 30, 2022)
• Certification renewals for CVTs take place between May 1st and June 30th of each even year.
• In order to re-certify, CVTs will need to provide CE in accordance with the posted CE Guidelines.

Certification renewal applications will be available online in May of each even year, and must be received by June 30th of that year. A CVT must be current in order to renew.

How much CE is required to renew my certification?

When did you pass the VTNE - OR - transfer your credential into Colorado?

March 2020 – June 2020

Following approval of your initial application, your certification will be prorated through the end of the 2020-2022 certification cycle. You will renew your certification in the 2022 renewal session with 20 hours of continuing education in accordance with the CE Guidelines below.  All CE for the following Certification Cycle (cycle 2022-2024) must be acquired between your VTNE pass date and June 30, 2022.

July 2019 – February 2020

Following approval of your initial application, you must apply to renew your certification during the 2020 renewal session (May 1- June 30, 2020). You will be required to submit 10 hours of continuing education in accordance with the CE Guidelines below. All CE for the 2020-2022 Certification Cycle must be acquired between your VTNE pass date and June 30, 2020.

July 2018 – June 2019

Following approval of your initial application, you must apply to renew your certification during the 2020 renewal session (May 1- June 30, 2020). You will be required to submit 20 hours of continuing education in accordance with the CE Guidelines below.  All CE for the 2020-2022 Certification Cycle must be acquired between your VTNE pass date and June 30, 2020.

Prior to June 2018

You must apply to renew your certification during the 2020 renewal session (May 1- June 30, 2020). You will be required to submit 20 hours of continuing education in accordance with the CE Guidelines below.  All CE for the 2020-2022 Certification Cycle must be acquired between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2020.

• Please note: If you submit an application for Initial Certification Following VTNE Testing immediately after passing the VTNE, processing of your application may be delayed up to 6 weeks while the test is scored by the AAVSB and the formal score report is distributed to CACVT.
• There is no maximum to the amount of CE that a CVT can obtain.
• If a complete Certification Renewal Packet (application, all required CE hours, and certification fee), is not received by June 30, 2020, per renewal instructions, certification status is terminated, the CVT will be removed from the Online Certification Registry, and a late fee accrues until all required items are submitted.
• Certification Renewal Applications should only be submitted once you have fulfilled and uploaded all CE requirements. Partial CE submissions will not be accepted.
• Continuing education can be uploaded and saved on your Continuing Education Log throughout the year within your Member Profile.
• It is optional to submit proof of attendance certificates in your Continuing Education Log.
• Retain all proof of attendance certificates in your personal certification file. CACVT conducts random CE audits for each certification cycle. If you are selected for audit from within the database, you will be notified by the CACVT, and you will be required to submit your proof of attendance certificates at that time. CACVT reserves the right to audit an individual for proof of CE for the past 6 years if warranted. Thus it is recommended that you keep certification documentation.

CE Guidelines – Revised January, 2015

Please note:

1 hour of lecture = 1 hour of CE;
2 hours of hands on lab = 1 hour of CE;
1 RACE credit = 1 hour of CE

TECHNICAL CE Guidelines

CACVT reserves the right to refuse any submitted CE that does not meet a technically approved education standard for Certified Veterinary Technicians.

Definition: Technical CE is CE that is 1. medically oriented, 2. technical in nature, and 3. directly applicable to the work of a clinical credentialed veterinary technician, 4. while being presented at the skill level of a veterinarian or credentialed veterinary technician, and 5. provided by a licensed veterinarian or credentialed veterinary technician.

At least half of CE hours submitted for certification renewal must fall under the Technical CE category.

Technical CE can be obtained in state or out of state, in-person or online, so long as the CE meets all applicable criteria posted here. See important guidelines for acquiring online CE below.

* Technical CE is limited to the outlined list of topics, assuming all other guidelines for Technical CE have been met:

Anesthesia, Behavior, Cardiology, Dentistry, Dermatology, Emergency/Critical Care, Endocrinology, End of Life Care, Epidemiology, Equine, Exotics/Zoology, Gastroenterology, Geriatric Care, Herd Management, Hematology, Hospice and Palliative Care, Internal Medicine, Laboratory Animal, Large Animal, Microbiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Nutrition, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Pain Management, Parasitology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Preventative Care, Radiology, Surgery, Theriogenology/Reproduction, Toxicology, Ultrasonography, Urology, Wildlife & Fish Hatcheries, Zoonosis, and Alternative Therapies (Acupuncture, Chinese/Herbal Medicine, Massage, Physical Rehabilitation)

NOTE: Technical CE must be presented at an advanced medical level for individuals in the veterinary field. Presentations that are catered/open to the public will not be accepted regardless of who is presenting.

* Example: ABC Vet Clinic hosting a “How to Feed your Pet For Optimal Weight Loss” for their clients is NOT Technical CE. * Example: Dr. Smith, DVM, DACVIM speaking on “Advancements in Critical Care Nutrition” would count as Technical CE

SUPPORTIVE CE Guidelines

CACVT reserves the right to refuse any submitted Supportive CE credit that does not meet the standard for supportive education for a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Definition: Supportive CE is CE that may not fit all of the criteria for technical credit, but enhances an individual’s scope and ability to grow as a Certified Veterinary Technician. Supportive CE must be presented by an expert in the area that is being presented. No CE has to come from the Supportive category. However, if obtained, these credits will count towards your overall CE hours once the appropriate amount of Technical CE has been obtained. Supportive CE can be obtained in state or out of state, in-person or online, so long as the CE meets all applicable criteria posted here. See important guidelines for acquiring online CE below.

CACVT cannot create a comprehensive list of all potentially acceptable supportive CE topics available, but here are some examples of common Supportive CE topics.

Animal Control Topics, Compassion Fatigue/Burn Out, DEA/Controlled Substance Protocols, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Pet Insurance, Professional/Career Development (directly related to your personal and professional growth as a CVT), Non-Medical Behavior Modification Techniques, Shelter Management, Veterinary Inventory Management, Veterinary Practice Management, etc. (Please also refer to the section on Professional Crossover below).

Colorado Veterinary State Board Meetings:

As the Colorado Veterinary State Board oversees the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act, which informs all manner of practice of veterinary medicine in the state of Colorado, CACVT highly recommends getting exposure to this board and how it operates. It also serves as prime example of state regulation in veterinary medicine.

CACVT will offer up to 4 Supportive CE credit hours per certification cycle for 8-noon attendance at a Colorado Veterinary State Board Meeting. Click the link to access the SBVM meeting schedule and location information. https://www.colorado.gov/apps/calendar/html/event/?eventCollectionCode=DORAVETM

As State board meetings are open to the public, in order to receive credit for attendance, the CVT is responsible for approaching the CACVT Executive Director (present at all SBVM Meetings) to state that he/she is there for CE. It will be the CVTs responsibility to obtain a certificate before noon on the day of attendance. They will not be distributed retroactively.

Online CE

CACVT will accept only RACE approved online CE. Strict reporting procedures apply – see below. In order to be deemed Technical, the CE must meet all of the above provisions outlined for Technical CE. In order to be deemed Supportive, the CE must meet the above provisions outlined for Supportive CE.

Reporting Procedure: The CVT is responsible for obtaining the RACE approved provider and course number, in addition to hosting entity/organization, provider name, session title, dates, times, and credit hours, if intending to submit a RACE approved online course for CE credit. If this information is not provided by the CVT on the CE Submission portion of the 2016-2018 Certification Renewal Packet, CACVT will not accept the hours for CE credit in either category. CACVT will not accept any ONLINE CE that is NOT RACE approved.

* Visit AAVSB.org or google RACE approved CE for options.

In-Hospital CE

In-Hospital rounds, training, and training on new procedures/machines will NOT be accepted as CE.

1. CE provided in-hospital by an employer, veterinarian, or credentialed veterinary technician must be approved by CACVT to be eligible for recertification purposes. As it can take 3 weeks to receive confirmation on CE approval, it is suggested that a Speaker CE Approval form be submitted well in advance of the event. The Speaker CE Approval form is available under Continuing Education. The submitter will be notified of acceptance of the program for CE hours and CE category prior to the event. A certificate of attendance must be given to all CVTs.
2. In-clinic industry representative lectures, so long as they are not equipment training based, will apply for CE credit in the category for which the criteria is met. (Examples include: nutrition lectures that have a medical base, vaccine updates, new product information which is medically based).

Equipment training does not qualify for CE credit.

Professional Crossover

Many Certified Veterinary Technicians branch into various areas of veterinary medicine and industry, as well as into other professions altogether, while maintaining their credentialing status. These other areas and professions, such as education, executive oversight, industry sales, law enforcement, often have their own standards and criteria for Continuing Education. CE for your chosen position may or may not duplicate as CE for your veterinary technician certification. CACVT reserves the right to refuse any submitted CE that does not meet continuing education standards for Certified Veterinary Technicians, regardless of professional crossover.

CE Verification

Once CE has been submitted as part of your complete certification renewal packet, between May 1 and June 30 of each even year, it will be reviewed by the Certification Committee. If there are any discrepancies with submitted CE hours, you will be notified by CACVT. Your certification will not be processed and current until CACVT has received all required CE and it has been approved by the Certification Committee.