<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 15.14.10.05" title_num="15" subtitle_num="14" chapter_num="10" heading="Accreditation.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Accreditation by the Board of continuing education courses will be based only upon program content.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>A minimum of 12 hours of continuing education courses shall be directed toward improvement, advancement, and extension of professional skill and knowledge relating to the practice of veterinary medicine. These courses shall have significant intellectual or practical content dealing primarily with information on skills directly related to the practice of veterinary medicine.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>A maximum of 6 credit hours of continuing education courses may be directed toward non-scientific subjects relating to the practice of veterinary medicine, such as:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Practice management concepts;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Communication skills;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>State regulatory programs; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Federal regulatory programs.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Credit hours may be approved for the following:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Continuing education courses given by a college of veterinary medicine approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Lectures and scheduled courses at national and regional meetings of the American Veterinary Medical Association;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Continuing education courses given or arranged by the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Continuing education courses given or arranged by North American Veterinary Conference, Western Veterinary Conference, Central Veterinary Conference, or American Animal Hospital Association; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Local, State, regional, or national continuing education courses including postgraduate studies, institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, extension studies, or other continuing education courses as approved by the Board. Requests for approval of postgraduate studies and extension studies shall be submitted to the Board no fewer than 60 days before the expiration of the veterinarian’s registration certificate.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Approved credit hours may be obtained through available online continuing education courses.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>After review of course content, the Board may withdraw its approval of a previously accredited continuing education course.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>A practitioner may apply any unused credit hours earned in a given licensing year toward fulfilling the following year's continuing professional education requirement.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>