Getting Started with CEs
The continuing education requirements of the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) seem a little funny to me. It's simple enough that you have to collect 24 continuing education credits every two years. That part doesn't seem so strange. What feels odd to me is how the 'biennium' works, and how strange it seems to me as a new graduate. I graduated in May of 2009. My birthday is in the month of March. My biennium does not start until March of 2010. So between May of 2009 and March of 2010, it is a waste of time for me to pursue any continuing education credits. If I turn any in at this time, they don't count toward my next biennium requirement. I have to actually wait until after March 1, 2010 to turn anything in. If my birthday had been in June, I would have had to wait only one month before my new biennium started, but since it's not until March, I have to wait ten months. It seems slightly counter productive to me in some way. I just spend three years back in school, so getting started working on continuing education credits right away would seem like a good idea. Strike while the iron is hot...
I joined the ASRT (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) as soon as I graduated (or within a month). The directed readings in the Radiologic Technology Journal are good sources of continuing education credits. Each issue (it comes out 6 times per year) has two directed readings with a quiz at the end. These directed readings are worth one or two continuing education credits each. The first two issues I have received each have 3.5 hours worth of continued education credits available. The simple act of joining the ASRT and using the directed readings in the journal will fulfill the continuing education requirements set forth by the ARRT. The directed readings provided in these journals are good for two years. I can turn them in for credit any time during that two year period, so I'm working through them and will just hold them until my biennium starts in March, at which time I'll turn them in for credit. That should give me a rather comfortable head start on the 24 hours I'll be required to accumulate between March of 2010 and March of 2012.
On another note, I wonder if this little issue of the delay in being able to start accumulating CEs causes techs to wait to become a member of the ASRT? I'm also curious as to what people do to collect CE credits if they aren't members of the ASRT.
