Continuing Education in California:

CE, IDE, QME, and Radiology

CCA's Conventions & Seminars Department is dedicated to providing doctors of chiropractic with quality education programs, with a convention in February and a variety of seminars offered throughout the state.   CCA offers hundreds of hours of continuing education credit all year long.

Continuing Education (CE)

How many hours of CE do DCs need annually to renew their license to practice chiropractic in California?

California doctors of chiropractic are required by the California State Board of Chiropractic Examiners (SBCE) to complete a minimum of 12 hours per year of SBCE-approved continuing education coursework to renew their license to practice.   (CA Code of Regulations, Title 16, §356).   These 12 hours must include a minimum of four hours of SBCE-approved adjustive technique credit.   For the SBCE to approve adjustive technique credit, the adjustive technique must be part of the core curriculum at a CCE approved college.   The four hours of adjustive technique may be satisfied by lecture and demonstration and do NOT include soft tissue modalities.   There are very specific guidelines as to what qualifies as SBCE-approved adjustive technique.

How does the year begin and end for license renewal?  

California chiropractic licenses expire annually on the last day of the doctor's birth month.   All CE hours must be completed by the end of the doctor's birth month.   The SBCE does not allow a grace period for taking CE courses and recommends that license renewals be returned with payment at least 60 days prior to expiration.

If a doctor takes more than 12 hours of CE credit, can the extra credits be carried over into the next year?  

No. Regulations specifically state that CE courses must be taken in the last 12 months prior to the last date of the doctor's birth month.

How are CE credits tracked?  

The most important document the doctor receives at a CCA seminar is the CE Certificate form.   It is the only item that validates actual attendance of CE hours.   The CCA CE Certificate form is a two-part document that is completed and torn in half.   CCA keeps one part, and the doctor retains the other.   It is the doctor's responsibility to keep this form in a safe place.   Should proof of attendance be required by the SBCE, the doctor must submit a copy of his/her portion of the CE form directly to the SBCE.   CCA cannot submit forms on behalf of any doctor per the SBCE.

What if a doctor loses his/her CE form? 

Copies of CE Certificate forms issued by CCA for CE credits are available from CCA's Conventions & Seminars Department.   A request must be made using the Special Services Form that will be faxed or mailed upon request.   The doctor must indicate the date, location, and title of the seminar.   The charge for this service for nonmembers per seminar requested is $25.   For members, the fee is $5 per seminar requested.

How does a doctor know if a program has been approved for CE?

The SBCE's website at www.chiro.ca.gov features a CE section that lists all approved CE courses.   Please note that it is the doctor's responsibility to ensure the course is a SBCE approved course.   All CE providers must have SBCE approval or indicate that the program has been submitted for SBCE approval prior to advertising the program.

Industrial Disability Examiner (IDE)

Why should a doctor attain IDE Certification?

IDE certification not only hones doctors' skills in workers' compensation, it also opens other avenues, such as personal injury (PI) for doctors.   Attorneys and insurance companies often seek second opinions from doctors who can write ratable reports –a key component of the IDE course.   IDE doctors do not necessarily have to become Qualified Medical Evaluators (QMEs).   The ability to write a ratable Permanent & Stationary report is a highly sought after expertise and one taught in the IDE course.   Passing an examination is just part of the requirement for obtaining an IDE certification.   Doctors need to know the rating process and apportionment process in order to write an acceptable report.

Where can a doctor attain IDE Certification? 

CCA periodically offers an IDE program - usually in the fall.   The intensive 44-hour program runs six days over two weekends, four weeks apart.   The course includes eight hours of Basic Workers' Compensation, 36 hours of IDE (including the 12-hour Report Writing component) and an optional four hours of adjustive technique credit.   CCA's IDE program is the most experienced program available in the market.   (IMC Provider #110).   It features a diverse panel of real-world experts who take students through written assignments and live demonstrations designed to enhance comprehension and retention.   The doctor who successfully completes the entire course and written test qualifies to sit for the QME exam through the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC).   CCA's IDE program is also submitted for SBCE approval.   Please contact CCA for course availability.

Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME)

What is a QME?

The Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) is an appointed position through the State of California.   The organization that regulated QMEs is the DWC.   Doctors interested in appointment as a QME must pass the QME Competency Examination.   The QME exam is offered two times a year-- in Spring and Fall.   Historically, the exam is administered by the DWC in both Northern and Southern California.   Interested parties should contact the DWC to request a copy of the QME Competency Examination packet by calling 800-794-6900.

What are the requirements to become a QME?

California Code of Regulations, Title 8, §11, outlines the requirements for doctors of chiropractic to be appointed as a QME.   The regulations state, “For Doctors of Chiropractic, the physician shall provide (1) a copy of a current or otherwise valid certificate in California Workers' Compensation Evaluation by either a California professional chiropractic association or an accredited California college recognized by the DWC medical unit or; (2) a certificate of completion of a chiropractic postgraduate specialty program of a least 300-hours taught by a school or college recognized by the DCW medical unit, the Board of Chiropractic Examiners and the Council on Chiropractic Education.”

Is there a new IMC regulation requiring a 12-hour Report Writing course?

Yes.   Beginning January 1, 2001, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, §11.5 states, “Prior to appointment as a QME, a physician shall complete a course of at least 12 hours of instruction in disability evaluation report writing. The course curriculum shall be specified by the [DWC].” Doctors of chiropractic who have completed a 300-hour Board certification course (such as DABCO, etc.) must take only the 12-hour Report Writing Course to be appointed as QME. Doctors who hold IDE or California Workers' Compensation Evaluation certificates with completion dates later than April 1999, do not need to take the 12-hour Report Writing course. Doctors who took an IDE program prior to April 1999, and who have not previously taken the QME Competency Examination, must also complete the 12-hour Report Writing Course to be appointed as a QME. CCA offers a 12-hour Report Writing course. Contact CCA for course availability.

Radiology

What are the continuing education requirements for x-ray permit holders?

The state Radiologic Health Branch (“RHB”), a division of the State Department of Health Services that licenses operators of x-ray equipment, adopted continuing education (CE) requirements for x-ray permit holders. Beginning with 2003 permit renewals, chiropractors will be required to show that they have obtained 10 hours of approved CE credit every two years. The CE programs may be approved by the state Board of Chiropractic Examiners for both radiologic and chiropractic CE credit. Most chiropractic uses of x-ray equipment require a “radiography supervisor and operator permit,” which requires the passing of an RHB-approved exam. To renew a permit, licentiates must do the following:

•  At least 30 days prior to the expiration date of the permit, submit to the RHB a complete application for renewal consisting of the applicant's name, mailing address, telephone number and certificate or permit type and number;

•  Submit to the RHB for each approved CE credit the identity of the group that accepted the credit, i.e., the state Board of Chiropractic Examiners; the provider of the instruction; the title, if any, of the instruction; the date(s) of the instruction; and the location of the instruction.