| (a) Content. This section establishes the continuing
education requirements that a licensed medical physicist must complete
biennially to maintain licensure. These requirements are intended
to maintain and improve the quality of professional services in medical
physics provided to the public, to keep the licensed medical physicist
knowledgeable of current research, techniques, and practice, and to
provide other resources which will improve skill and competence in
the practice of medical physics.
(b) General. Continuing education requirements for
license renewal shall be fulfilled biennially on or before the expiration
of the license.
(c) Hour requirements for continuing education. A licensee
must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education acceptable
to the board.
(1) A contact hour shall be defined as 50 minutes of
attendance and participation.
(2) A licensed medical physicist must complete acceptable
continuing education as identified in subsection (d) of this section.
(3) A licensed medical physicist shall be presumed
to have complied with this section if in the preceding 24 months the
licensee becomes board certified or recertified by the American Board
of Radiology (ABR), American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP), American
Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM), or American Board of
Health Physics (ABHP).
(d) Types of acceptable continuing education. Continuing
education shall be acceptable if the experience falls into one or
more of the following categories.
(1) Attendance at courses, conferences, seminars or
scientific sessions sponsored by the following national or regional
organizations: American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM),
American College of Medical Physics (ACMP), American College of Radiology
(ACR), Health Physics Society (HPS), Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM),
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American Society for
Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), or other professional
organizations acceptable to the board;
(2) Participation in conferences sponsored by regulatory
organizations or other organizations acceptable to the board; or
(3) Participation in medical physics related courses,
refresher courses, conferences, and seminars sponsored by state and
private universities that have an accredited graduate medical physics
program.
(4) Participation in a program of study in medical
physics that is accredited by the American Association of Physicists
in Medicine Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physicist Education
Programs.
(5) Participation in a course of study from an accredited
college or university in physics, medical physics, biophysics, radiological
physics, medical health physics or nuclear engineering of other course
of study acceptable to the board.
(6) Participation in a short course of study relating
to basic and/or applied sciences in medicine.
(7) Participation in a course of study that enhances
the practice of medical physics.
(e) Reporting of continuing education. The licensee
shall maintain documentation of continuing education.
(1) The board will select, at the time of license renewal,
a random sample of licensed medical physicists to verify compliance
with the continuing education requirements. The licensed medical physicists
selected in the random sample shall submit to the board documentation
of participation in and completion of acceptable continuing education
and shall include:
(A) a certificate of completion or a certificate of
attendance signed by the sponsoring organization; or
(B) a letter on letterhead of the sponsoring organization
verifying attendance; or
(C) an official continuing education validation form
of the sponsoring organization accompanied by a brochure, agenda,
program, or other applicable information indicating content of the
program; or
(D) evidence of registration and attendance at a scientific
meeting; and
(E) any additional information or documentation deemed
necessary by the board to verify the licensed medical physicist's
compliance with the continuing education requirements.
(2) The department shall review the documentation submitted
to verify compliance with the continuing education requirements, and
notify the licensed medical physicist of the results.
(3) If the department determines that the licensed
medical physicist failed to successfully complete the continuing education
requirements or failed to submit the required documentation, disciplinary
action may be taken against the licensee in accordance with §601.16(c)
of this title (relating to Violations, Complaints, and Subsequent
Actions).
(4) In the alternative, a licensed medical physicist
may request an exemption as set out in subsection (g) of this section.
(f) A licensed medical physicist who has failed to
complete the requirements for continuing education as specified in
subsection (b) of this section shall return the license to the department
and shall not represent himself or herself as a medical physicist
in any manner. The person may renew the license or reapply for a new
license in accordance with §601.11 of this title (relating to
License Renewal).
(g) Exemptions. The board will consider granting an
exemption from the continuing education requirement on a case-by-case
basis if:
(1) A licensee shows reasons of health, certified by
a licensed physician, that prevent compliance with the continuing
education requirement for the entire renewal period. The licensee
must complete and forward to the board a sworn affidavit and provide
documentation that clearly establishes the period of disability and
resulting physical limitations;
(2) A licensee is called to or is on active duty with
the armed forces of the United States. The licensee must file a copy
of orders to active military duty with the board; or
(3) A licensee submits proof of attendance as a student
in an approved academic program.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §601.20 adopted to be effective June 23, 1997, 22 TexReg 5750; amended to be effective August 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 5808; amended to be effective January 1, 2005, 29 TexReg 11973; amended to be effective January 2, 2008, 32 TexReg 10003; amended to be effective August 30, 2012, 37 TexReg 6594 |
