Section 601.20 - Continuing Education Requirements(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.22 Tex. Admin. Code § 601.20
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