SSMLT PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Read it here or download it.         PIP Guidelines

PIP Submission Form:                 PIP Form (CE Credits)       

Guidelines

(Amended June 2005)

The purpose of the Professional Improvement Program (PIP) is not only to enhance short-term knowledge and technical skills, but to provide a mechanism that will encourage the life long learning skills which are essential to medical laboratory technologists throughout their careers.

The PIP requires that a minimum of 2.0 CE Credits be obtained in the five-year period immediately preceding the year in which a license is sought.  Members may choose to obtain all their CE Credits in Category 1; Credits in Category 2 and 3 are optional.

The SSMLT Executive Director and Registrar will audit 20% of the licensed members in each calendar year to validate their CE Credits. Licensed members and new applicants who have not met the PIP requirements will be required to complete their 2.0 CE Credits within four months while working on a Temporary License.  Special cases/extenuating circumstances will be reviewed by the SSMLT Education, Marketing, and Development Committee.

 1.0 CE Credit is equivalent to 15 contact hours.

 CE activities that have been converted to practice hours cannot be used for PIP Credits.

 CATEGORY 1  -        Formal Professional Education Activities

(at least 1.0 Credit must be obtained in Category 1 in the previous five-year period)

To be included in this category, activities must be directly related to the Disciplines of Medical Laboratory Technology and/or the medical practice, such as:

Presenting lectures/scientific posters at conferences; writing scientific review articles for journals/newsletters; completion of activities such as accredited courses and attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops, lectures, or other educational activities where there is individualized proof of attendance (e.g. receipt for registration fee, certificate of attendance/completion, transcript of marks, etc.)

 CATEGORY 2  -         Informal and Personal Education  Activities

(a maximum of 0.5 Credits may be counted in Category 2 in the previous five-year period)

To be included in this category, activities may be formal in nature and utilized within the practice of Medical Laboratory Technology but not directly related to the Disciplines of Medical Laboratory Technology, such as Computer Courses., First Aid, CPR, WHIMIS, In-services, etc., or:

 Activities such as reviewing loan library material, reading professionally related articles in scientific journals, and any other educational activity for which there is no documentation (a list of activities and the number of contact hours for each activity must be recorded)

 CATEGORY 3  -         Professional Activities 

(a maximum of 0.5 Credits may be counted in Category 3 in the previous five-year period)

 Professional activities such as serving on SSMLT and /or CSMLS boards, councils or committees; serving on workplace QA Committees, OHS Committees, etc. (a list of activities and the number of contact hours for each activity must be recorded)

Completion of Documentation Forms

 1.    All information must be as complete as possible.  Missing information may cause a delay in assessing credits.

 2.   Documentation for Category 1 credits may take the form of:

·        receipts for fees for attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops or lectures (provide a copy of the program to validate the number of days/hours and the content)

·        certificates of achievement/transcripts of marks for completion of courses

·        a copy of the conference program at which a lecture is presented by the applicant

·        a copy of the publication containing a scientific review article written by the applicant

·        any other documentation that proves participation in the educational activity

(The number of contact hours must be indicated.) 

 3.    Be sure to list ALL activities undertaken in ALL categories. If one activity is not eligible, there may be other activities that are eligible under that category.

 4.    Credits earned are in effect for five years from the date they are earned, not just for the year in which they are reported.

 5.   All activities should be recorded using the Documentation Form that is provided with your Annual Renewal Form.  Your actual documentation should be saved in your personal files (may be filed in your SSMLT Personal Professional Profile Portfolio) until it is requested at the time of an audit for CE Credits. 

 6.   Courses taken for Category 1 Credits, which are not SSMLT/CSMLS Accredited, may be submitted to the SSMLT Education, Marketing, and Development Committee for credit assessment.  It is wise to have these courses assessed before submitting them for PIP Credits.

 7.    Courses or activities for which there is no documentation may be submitted for Category 2 Credits.

 8.    1.0 CE credit is equivalent to 15 contact hours.

Contact hours do not include examination or assignment time, only the number of hours of instruction or the number of hours required to review the material.  This is the basis upon which the SSMLT will assign credits to courses not already assigned CSMLS credits.  Some examples of credit assignment are as follows:

 ·                    Formal Professional Education Activities:

 Courses with assignments and/or examinations - 1.0   credit/15 contact hours

 Attendance at conferences, seminars, and workshops - 0.3 credits/day of attendance (credits will be pro-rated for attendance of less than one day)

 ·                    Informal and Personal Education  Activities:

Credits based solely on time spent on such activities - 1.0  credit/15 contact hours

·                    Professional activities:

Credits based solely on time spent on such activities - 1.0   credit/15 contact hours

 9.    If you have any questions about the eligibility of your CE activities for credits, please contact the SSMLT Offfice:

Box 3837                                       Phone and fax: 352-6791
      Regina, SK, S4P 3R8                     E-mail: exec.dir@ssmlt.ca

Toll free number for calls or faxes from members not residing in Regina: 1-877-334-3301