Clinical Instructorship


Clinical Instructorship

In recognition of the teaching, guidance, and evaluation of ACC Sonography students, the Sonography Program is very happy to provide 6 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits per calendar year free of charge to all sonographers who work with students.

SDMS CME Policies and Procedures

Clinical instructors affiliated with a CAAHEP accredited sonography education program can receive up to six (6) CME credits per calendar year for providing student instruction. One (1) SDMS CME credit may be awarded for two (2) hours of clinical instruction. Student instruction includes:

  • Observing the student perform the examination or part of the examination and offering technical tips and protocol suggestions.
  • Reviewing the images with the student after the examination and discussing pathology, pathophysiology, anatomy, differential diagnosis, expected clinical manifestations, technique or laboratory values of certain conditions.

Note: Time spent “in the room” with the student and not providing instruction is not considered educational and is not eligible for CME credit. ARRT does not currently accept CME credits for clinical instructorship.

ACC Sonography Program CME for CI Procedure

To obtain CME credits, the sonographer must utilize the SDMS Continuing Medical Education Clinical Instructor Log form found in the blue ACC Clinical Binder provided to each Clinical Affiliate department. Additional copies of the Log form can be made as needed.

The sonographer must track the time spent with the student during the clinical rotation. The name on the Log must be exactly the same as is shown on the sonographer’s registry card. Both the sonographer and the student must sign the form before it is submitted.

The form must be submitted to the Sonography Department Chair by the end of the semester listed on the form. A separate form should be used if the sonographer works with more than one student during the semester or clinical rotation. The sonographer sends the form in a sealed envelope to the Department Chair via the student or gives the form to an ACC Sonography faculty member.

Note: Due to SDMS online CME system accessibility restrictions, CMEs for Clinical Instructorship CMEs cannot be awarded retroactively. You must submit your Log at the end of the semester in which you are working with the student signing the Log form.

The Sonography Department Chair receives the Log form, calculates the total number of CME credits awarded on the submitted form (a maximum of 6 per calendar year), and enters the sonographer’s credits into the SDMS online CME system, usually within 1 week of receiving the Log.

The SDMS then sends an email message to the sonographer with a link to his/her CME credit certificate. If the sonographer is a member of the SDMS, CME credits for Clinical Instructorship are automatically tracked and retained by the SDMS.

CAAHEP accredited sonography programs are allowed to provide CMEs for Clinical Instructorship on a three-year schedule. For example, the ACC Sonography Department Chair currently has access to the years of 2011, 2012, and 2013. In January of 2014 the previous three years will be removed from the system and the Department Chair cannot add any participants or access the Logs from the three previous years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was my CME for Clinical Instructorship Log returned to me?

One or more of the following may have occurred:

  • Your information on the form was incomplete. Please be sure to list all pertinent information in top portion of the form and return the Log to the Department Chair. Your birth date is not needed if an ARDMS, CCI, or ARRT registry number is listed.
  • You did not list your name as it is found on your registry card from the ARDMS, CCI, or ARRT. Correct your name on your Log and return it to the Department Chair.
  • The Department Chair wasn’t able to read your writing. The spaces on the form are small and cannot be enlarged by the Program (SDMS form must be used). Please be sure to write small and legibly so that the correct information can be entered into the SDMS online CME system, and so that you can obtain your CMEs as quickly as possible.
  • Your signature and/or the student signatures were missing. Please complete all signature requirements and return the Log to the Department Chair. It’s best to have the student sign your completed form before the end of the semester.

Why haven't I received my CME certificate? I sent in my completed Log several months ago.

CMEs for Clinical Instructorship are entered into the SDMS online CME system within 1 week of receipt by the Department Chair, so one of following may have occurred:

  • The email address you provided on the Log was your work email and your email system rejected the message from the SDMS with the link to your CME certificate. Please check with the Department Chair via email to provide a personal email address for the SDMS online CME system.
  • The email address you provided may have been entered incorrectly into the SDMS online CME system. Please check with the Department Chair via email to ensure that your email address was entered correctly.

I lost my CME certificate and I need a hard copy of it. Can you send me one?

One of the following can be done to help you:

  • The Department Chair can resend the CME information to the SDMS online CME system and another email from the SDMS with the link to your certificate will be sent.
  • The Department Chair can print out your certificate and send it to you via mail. You will need to provide a home address for the certificate to be mailed to you.
  • If you lost a certificate from a year prior to the current three-year period and you are a SDMS member, you can get a copy from the SDMS CME Transcript section.
  • If you lost a certificate from a year prior to the current three-year period and you are NOT a SDMS member, you will not be able to get another copy of the lost certificate. The ACC Sonography Program has not maintained hard copies of the certificates since the SDMS moved to the online CME system several years ago.

If you have any questions about Clinical Instructorships offered by the ACC Sonography Department, please contact the Department Chair at (512) 223-5944 or [email protected].

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