Continuing Education
The Minnesota Board of Optometry will review the current national COPE definitions used to assign Minnesota CE “FORMAT/Presentation” rules.
The Minnesota Board of Optometry reviewed and utilizes the current national COPE definitions. For Minnesota, LIVE and Interactive Distance Learning are considered as LIVE.
LIVE: A live format is when the instructor is in the same room with the participants, even if other formats are used as audiovisual aids for teaching the course. The instructor is face to-face with the audience and can touch the participants.
1. CE: There is no post-course test.
2. CEE (Continuing Education with Examination): There is a post-course test.
DISTANCE LEARNING/MULTIMEDIA: The course instructor is not physically present (not face to face).
1. Interactive Distance Learning: (Minnesota Format = Live credit) • Examples: Webinar, video conference, teleconference, or other format that allows for immediate interaction and feedback between the audience and the instructor. Once the event has taken place, learners may no longer participate in that activity. In Minnesota, this is considered a LIVE Continuing Education Event
2. Enduring Distance Learning (Minnesota Format = Non-Live/Non-Interactive): • Examples: Webcast, podcast, video, journal, website, written or other format that provides one-way content to the audience without immediate interaction with the instructor. There is not just one time on one day to participate in the activity, rather, the participant determines when he/she participates. In Minnesota, this is considered ‘non-interactive’ and limited to 15 hours per two-year CE cycle.
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Requirement |
Clock Hours |
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Total Continuing Education for Two year period |
40 minimum |
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Subcategories: Not to Exceed |
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Correspondence or Internet (non-live) |
15 maximum |
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Practice Management |
6 maximum |
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Beginning in July, 2013, The Minnesota Board endorsed the use of OE Tracker with all documented Continuing Education clock hours are recorded into the single location at OE Tracker. OE Tracker allows for both Council of Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) or nationally approved and Non-COPE (Minnesota approved CE) to be uploaded into one OE Tracker account. They are entered once approved by the accrediting body and the attendance validated by the sponsor via two methods:
1.COPE Approved: are sent in directly by the CE Sponsor. If the OD is enrolled and the vendor does not submit them, they may also scan, fax or mail them in directly. The Board encourages you to ask the vendor to send the documented attendance directly to OE Tracker.
2.Minnesota Approved only will be validated with an identifier such as (MN14-001-XX) and sent in by the Minnesota CE sponsor, Minnesota Board of Optometry or the OD.
As you attend approved Continuing Education events, please verify with the sponsor that they have submitted your attendance validation to OE Tracker. You will no longer need to keep track of any paper certificates, nor any record keeping through OE Tracker for your Minnesota license.
If you are submitting CE for preparation and presenting at a national seminar or academic presentations for CE credit, an Application for Experiential CE Approval is found on the Minnesota website. For those options, the Minnesota Board will approve/deny and send in the approval directly to OE Tracker. Please complete those within 21 days of the event to avoid any unnecessary delays.
The new OE TRACKER mobile app is now available for tracking your attendance at COPE CE courses. You can download the app to your iPhone or Android phone and use it to instantly send your attendance of the courses to OE TRACKER. Not only is it easy, but the app is FREE and can be used by anyone who has an OE TRACKER number. You can also scan and email, fax or mail a copy of the certificate to OE Tracker and it will be added to your OE Tracker record.
The Contact information is:
email directly to OE Tracker: arbo@arbo.org
or
Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry
200 South College Street, Suite 2030
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-970-2710
Fax: 704-970-2720