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CM Credit for Educational Events

 

 

Credit Calculation Method

 

CM credit can be claimed if an educational event:

  • Is completed during the Diplomate’s CM cycle,
  • Is targeted to the professional level, advancing or enhancing the person’s technical knowledge and skills
  • Has subject matter content that is:
    • at least one hour of IH- or safety-related material
       – or – 
    • ethics-related (can be any duration)

 

CM credit is claimed at a rate of 0.167 CM points per hour of technical content in the CM Areas of  IH, Safety, or IH Ethics. Fractional points are allowed once the one-hour minimum is achieved for IH or Safety events (e.g., 1.5 hours = 0.25 CM points).

 

Technical Contact Hours

Includes technical portions such as presentations, lectures, breakouts, Q&A, exams, event overview, event recaps, and discussions.

Excludes the non-technical portions such as generic welcome speeches, participant introductions, breaks, meals, networking, exhibitor time, roundtables or discussions with unspecified topics, and social tours.

Courses:

  • Use or claim the technical contact hours as provided by the Sponsor regardless of the actual time it takes to complete the course. Note that some Sponsors use CEUs (1 CEU = 10 technical contact hours). If the total course hours are not provided by the Sponsor, calculate the hours from an agenda or schedule (see note below).
  • Academic courses receive 15 hours (2.5 CM points) per academic semester credit hours, or 10 hours (1.67 CM points) if on the academic quarter-hour system.

Conferences:

  • Claim 3 hours for each half-day of attendance
                                 – or –
  • Track and claim your actual hours of attendance in the technical sessions.

Note: Claiming the maximum time at a conference usually means that you attended every possible technical session and you did not do any non-technical activity, e.g., breaks, networking, vendor visits, awards, social, etc.

As a matter of convenience, most Diplomates use the “3 hours/half day” estimate. As with courses, one (1) hour of technical contact time = 0.167 points.

Calculating the Technical Contact Hours From an Agenda

When calculating the technical contact hours from an agenda or schedule, the time can be:

  • Estimated, using the avg hours/half day, e.g., 2.5 hours/half day X 6 half days = 15 hours
  • Rounded down but not up, e.g., 95 minutes = 1.5 hours
  • Exact, e.g., 75 minutes = 1.25 hours

Claiming CM credit

CM credit is claimed at a rate of 0.167 points per hour (1 CM point = 6 hours) in at least one of the CM Areas (IH, Safety, or IH Ethics).

EX: An 8-hour respiratory protection class can be claimed for 1.34 IH points. A 30-minute Code-of-Conduct class can be claimed for 0.08 IH Ethics points.

If an event has technical content in more than one CM Area, the Diplomate may:

  • Use the one CM Area that is >50% of the technical content                                 – or –
  • Use each of the CM Areas, assigning the time accordingly

EX: An 8 hour PDC is 75% IH and 25% ethics. This could be claimed as either:

  • 8 IH hours (1.34 CM points)
                                – or –
  • 6 IH hours (1 point) and 2 IH ethics hours (0.33 point)

For questions or help: Contact BGC or call 517-321-2638.

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Event Providers

This section contains:

 

BGC® Diplomates are required to attend educational events but the Diplomate, not BGC, will calculate the CM credit for an event. CM credit claimed by Diplomates is based on the technical contact hours of your event. See the CM credit calculation method above to better understand technical vs. non-technical contact hours.

Acceptable events must be IH- or safety-related, with a duration of at least one hour. Ethics events are also acceptable and can be of any duration.

Prior to 2011, BGC provided an event review service where we issued CM points and CM Approval Numbers. That service was discontinued and the use of the CM Approval Numbers is no longer valid or authorized by BGC. BGC encourages all Content Owners/Providers to discontinue the use of the CM Approval Numbers and CM Point values previously awarded by BGC.

Today, BGC Diplomates simply want to know the number of technical contact hours in your event (not the CM points).

  • Suggested Language for Event

    Event Providers or Sponsors are not obligated to communicate the technical contact hours or CEU value (if using the IACET system) for an educational event; however, doing so makes the event more attractive to BGC Diplomates.

    Some suggested language is provided below. BGC does not require you to use this language. If your language deviates significantly from what is listed below or you are concerned about the accuracy and clarity, BGC will be glad to review and provide feedback to you. You will not be obligated to use the BGC feedback.

    One firm rule that BGC does proactively review and enforce: Event Providers or Sponsors should not imply that BGC has approved or endorsed an event, even if the event was previously awarded CM credit by BGC.

    An acceptable certificate of completion for an event typically includes the event title, Sponsor/Provider’s name, date(s) of offering/completion, Participant’s name, location (if pertinent), and the technical contact hours or CEU value.

    Contact Hours  Known?

    Media

    Suggested Language
    Yes Advertising/Marketing “BGC® Diplomates can earn up XX technical contact hours (or CEU value) for this event. See www.GoBGC.org/practitioners_CIH_educationalevents for more information.”
    Certificate of Completion “This event is worth XX technical contact hours (or CEU value).”
    No Advertising/Marketing “BGC® Diplomates can claim CM credit for this event. See www.GoBGC.org/practitioners_CIH_educationalevents for more information.”
    Certificate of Completion “This event can be claimed for CM credit by BGC® Diplomates.”

    Note: events previously awarded CM points by BGC in the area of general “Management” are no longer eligible for CM credit in the BGC system.

    For questions or help, contact BGC at certifications@GoBGC.org or 517-321-2638.

 

 

 

 

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CIH CM Handbook