There are always small changes to certification. The test obviously changes constantly. The newest changes are from the AAMI side. AAMI has a new website and a new way of doing things. They also have a new director of its certification programs in Sherrie Schlte. The following is taken from an email I received from AAMI. Many of you might have received the same email.
“One way that you can help us is by making sure AAMI has your most updated information, especially your address and email address, in our database. We recently mailed certification renewals for those of you in a certification cycle ending in 2015, so you should be seeing them in the mail now. If you do not receive one and you believe you should have, most likely this is due to a wrong address. You can email us with an address change or change it yourself by logging on to your AAMI account. You can also update your address on the renewal if you would like to and we will make any edits to the database that we need,” the email reads.
“One question that we have been getting a lot is, ‘What is going on with the online journal? Is it coming back?’ The old online journal will not return in its previous format. If you have information in the old journal and would like us to retrieve it and send you a PDF version please email aci@aami.org and we will get that out to you as soon as possible. Staff is working on developing a new system that will allow certified professionals to electronically submit their continuing education. The system will communicate directly with our database and should be available for your use in 2016,” the email continues. “While things have not always run as smoothly as we would have liked over the past several months, I can assure you that we are striving to make things right by putting procedures in place that will streamline certification activities. My goal is to communicate with you several times a year to ensure all certified professionals are up to date with program updates, changes and policies. If you ever have any comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly at sschulte@aami.org or call 703-647-2776. I will be more than happy to discuss them with you.”
From reading this email you will know that the online journal is no longer available. For now the journal is a paper that you print and fill in. It requires your supervisor’s signature and yours at the bottom of the form. It is available on the AAMI site. I recommend you go to the site and check to see when your renewal is due if you don’t already know.
The renewal fees have also gone up. Fees for AAMI members: Primary Certification: CQSM, CHTM, CCE, CBET, CRES, CLES: $100. Additional Certifications: $50 – each. Recertification fees for non-members: Primary Certification: CQSM, CHTM, CCE, CBET, CRES, CLES: $150. Additional Certifications: $75 each.
This brings me to my next point. AAMI has an associate membership. This membership is $85. So you can see the advantage of getting this membership with the cost of certification renewal. If you have one certification it will save you $50. If you have more than one certification then the associate membership almost pays for itself. The other advantage of being an AAMI associate member is a discount on their products and access to online information, including publications. The other part is you can claim 0.5 points a year toward renewal points (1.5 points over three-year period) for being a member of a professional society. One part that didn’t change is that you still need 15 points for the three-year period.
My last word of advice is if your certification renewal is due this year then you need to start working on it ASAP because it is going to take a little more time and effort to complete the form and mail it. You may also need to get information that used to be in your journal by contacting AAMI. The best way is just to keep up to date and do it early.
