RACE Standards
Program Application Information
Program approval status expires at the end of two (2) years from the date of approval. Programs may be repeated within the two (2) year Program Approval Period at different locations and/or on different dates, with advance notice in writing (mail or email) to AAVSB. Variations in speaker, presentation method (i.e. live vs. DVD) are NOT the same program, and must be submitted as new programs.
A completed RACE Program Application shall include all of the following information detailed below; incomplete applications will not be considered:
Providers may apply online, or download and mail their information to AAVSB (three complete sets of all materials must be mailed).
RACE cannot consider applications for programs that have occurred in the past, or approve programs retroactively. We recommend that you submit your Program Application at least 45 days in advance of your first course offering.
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Each Program Application shall include a detailed statement of the purpose/objective of the offering and the specific information, concepts and/or skills that participants are expected to obtain when they complete the offering.
As stated in the Definition of RACE-approvable Continuing Education, in order to be considered for RACE approval, a Program must present activities that promote recommendations, treatment or manners of practicing veterinary medicine that are within the definition of RACE-approved CE. Programs shall not be approvable if they present activities that promote treatments that are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or they are not known to be effective in the treatment of animals.
As stated previously, all scientific information referred to, reported or used in RACE-approved CE Program Applications in support or justification of an animal-care recommendation must conform to the medically accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.
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Each Program Application must include a detailed course outline/agenda, which includes start and stop times, topics, and clearly identifies which speaker(s) will present which topic(s)/section(s).
Non-interactive programs must include a detailed course outline that delineates the amount of time a participant will spend on each section of the course. Click here for a sample agenda for non-interactive programs.
The RACE committee may request actual course materials/content ; RACE reserves the right to request these materials when considering courses for approval.
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An appropriate number of presenters for each activity shall be utilized, and the agenda should clearly indicate with speaker(s) present each topic. A speaker biography with credential information (i.e. board certification, advanced degrees, and employment affiliation) is preferred to a full CV unless otherwise requested by the RACE committee. Click here for a fill-able, RACE Speaker Biography template (PDF).
Speakers shall be competent in the subject matter and qualified by education and experience. Qualifications to provide include each presenter’s name, education, credentials, evidence of special knowledge in the subject area being presented, contact information, and employment and other affiliations, as well as any additional details that support the individual’s ability to present the program. Click here for additional information regarding speaker qualifications.
For programs with 15 or more presenters, a speaker list with names, credentials, contact information and affiliations is sufficient, unless the RACE committee requests full biographies.
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Providers shall supply all attendees with evaluation forms to offer them the opportunity to assess each program attended. The evaluation questions must reflect the content of the program as outlined in the Objective Statement and provide participants the opportunity to evaluate the course content. Click here for a Sample Participant Evaluation Form (PDF).
The evaluation form MUST contain the following statement: “This program was reviewed and approved by the AAVSB RACE program for continuing education. Please contact the AAVSB RACE program at race@aavsb.org should you have any comments/concerns regarding this program’s validity or relevancy to the veterinary profession.”
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Provide an individual Certificate of Attendance, at no charge, identifying the participant. There shall be a place for the participant’s name, state and license numbers (to be entered by participant). In the event that final approval has not been received when a program takes place, the Provider must not distribute CE Attendance Certificates until after the approval is complete.
The certificate form must contain the following statement: “Course meets the requirements for hours of continuing education in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however, participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery.” The certificate shall be signed by the course instructor, provider or provider designee, and shall specify:
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Title of the offering
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Provider name and address
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RACE Provider number
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Date of offering
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Subject Matter Category(ies) (as indicated on the RACE Program Application)
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Method(s) of Delivery (as indicated on the RACE Program Application)
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Number of contact hours earned per subject-matter category
Click here for a fill-able, Sample Certificate of Attendance form (PDF).
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(If applicable; may be in draft format) If available, draft or actual advertisement/promotional materials must be submitted in order to show that these materials reflect the same course as the agenda and objectives submitted. Must include RACE-required language; please refer to Section 6.08 for more information regarding program advertising.
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(If applicable) If the program has a co-sponsor(s), a copy of the agreement between the Provider and co-sponsor(s) must be included which shows that the Provider remains responsible for meeting all RACE Standards. Click here for a fill-able, sample Co-Sponsor Agreement form (PDF).
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(If applicable) For non-interactive programs (e.g. self-study, online) only; click here for additional information about non-interactive programs.
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Click here for additional information regarding RACE Continuing Education Program Requirements.