Advanced Live CE Criteria

Please note: ASA is not currently accepting and/or processing CE credits. 

Last year, the National Board for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) announced that the certification cycle for CSTs and CSFAs will be changed from four to two years stating:

"Effective January 1, 2020, the phase-in of a two-year certification renewal cycle requirement for both the Certified Surgical Technologists and the Certified Surgical First Assistants will begin." For details go here: https://www.nbstsa.org/renewals-recertification

CST's will be required to earn a total of 30 CE credits including 4 defined as advanced and CSFA's will be required to earn 38 CE credits including 8 defined as advanced.

Working collaboratively, AST and the NBSTSA have approved the following definition of Advanced CE:

"CE sessions conducted by physicians at AST-approved conferences and workshops, AST state assembly meetings, employer in-services, grand rounds, physician professional meetings and by manufacturers intended for physicians."

Examples of advanced CE that will be accepted and processed for recertification include:

  • CE taught by physicians at AST conference will be defined as advanced-live (for example, at the 2019 annual conference there were 18 educational sessions taught by physicians).
  • CE taught by physicians at state assembly meeting are defined as advanced-live (for example, in 2018 there were 91 state assembly meetings with 235 educational sessions taught by physicians).
  • In addition to all of the physician organizations whose CE is defined as advanced/live (for example, ACS, AAOS, AMA, and about 20 other physician organizations), CE from many colleges, hospitals, and others accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) are also defined as advanced-live CE.
  • As noted above, any employer (for example, hospitals, surgical centers) in-services taught by physicians are defined as advanced-live CE.
  • There are also numerous examples of manufacturer taught CE provided by employers and at state assembly meetings that were developed for physicians that are also provided to CSTs and CSFAs are defined as advanced-live CE (for example, DaVinci surgical robot hands-on training).


*Note: AST accepts CE credits offered at live events, (e.g. conferences, forums, symposiums, workshops), including AMA PRA Category 1 Credits, that are offered by organizations which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) or the organization's live event is approved by a separate organizations that is ACCME accredited.
 

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