Continuing Education Credit Request Forms

The deadline to return completed packets to the AAFS Office is April, 24, 2024.

CONTINUING EDUCATION STATEMENTS

General Information

All meeting sessions are lectures with one or more speakers. Continuing professional education credits will be offered for physicians, dentists, and attorneys. Continuing education credit applications will be submitted for physicians, nurses, and dentists. Attorneys may request CLE credit; please see the "Legal" section.

To register for continuing education credit, please complete the appropriate section on the meeting Registration Form. An individual must be a registrant to obtain continuing education credit. Fees charged for continuing education credits are based on projected costs of providing the various types of continuing education credit. The AAFS has adopted a user-pay approach so that those individuals who benefit from the specific continuing education program are responsible for the costs incurred.

In order to be in compliance with accrediting organizations, introductions and breaks have been deducted from the total hours. Please note that continuing education credit is not available for all sessions. All continuing education credit recipients will receive certificates with the number of continuing education hours awarded. Attendance reports are filed with the appropriate state or national agency, as required.

Learning Objectives of the AAFS Continuing Education Program

Recognize the perspectives and roles of the various forensic science disciplines
Assess current concepts and practices
Discuss relevant forensic science issues related to science, evidence and the law
Identify strategies for researching descriptive studies, technology and methods, diagnostics, interpretation and testimony
Review administrative functions performed by forensic scientists

American Board of Criminalists Approval

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is approved by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) to offer continuing education points for approved workshops for criminalists and forensic scientists. The ABC maintains responsibility for the program, and credit may be awarded to ABC Fellows, Diplomates, and Affiliates.

Overall Purpose and Objective Statements for Major Aspects of AAFS Programs

Workshops and Special Sessions

Purpose: To provide an opportunity for experts to present material and to lead discussion and practical exercises related to forensic science methods, procedures, diagnosis, investigation, professional relations and practices, communication, administration, and professional development.

Learning Overview: Detailed individually in each workshop and special session announcement and description.

Plenary and Keynote Sessions

Purpose: To provide a multidisciplinary presentation and discussion of issues related to the forensic science profession.

Learning Overview: Attendees will be able to: a) identify the challenges the forensic science profession has faced and will continue to face in terms of ensuring quality; b) identify ways to deal with the variances each challenge presents; and c) identify the entities which have influence over setting the quality standards in the field of forensic science.

Oral and Poster Section Scientific Sessions

Purpose: To provide an opportunity for presentation and discussion of case reports, descriptive studies, review presentations, research, administrative issues, and investigative/diagnostic methods regarding topics and issues of importance to a primary discipline among the forensic sciences.

Learning Overview: To meet the educational objectives stated by each presenter for his/her presentation.

Last Word Society

Purpose: To provide a retrospective forensic analysis of historical events and to provide education about the history and evolution of forensic sciences as well as the modern methods and technologies used to re-examine past events of forensic science interest. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of the original opinions and case outcome and on the development of newer hypotheses based on the re-analysis.

Learning Overview: To meet the educational objectives stated by each presenter for his/her presentation.

Guidelines For Claiming Credit

As the sponsor of Continuing Education Credit, the AAFS recognizes that the forensic science disciplines are inextricably linked and that interdisciplinary knowledge is critical to promote competence in forensic practice. As a result, the claiming of credit for various continuing education activities related to medicine, dentistry, law, and other forensic disciplines need not be limited to one's primary professional specialty. For example, a forensic pathologist from the Pathology/Biology Section may gain very useful and relevant information by attending a presentation in the Anthropology Section scientific session. It is appropriate to claim continuing medical education credit for that session. Many other examples exist where the claiming of continuing education credit is appropriate for attending sessions that cover material related to, but which lay outside of, one's primary professional area of expertise.

It is the conference attendee's responsibility to document which program sessions were attended and to determine those sessions for which continuing education credit may be claimed. The AAFS operates under the assumption that meeting attendees will, in general, be unlikely to attend sessions that will not be beneficial to their professional practice and that the claim for continuing education credit is justified if a session contains scientific or practice-related information that may bring new knowledge, may affirm current knowledge, or may provide information that could possibly modify one's professional practices.

Those who wish to receive continuing education credit must register and pay the Continuing Education Credit fee on the meeting Registration Form. CE Credit Request Forms will be available on the AAFS website. The completed forms must be returned to AAFS by the designated deadline.

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Science. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education Credit

The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 45.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Dental Continuing Education Credit

This continuing education activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts between Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of the credit hours by boards of dentistry. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this activity for 45.75 continuing education credits. Concerns or complaints about a CE Provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at www.ada.org/cerp.

Legal Continuing Education Credit

Continuing legal education credit will be awarded on an hour-for-hour basis. Attorneys may file the AAFS-issued CLE certificate with their respective state bars.

Non Physician Continuing Education Credit

A general non physician certificate of attendance will be available.

General Continuing Education Credit

General continuing education credit is offered for those practicing the various forensic science disciplines not represented in the aforementioned list.