Online Continuing Education: What You May Have Missed at the 2013 Annual Session
Gary R. Hartwell, D.D.S., M.S.
Many AAE members recently returned from Honolulu, where the AAE hosted its 2013 Annual Session, while others were unable to attend for a variety of reasons. While nothing can take the place of a live meeting and the networking and social opportunities available, access to the CE opportunities offered in Hawaii is conveniently available online through the AAE's Live Learning Center. Presentations captured and available from the 2013 Annual Session on the Live Learning Center include topics such as: endodontic surgery, tissue engineering, stem cell research, regenerative endodontics, pain mechanisms, infectious diseases, systemic disease and endodontics, clinical applications of CBCT in endodontic practice, practice administration, practice transitions, advanced clinical endodontic techniques and endodontic outcomes. This is certainly not the complete list, but gives one an idea of the topics presented and captured at the Annual Session. I encourage each of you to visit the LLC and take advantage of all its continuing education opportunities.
The LLC is endodontists' No. 1 source of online CE. For AAE members who need on-demand access to high-quality education, the LLC is the site that provides the most complete and reliable endodontic subject matter available today. Correspondence courses were the forefront of distance learning, but technology has allowed educational experiences to resemble “being there.”
The Live Learning Center was established in 2008 and is an online library of endodontic topics, speakers and articles available 24/7 at users' convenience. We have it all—session recordings from AAE meetings, speaker handouts, MP3 files for listening on your smartphone or other device, Journal of Endodontics articles, ENDODONTICS: Colleagues for Excellence newsletters—and the 700+ hours of content are offered at an incredibly low price. Purchased via the AAE member dues statement, endodontists pay a discounted rate of $150 for an entire year of unlimited access (less than 35 cents per CE credit hour), while educators, dental students and endodontic professional staff pay the discounted rate of $50 (less than 15 cents per credit hour)! The LLC is also available at the standard rates ($250/$85) in the AAE online store for those who choose to purchase the subscription after the membership renewal period.
Earning CE with the LLC is simple—view or read your chosen content in its entirety, complete an evaluation, complete a test on the content with a score of 70% or higher, and then download or print your Verification of Participation letter. The AAE is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider, and CE is awarded for most all LLC courses (some states have a maximum number of online CE hours so you should check with your own state for any limitations).
Educators can use the LLC as a teaching tool and resource. Students with a subscription can expand their knowledge base and use it as a supplement to faculty lectures. International members can have access to the majority of education from AAE events at a fraction of the cost. And for members, the convenience of earning CE on their own time, on demand, is unparalleled.
The AAE is ahead of the curve in offering this distance CE solution to its members, and with an upcoming revamp of the LLC software, this technology will be easier to use than ever. Take a look at a sample of what the LLC offers by previewing a presentation by Dr. Kenneth M. Hargreaves from the 2012 Annual Session titled “An Evidence-Based Approach to Treating Endodontic Pain.” Learn more about the LLC at www.aae.org/livelearningcenter, and pay for your subscription with your AAE dues renewal today!