While most states have some sort of continuing education requirement in order to renew a genetic counseling license, some go beyond that by requiring specific types of trainings. Here's a list of extra requirements for new applications and renewals:
States that require training in order to apply:
Michigan
Requires 2 hours of Implicit Bias training. Read the rules here. While a particular course is not specified by the board, The Michigan Health Council provides a training that appears to meet the requirements. Register here.
Requires a 1-time, 1 hour Human Trafficking course. A particular course is not specified by the board, but here is a recommended free course.
Pennsylvania
Requires a 3-hour course on child abuse prevention through one of their approved providers. Be sure to register using the same name you used for your application, or the registration won't link with your account. Register for a course here. The 3rd option, The University of Pittsburgh's Child Welfare Resource Center, should be free. For registration purposes, you will be applying to PA through the State Board of Medicine. Once complete, it can take up to a week for the certificate to show up in your PA application.
Washington
While not specifically required to be submitted with your application, Washington requires Telehealth training prior to providing Telehealth services in the state. You may take their recommended course by registering here. They will also accept other courses as long as they meet the requirements in their alternative training guide.
States that require training to renew:
Delaware
Delaware requires that health care providers take Mandatory Reporting Training for Medical Professionals through their approved provider. Register here.
Florida
Florida requires a 2-hour Medical Errors Prevention course. The state does not specify a specific course, so we've found a few options: Incredible Health (free), Consultants for the Future ($12), National Healthcare Institute ($9.95), CE Broker ($15)
Illinois
Illinois requires 1 hour of sexual harassment training and 1 hour of implicit bias training for each renewal. Read the rules here. Some sexual harassment trainings can be found here (free) and here ($10). A free implicit bias CME can be found here. You can also use the implicit bias course offered by the Michigan Health Counsel (see above).
Louisiana
Requires a one-time "Laws and Rules" course before your first renewal. Register here.
Maryland
Requires a one-time Implicit Bias course before your first renewal. You can find an approved course here. Note that the Identifying and Addressing Implicit Biases in Healthcare Delivery course is free and will be available until July 5, 2025.
Michigan
Requires 1 hour PER YEAR of Implicit Bias training. (The interactive component requirement is now optional! Pre-recorded sessions are now acceptable). As most licenses renew every 3 years, you'll need 3 hours of training to renew. The hours do not have to be spread out evenly across all 3 years, so one 3 hour course will count as long as it is taken within your renewal period. Read the rules here. While a particular course is not specified by the board, The Michigan Health Council provides a training that appears to meet the requirements. Register here. Note that those who applied before June 2022 did not have to complete the Implicit Bias training before applying, but will have to complete 5 hours before their first renewal instead of the normal 3 hours.
Requires a 1-time, 1 hour Human Trafficking course. A particular course is not specified by the board, but here is a recommended free course.
A minimum of 1 contact hour of continuing education earned in the area of medical ethics.
A minimum of 1 contact hour of continuing education earned in the area of pain and symptom management. A specific course is not specified, but we've found some nursing courses on the subject here and here.
New Jersey
Requires that at least one hour of CEUs (0.1 CEU) be focused on some aspect of medical ethics. The board does not specify any course in particular, but they must be NSGC Category 1 or 2 approved.
Pennsylvania
Requires 2 hours of Child Abuse Prevention Training through one of their approved providers with each renewal. Be sure to register using your name as it appears on your license, or the registration won't link with your account. Register here. The 3rd option, The University of Pittsburgh's Child Welfare Resource Center, should be free. For registration purposes, you will be renewing your PA license with the State Board of Medicine. Once complete, it can take up to a week for the certificate to show up in your PA portal. If you would like to see more training options, the full list of approved courses can be found here.
Virginia
Requires a 1-hour course on human trafficking prior to your 2024 or 2025 renewal. They recommend the Polaris Project for a free course, but will accept other human trafficking courses as well.
Washington
As of November, 2023, requires 2 hours of health equity training every 3 years. For more info and to find free courses, click here.
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind, that as you look for courses for certain states, they (a) MUST offer a certificate stating the course name, provider, date, and length and (b) take a course that have certain words in the title "Pain", "symptom", "Management", "human trafficking", "bias", etc., depending on the course requirement stated by the state. We just want to be on the safe side and not have the course be questioned on its relevance.
Have a tip about a course that meets these requirements that you'd like us to share? Let us know!
Note that these requirements are subject to change at the discretion of the Board. Please defer to the Board if questions or discrepancies arise.
