Update

Hi folks,

It has been a long dry summer for NRCME. A little glimmer has been indicated by the FMCSA for May of 2010 as the release date and August to begin implementation.

Updates for you:

TeamCME and Western States Chiropractic College will have two large seminars. October 22-25 in Portland, OR and November 14-18 in Orlando, FL. Get certified in all DOT medical requirements, Drug collections, Breath alcohol and get up to date on the NRCME program by being one of the first to see NRCME Training Systems, NEW training program. By enrolling, you will be eligible for discounted training later this fall, all winter and into the spring of next year.

NRCME Plus+ Training System is now up to 21 modules of quality training material that will make you one of the best NRCME examiners in the country. Click here for the brochure...

http://www.wschiro.edu/images/stories/PDF/CE/continuing_ed_august09/dot%20brochure%20final%202009%20with%20section%20fees.pdf

NRCME Update- May 09

Hi folks, I know you have been waiting for the final rule to be released and get that training going, but there have been delays in the FMCSA. On my trip to LA two weeks ago, I heard Linda Phillips, the FMCSA representative for the NRCME program provide information that the program will not be released until the spring of 2010. This came as a shock to those of us in attendance. No specific reason was given other than there were "regulatory issues." However, once enacted all examiners across the country will be required to participate in training and pass the Federal NRCME examination.

What does this mean? I would say getting started now is going to be important. Get up to date and get ready. But how? Our NRCME Plus+ Training System is about six weeks from roll out. At the request of TeamCME, we are going to pre-release the online version of our program. It will provide the examiner with above average expertise in DOT examinations. Also, we have a DOT Exam video that can be obtained as well. Go to our website at www.nrcme.com and sign up to be on our mailing list. This should provide you up to date info. More later....

....well, we're waiting!!

Thanks to all those who have contacted me and have been eagerly awaiting the FMCSA's final ruling on the NRCME program. I am sure it is taking a long time because of all the details they have been ironing out, but in Ted Knight's famous "Caddyshack" line" "...well, we're waiting!" No news at this point to report. I took a little vacation to frigid Florida the last week of March. I had my laptop and blackberry with eyes peeled on the FMCSA, and no news. Very quiet from them as they most likely scurry to put the finishing touches on the program. I will keep you all posted. Remember if you don't have time to blog or ask questions an just want to be kept informed, please make sure you go to the www.nrcme.com website front page and sign up for email updates. OK, later.

FMCSA Update

Hi everyone. My good friend Mike MeGeehee from Oregon sent out an email today explaining in his democratic way, his frustration with the FMCSA ruling finalization. Mike has started a company that where future NRCME examiners will be able to sign up and Mike is trying to create a resource of examiners for companies that are sure to be looking for NRCME examiners over the years to come. Great idea. He is a sharpie in my book. You can sign up at www.teamcme.com and it is free to sign up as a potential examiner for TeamCME.

Mike and Western States Chiropractic College will be having a convention after the NRCME final rule is published. His attempt is to train doctors to take the NRCME examination. I think it is a noble attempt but it is a uphill battle. Believe me, I have taken the core FMCSA training (so has Mike)and the examination and I firmly believe that in a lecture type of setting, there will be so many questions that the material will be tough to get through so everyone understands it. My guess is at least three six hour lecture days. I noted in the comments section of the 30 day comment period for the NRCME ruling docket, a doctor in Chicago is planning didactic training as well. The American Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine just had a "training" in Tampa this past week. One day! Wow, they must really be smart! The Academy is jumping the gun. No one has the true core requirements for training, I think they are sensationalizing a bit for attendance sake.

My point is this: Do we really want to travel for this training? I certainly don't. I expect by the time each examiner travels, stays in a hotel and pays for the seminar, they will have most likely around $1200 invested. It LOOKS like the FMCSA will allow online training for the NRCME precursor. Our program is pretty robust and will allow anyone to take the training in the comfort of their office.

We will have statistical tracking information and hopefully will be able, once the exam is being taken by our clients, to report pass/fail rates, so each examiner knows their chances. Heck, even if a person fails when they use the NRCME Plus+ system, they get another 30 days access free to go through the training again. Nice thing about it, our team will be able to make changes immediately as the program proceeds. We won't have to change and reprint notes.. saves trees! Later.

A week of work...

That is an understatement. When the NRCME released its original requirements on December 1, 2008, it was obvious that it would be a task to develop a training program that would meet its requirements for continuing medical education. Our thought was that in order to make this program seemless, as is our intent, we needed to garner a quality CME organization. ACCME is the standard in approval for all medical continuing education. In order to receive ACCME individual certification for NRCME Plus+, we would have to go through a substantial certification process. Fortunately, after speaking with ACCME, (very helpful BTW)they forwarded me about 300partners that have already "invented the wheel." I eventually settled on Oakstone Medical Publishing out of Birmingham, AL. Good choice. They have been fantastic this week. Anna Carillo, of Oakstone -- CME Director, has been outstanding. Through about 30 emails this week alone, partnering with FlexTraining out of Tampa, FL and our representative Scott Lehr, we are progressing towards a CME certificate for each examiner across all five examiner categories. Also, we have been working this week with our nursing CME provider (working through Oakstone)Just when I thought I had filled out application after application, we have more. This is just part of the process of getting the system certified across the board. The easy part is the M.D.'s, D.O.'s and P.A.s. Our D.C. system was going to originally go through Logan College of Chiropractic's post graduate program, but the logistics of handling the other four and then the D.C.'s separately, would be a herculean task. Oakstone will be handling all five categories. How nice to have one contact to speak with when there are problems!

Hope to hear soon where the NRCME final rule release will occur. I think March. We will see... keep you posted.

Blood Pressure for DOT Physicals Video

Our NTS idea

My goal of providing NRCME training stemmed from my first WIPT meeting in Washington, D.C. nearly 5 years ago. At the inception of this program, I realized that training would be in short supply, but examiners would have to be trained. So when the time came as we were designing the NRCME program, where content and examination questions were to be developed, our guide in this process asked if any of us were considering the training route. Another gentleman and myself expressed interest. We were then told we could be excused from the WIPT at that point (you cannot design training if you know all the questions on the test!) We receieved beautiful certificates from the FMCSA and off I went.

Immediately, I secured NRCME.com from Network Solutions. I also secured NRCME.net. Soon after, based on nearly 206 defined tasks that we all worked from, I began developing a training program.

My idea was to provide an online training experience for all examiners, no matter their background. In the FMCSA's eyes, we are all the same. We will all take training and we will all take an examination. If we pass, we will be NRCME examiners. Another thought I had was that a few of my friends suggested that I would be travelling a LOT based on training needs across the country. Over the past three years, I have travelled quite a bit training doctors offices in drug collection and breath alcohol testing, oh, and physicals. Sort of a one stop shop type of idea. (www.trioclinics.com) This was successful as doctors across the country have realized they need more cash. Period. Less insurance. What better way to do that than to tap into a government mandated system. The rub came in when I was bouncing around in turbo-prop aircraft through the mountains of Idaho, and the days away from my three youngsters. ( I am not much of a traveller!) One night flying back to St. Louis from Denver, I realized that the way to do this is to provide on line training.

The FMCSA has realized this. They will most likely allow a one day training session didacticly such as a seminar or on line training. Now, I ask you, what would you rather do... fly away, stay in a hotel, plop down in a seminar room full of big heads that continually interrupt the speaker with fool questions (or they just dozed off and missed something.... there is always one or two in the crowd.. you know what I mean) miss two or three days of your practice and fly home only to see a credit card bill of $1200. AND you didn't really get all the info that you thought you would.

OR

Sit in your home or office. Log on with a cup of coffee a pen and some paper and be walked through a training system supported by a vast library of printable, bindable documents for your office access... and take up to a month to do it. Take quizzes, review at your leisure and take a final online examination that will allow you to take the Federal NRCME examination with the confidence that you will pass. PLUS, get 12 category 1 CME hours.... all for under $500.

Now, if you just need to get away, I can understand that, but for most of us, getting away is with my Harley or my kids and wife. No desire to fly to some destination to hear a stuffed shirt.

Anyway, that is my plan. So far it is working. We will go online with nearly 17 modules and almost 600 slides of hard core CAT 1 physical exam training that will meet and EXCEED NRCME core requirements. You can sign up and I will let you know when the program is ready to go. (www.nrcme.com) Blog away. Let me know what you think. I am anxious to hear from you.

Clinton M. (Marc) Smith, D.C.