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Decide if you want to become certified by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) or the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE).  Both organizations are reputable and have nearly identical requirements.  The NCBDE certification is strictly focused on education.  The AADE’s Board Certified-Advanced Diabetes Management certification, however, allows you to not only educate patients with diabetes, but also to participate in research and mentoring, adjust medications, and treat diabetes symptoms and complications.  For some people, the choice may come down to how much money and time you wish to spend on getting certified. The AADE certification is more expensive and might require a longer time investment than NCBDE certification.  You do not need to obtain both types of certification, but it might improve your career opportunities. Relevant jobs include pharmacist, occupational or physical therapist, Dietitian, nurse, or other medical professional who provides diabetes self-management education (DSME) as part of their routine duties.  You might also qualify if you have an advanced degree in a health-related field or concentration.  DSME is defined as any activity by a healthcare professional that helps patients with diabetes understand and manage their condition.  For the NCBDE certification, you need at least two years’ experience in your field and at least 1,000 hours of  (DSME) experience.  You must have worked at least 40% of these hours (400 hours) within in the last year.  Certification with the AADE requires 500 practice hours over the course of the last four years.  NCBDE certification allows volunteer experience with a medical agency or health clinic to count toward your hourly total.  If you don’t work in the field but still want to obtain NCBDE certification, you must provide an official transcript of your advanced degree coursework and a copy of your academic degree.  The rest of your requirements are identical to a traditional applicant. While AADE certification has no continuing education requirement, the NCBDE certification does.  In addition to relevant work experience, you’ll need at least 15 clock hours (not credit hours) of continuing education within the two years prior to submitting your application.  These courses must be provided by an organization or institution approved by the NCBDE.  Unlike credit hours, clock hours are counted in a simple, linear way.  For instance, attending a class for two hours will earn you two clock hours. The American Medical Association, the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and similar organizations offer continuing education opportunities for diabetes educators. A full list of continuing education providers is available online at http://www.ncbde.org/currently_certified/recognized-provider-list/. Continuing education cannot involve volunteering, original research, poster sessions or exhibits, writing an article or book, or academic courses.  Acceptable continuing education activities include approved online programs, conferences, workshops, seminars, and independent study courses.
Choose the certification that is right for you. Obtain relevant work experience. Meet your continuing education requirements.