1. What kind of credit do VLH courses offer?
2. Do I have to take and pass an exam in order to earn CME credit?
3. Where are my certificates stored?
4. How do I redeem and pay for my certificate?
5. How do I view and/or print out my certificate?
6. What if my certificate isn't on my VLH Certificates page?
7. Is AAFP Prescribed credit valid for the PRA?
8. What about special CME requirements I may have?

The VLH offers continuing medical education (CME) credit in two types (AMA Category 1 and AAFP Prescribed credit) for physicans/PAs/APNs. The course catalog and course information pages (the pages immediately preceding the start page of each program) contain information about the credit type offered for each course/program. AMA Category 1 and AAFP Prescribed credit are both applicable toward the AMA Physicians Recognition Award, and therefore, are acceptable for state licensing and board certification requirements for MDs. If you like, you can view the AMA and AAFP Credit Equivalency Statements.

Also, AMA Category 1 and AAFP Prescribed credit count as Category 2A credit for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). DOs, as well as other health professionals, may wish to view information on relicensing requirements for various health professions.

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Case based programs may have a pretest/posttest or post activity CME exam. There is no passing score for either exam type, but if there is an exam, you do need to successfully complete the exam before earning CME credit (reattempting questions is allowed).

Quiz-based, self-assessment/learning programs do not have a formal CME exam. You are awarded credit for these programs based on the number of questions you answer correctly.

The AMA and the ACCME do not require that CME programs contain examinations. They do require that CME programs "Provide for some type of learner interaction or self assessment; examples include patient-management case studies, a post-test, and/or application of new concepts in response to simulated problems. . . . Providers may choose to make credit contingent on passing a post-test or completing an exercise, but it is not required ( AMA Physician's Recognition Award Booklet, 2006 ). All VLH programs are designed to use the interactive capabilities of the Internet and facilitate the development of problem-solving skills. All VLH programs fully meet this AMA requirement.

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The "My VLH Certificates Transcript" page contains the list of your completed activities. This page is accessible from the "Transcript" drop-down menu. When you complete a VLH program and complete the mandatory user survey, you are presented with options to visit either the transcript page or the actual certificate itself.

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• For Case-based Courses: After finishing a case-based programs, you are directed to the Transcripts page. Locate the title of the program for which you wish to redeem and print a certificate. Click the "Redeem Certificate" link in the last column of the certificates list. This starts the certificate redemption process. Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions to apply your available certificate funds and print your certificate. If you are out of funds, you can purchase a Discounted Package or pay for a certificate individually.
• For Quiz-based Courses:
Please view this information on the "Pay-As-You-Go" format, which will explain how certificate redemption works for these courses.

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Upon completing a case-based course, we lead you with links to the Transcript area where you can redeem your certificate with your certificate funds, then print out that certificate for your records. For more on this process, please see How do I redeem and pay for my certificate?.

If you are a.) taking a quiz-based program that is not presented in linear, case-based form, or b.) returning to the site to print out a number of certificates (that have already been redeemed), then you will need to:

1. Sign into www.vlh.com with your username and password.
2. Place your mouse over the "Transcript" drop-down menu at the top of the screen, then click "My Transcript of VLH Certificates."
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to view the certificate(s) that you have already redeemed.
4. Instruct your browser to print the certificate by clicking "File > Print" from your Web browser's drop-down menu.

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If a certificate is not listed on the "My Transcript of VLH Certificates" page, then you have probably not completed all the required elements for that program. For example, you may have forgotten to take the exam or posttest. To check and see if this requirement has been met, visit the Start Page for the program in question. If you need to complete an exam or posttest, check to see if this icon is displayed on the page: . If this icon is not displaying for all required sections of the program, complete the missing sections. If all required elements for a program have been completed, but the certificate still is not showing up on your certificates page, please contact us and we will investigate further.

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AAFP Prescribed Credit is applicable toward the AMA Physicians Recognition Award (PRA) and is also acceptable for licensure purposes by all states requiring physician CME. If you like, you can view the AMA and AAFP Credit Equivalency Statements.

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If we know that one of our courses meets a specific state requirement, we list that information on the course information page (the page immediately preceding the Start Page of each program). We also list this information on the VLH Courses Meeting Special State Requirements page. For all other special credentialing requirements, you are strongly encouraged to contact the organizations that apply and investigate any specific requirements they may have.

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To date our research has demonstrated that problem-oriented online courses can improve physician knowledge, attitudes, and skills in such areas as cancer prevention and domestic violence. We have shown that courses developed in the US can benefit physicians in another country.