Hello Renee04 .. This is an interesting thread as I am researching PDHs (I am not an engineer, but a research intern) and I hope that you and the rest of the people looking at this thread will be kind enough to help me out. I have gotten most of my answers via online research, but a few doubts linger. I was wondering as to what it generally costs someone to complete their PDH requirements in a state .. I know that ND had done a study where they estimated it would cost $700 per registrant to satisfy the PDH req. Is this true across the US? Can someone give me a ballpark figure? THANK YOU !!!
Starting in 2005, I will need to accumulate PDH's for my NY registration. Fortunately, the University near work here in Missouri has free seminars that I can attend and I can go on company time. I am very fortunate. Hopefully others in the discussion group will be able to help you. Best of luck.
Renee04,
I provide my engineering services to factories that are anywhere but home, so with all my spontaneous travel (I'm not working if I am not traveling) it is difficult for me to schedule classes for PDHs. So your comment about free seminars at the university intrigues me since I also live in a MO college town. Is there a website or some other source that lists these seminars? Thanks.
Unfortunately, I don't have a website. A co-worker gets the notices and passes them on. Ours are through the Univeristy of Missouri, Columbia. Contact the head of the engineering department. I don't know of any free online courses. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Good luck
Just FYI - You'd be surprised to know that those Real Estate professionals [everyone unfairly condemns as stupid] must take costly update courses at their own expense - during the weekday only - no on-line courses - no convenience - in addition to a slurry of other very time and dollar expensive courses that are "hawked" to them as ways to better place themselves ahead of their peers - Graduate Realtors Institute, Accredited Buyer Agent, Relocation Professional, etc.
We engineers could learn two very important mental perceptions from licensed RE professionals, licensed doctors and dentists, and lawyers:
1- Think of yourself as a small business / run yourself as a small business - stop thinking of yourself as a lowly cubical world "employee," whether you are one or not. ytou are Marty Doe, PE, entreprenuer, professional, providing a service to the company with whom you are presently connected.
2 - Take professional responsibility and pride in furthering your own education at your own expense. they are tax deductable anyway. you'd be surprised at the looks i get telling my Chief Engineer or HR that "I'll pay for it myself. The company doesn't need this expense.
Greg, I think you might find that companys are not at all required to pay for our career advancement: it's OUR responsibility. And we can be proud of that.
Most of the boards allow credit for publishing without any named restrictions. What about publishing on the 'net either a through a company or private site or a paid internet publishing service? Any comments?
Hello;
Florida has a list of approved suppliers for PDF. This has both an upside and a downside. The upside is that if you get your PDH from one of these, it will count. However if you want to get your PDHs from another source, you are out of luck.
Here in Australia doctors have to do a certain number of PDHs. They grumble about it, particularly after they were banned from doing them in fancy restaurants.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
So do attorneys an even nurses. Most (maybe all) of these PDH requirements are determined by state boards, not national boards. While the concept of PDHs is good, it has created a whole industry of suppliers, and much of it is a racket. Folks who lead a normal regimented life don't necessarily see this. Those of us who hit the road to make a living find scheduling meaningful PDH classes very difficult. I am constantly watching for acceptable (yet meaningful) ways to fulfill my MO requirements. This forum has given me some ideas I will try in the next 2 years instead of buying cheap compliance. I may try publishing, too. No one has yet answered Tomcat699 a few postings up. Any comments?
What about engineers say registered in NY, but are on long term assignments in China. How are they to earn their PDH's?? Go to a university lecture in Beijing - okay - in Chinese language - still ok?? It is difficult in such instances. I was lucky in India where English is the prevailing engineering language - to give presentations/lectures to an IIT, similar to the Calcutta geotechnical group, write some papers for symposiums/conferences. But, now I am in Indonesia on an outlier island how I am to earn my PDH's?
I have always thought that these ideas for PDH's were the take of those who do/would (1) give lectures/presentations to those needing the credits, (2) be university types who have better chances of being published, or (3) inventors - wow a PDH for a patent. Cool - but better, get PDH's by attending a Philadelphia area ASCE committee meeting . ummmm.
There are a number of online PDH opportunities. I even think there's a pdhonline.com website put out by one particular company. Also ASM International, and who knows who else. Search for "online PDH" or "online CEU". Not to mention "distance learning" university courses. Some states will also allow a certain number of credits to be earned by "self-study".
The problem with mandatory PDH is that the scope of the profession is simply too vast to be able to adequately define what activities are valid and how many hours should be assigned to each activity.
My Brother in law and his wife are pharmacists. They have to listen to some taped lectures and answer open book questions. (They simply read the questions before listening to the tapes and write down the answers while listening.) For this they get PDH’s. Not too bad in a profession where 80% of the practitioners do almost exactly the same job but in our profession the logistics of producing and distributing the tapes would be enormous. Topics relevant to automotive would have only passing interest to electrical or civil engineers for example.
I don’t know what the answer is. Any defined scheme would be too broad and cumbersome to be efficient of it had the scope to be effective. Any self directed scheme, like in Manitoba where we sign a declaration saying that we have ‘developed’ our skills as necessary, is too weak to have much effect.
When I was registered in Alberta which has a defined scheme, I found that I had twice the necessary time in formal training, informal training, practice and other categories to meet the requirements.
We are professionals we should be responsible to develop and maintain our skills ourselves; however we are also human so something is needed, I just don’t know what the answer is.
Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng
Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
an answer to whyun's question about revoking the eng. lic. over lack of PDHs...
TN started requiring PDHs for surveyors and eng. several years ago The first couple of years they were kept by hand and if you were a couple days late it was ok but...
I had the honor of being the first on the new computer system that tracked them and since I did not have my 15 hrs in at 11:59:59 on Dec 31 It kicked my RLS out and made it inactive. I had to reapply repay the aplication fee etc It cost me several $ 100 to be reinstated (Did not have to retake the test, but was otherwise a new applicant).
