Imagine you’re considering buying an unlimited access pass to one of your local amusement parks. One park has roller coasters; another is strictly a water park. The value of “unlimited access” depends a lot on what you’re looking for.
For continuing education, an unlimited package can make license renewal simpler: pay one price, choose from a library of courses, and complete your CEs throughout the year. But different plans meet different needs, so before you choose, take a closer look at your renewal requirements, how you prefer to learn, what the plan actually offers, and what you’ll realistically be able to use.
Start With Your License Renewal Requirements
Before even looking at options, start with the most important question: What do you actually need for your next renewal? Check your licensing board’s current requirements, including:
- Your total number of required CE hours
- Required topics, such as ethics or suicide prevention
- Limits or requirements related to self-study, asynchronous, live, or synchronous education
- Any special requirements related to supervision or your area of practice
- Your renewal deadline
Requirements vary considerably by profession and jurisdiction, so don’t assume that every course (or every learning format) will count toward your license. Once you know exactly what you need, you can compare unlimited CE options based on how well they actually meet those requirements.
Course Library – Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better
A catalog of 1,000 courses isn’t especially useful if only a few of them apply to your profession, interests, or licensing requirements. Explore the catalog itself:
- Are there plenty of topics relevant to your work?
- Are new courses added regularly?
- Can you find required subjects as well as topics you’re genuinely interested in learning more about?
The goal isn’t to find the biggest library – it’s to find one you’ll actually use.
Take a Close Look at Livestream CE
This is one area where the limits of unlimited really come into play.
A subscription may provide unlimited access to a course library with extremely limited (or even nonexistent) livestream programs. If synchronous education is part of your requirements, limited livestream availability could mean paying for additional courses elsewhere – or discovering too late that the dates you need aren’t available before your renewal deadline.
Before subscribing, look at the provider’s actual upcoming livestream calendar. Consider:
- How many livestream hours are available?
- How frequently are programs scheduled?
- Are they available consistently throughout the year?
- Are there enough programs before your renewal deadline?
- Do the topics apply to your profession and interests?
Even if your licensing board doesn’t require synchronous education, think about whether you value it as a learner. Livestream programs can provide opportunities to ask questions, participate in discussions and polls, hear perspectives from other professionals, and engage with an instructor in real time. For complex or evolving subjects such as ethics, trauma, suicide prevention, cultural competency, clinical practice, and emerging issues, that interaction can be particularly valuable.
Think About How CE Fits Into Your Life
The format that works best today may not be the one that works best next month.
Sometimes you may want to put a livestream training on your calendar and devote a few hours to learning with other professionals. At other times, you may have an hour between appointments or a quiet Saturday morning when an on-demand course makes more sense. Having access to multiple formats makes it easier to fit continuing education into your professional and personal life, rather than rearranging your life around your CE..
Consider Your Timeline
Your renewal date should also factor into your decision.
If you have a year to complete your remaining hours, a provider’s upcoming schedule may give you plenty of options. If your license expires in 6 weeks, the question becomes much more practical: Can you actually complete the hours and topics you need in time? Pay particular attention to anything you can’t simply complete on demand, such as required synchronous hours.
Compare What You’ll Actually Spend
Price matters, but compare the total cost of completing your requirements, not simply the subscription price.
A less expensive plan is a great choice if it provides everything you need, but if you’ll have to purchase additional livestream courses, required topics, or other CE separately, factor those expenses into your comparison. The same principle applies to a more expensive subscription: additional cost only represents better value if you’ll actually use what’s included.
Make the Choice Based on Your Needs
There isn’t one unlimited CE option that will be best for every professional. Before choosing yours, ask yourself: Can I complete the hours I need, in the formats I need, before my renewal deadline?
Then consider the rest of the picture:
- Are there enough relevant topics?
- Does the provider offer the kinds of learning experiences you prefer?
- Will you have choices when your schedule changes?
- And can you realistically complete most (ideally all) of your continuing education without purchasing additional courses elsewhere?
A little research before subscribing to a plan can make your CE easier to manage throughout your renewal cycle. Continuing education isn’t an amusement park, but it should be something you can enjoy, especially when you know that “unlimited” is giving you access to the education you actually need.