FAQ: State CME Licensure Requirements for MDs and DOs
The following FAQ addresses both MD (allopathic) and DO (osteopathic) requirements for licensure.
What are the requirements for licensure?
MD
The State Board of Medicine regulations state that to renew a medical license, a physician will need:
- 100 total credit hours of CME in the two-year license cycle (with license cycles ending on Dec. 31 of each even year)
- A minimum of 20 of the total credit hours in Category 1
- 12 credit hours in the areas of patient safety or risk management (either Category 1 or Category 2)
DO
The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine has required CME for licensure for the past several years. With the passage of Act 13, the Osteopathic Board has been commissioned to include a patient safety/risk management component in addition to the current requirements.
The regulations state that—to renew an osteopathic medical license—a physician will need:
- 100 total credit hours of CME in the two-year license cycle (with license cycles ending on October 31 of each even year)
- A minimum of 20 of the total credit hours in AOA Category 1-A
- 12 credit hours in the areas of patient safety or risk management (either Category 1 or Category 2)
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What is the difference between Category 1 and Category 2 credit hours?
MD
Category 1 and Category 2 are defined by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Category 1 activities are those that have been approved by an accredited provider.
You will know an activity is Category 1 because all of the promotional materials will contain a statement similar to the following:
“This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The (sponsoring organization, such as the Pennsylvania Medical Society) is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.”
“The (sponsoring organization) designates this educational activity for a maximum of (number of credits) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the educational activity.”
Your CME certificate will also state that the activity has been approved for Category 1 credit and name the institution or organization that is awarding the credit.
Category 2 credit hours consist of self-directed learning or courses that have not been through a formal approval process.
The following are some common examples of Category 2 activities:
- Reading authoritative medical literature
- Teaching medical students, residents or other health care professionals
- Research projects
- Consultations with peers and experts
- Using non-designated enduring materials
DO
Category 1-A is defined by the American Osteopathic Association as those activities that have been approved by an AOA-accredited sponsor.
You will know an activity is Category 1 because all of the promotional materials will contain a statement similar to the following:
“This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the AOA Council for Continuing Medical Education. The (sponsoring organization, such as the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association) is accredited by the Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.”
Your CME certificate will also state that the activity has been approved for AOA Category 1-A credit.
Category 2 credit hours consist of CME that has been approved by one of the following:
- An accredited provider of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
- A state medical society accredited provider
- The American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Physicians can also earn Category 2 credit hours by reading authoritative medical literature.
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How many credit hours need to be in patient safety or risk management?
Twelve (12) credit hours are needed in patient safety or risk management.
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Do the patient safety or risk management credit hours need to be in Category 1 or Category 2?
According to the regulations, the patient safety or risk management credit hours can be in either Category 1 or Category 2.
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If I have 12 Category 1 credit hours in patient safety or risk management topics, may I count these for both the Category 1 requirement and the patient safety/risk management requirement?
MD
Yes. If any of the patient-safety credit hours that a physician has earned are Category 1 credit hours, they can be counted toward both the Category 1 requirement and the patient safety/risk management requirement.
DO
Yes. If any of the patient-safety credit hours that a physician has earned are AOA Category 1-A credit hours, they can be counted toward both the Category 1 requirement and the patient safety/risk management requirement.
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How do I know if a CME activity is patient safety or risk management?
The following list of topics that will satisfy the patient safety/risk management requirement:
- Improving medical records and record keeping
- Reducing medical errors
- Professional conduct and ethics
- Improving communication among physicians and with other health care personnel
- Communication between physicians and patients
- Preventive medicine education
- Health care quality improvement
As long as the CME activity falls within these topics, you can count it toward the patient safety/risk management requirement. The course does not have to state, and very likely may not, that it is a patient safety or risk management course.
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Does the State Society have resources to help fulfill the patient safety/risk management CME requirements?
Yes. The Pennsylvania Medical Society offers two newsletters to help member physicians earn CME in patient safety and risk management:
- Consult offers ways to help you reduce your risk to liability lawsuits and promotes a healthy physician-patient relationship
- intouch focuses on improving patient-physician communications and interactions
In addition, physicians can earn CME credits through Studies in Patient Safety: Online CME Cases. These cases are based on actual patient safety events and incidents reported to Pennsylvania's Patient Safety Authority (PSA) and have been chosen because of their seriousness as well as their impact on a cross-section of specialties.
Physicians who read Studies in Patient Safety are eligible to earn one AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ per issue. Members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society can take the CME exam at no charge, while non-members pay a $25 fee. All physicians may read the cases at no charge.
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Who will I need to report to in order to renew my license?
MD
The State Board of Medicine is not requiring a report of CME at the time of license renewal. The license renewal form will contain an area for physicians to attest that they have completed the required hours.
By attesting that the requirement is completed, a physician may be subject to a random audit by the Board of Medicine. If audited, a physician will need to show evidence of the completion of the required credit hours. Failure to produce the requested evidence will result in a fine and possible suspension of license.
To view the complete state license renewal requirements, see the
State Board of Medicine website.
DO
The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine is not requiring a report of CME at the time of license renewal. The license renewal form will contain an area for physicians to attest that they have completed the required hours.
By attesting that the requirement is completed, a physician may be subject to a random audit by the Osteopathic Board. If audited, a physician will need to show evidence of the completion of the required credit hours. Failure to produce the request evidence will result in a fine and possible suspension of license.
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How do I prove Category 2 credits if I am audited?
MD
The regulations state that Category 2 credit hours must be documented in the form of a physician log or diary.
DO
Category 2 credit hours must be documented in the form of a physician log or diary and forwarded to the American Osteopathic Association or the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, if the physician is a member.
Documentation should include:
- The date the activity was completed
- A description of the activity (article title, resident teaching, consultation with peers, etc.)
- Location (name of journal, hospital, home study, web site, etc.)
- The number of credits claimed (actual time spent in the activity)
When do I need to meet CME credit requirements after I complete my training?
That depends on when you move from a training license to an unrestricted active license.
For allopathic physicians, the licensing cycle is two years and ends on Dec. 31 of every even year. When a physician receives an unrestricted active license for the first time, that physician is exempt from meeting the CME requirements at the first renewal of the unrestricted active license.
For example, if you change from a training license to an unrestricted active license in 2009 and your license is valid through Dec. 31, 2010, your first renewal is Jan. 1, 2011. Therefore, you will not need CME credits to renew your unrestricted license in January 2011 for the Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, cycle. However, you will need to meet the CME requirements by the end of 2012 to renew your license in January 2013.
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If you have additional questions, please call the CME Office at (800) 228-7823, ext. 2623.
Last Updated: 3/9/2010