Continuing Medical Education

Quick Hits

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2001

Required Continuing Medical Education (CME)

(a) Each Physician shall submit satisfactory proof of CME to the Board upon the conclusion of the three-year reporting period.
(b) A physician shall complete 150 credit hours within a three-year period.
(c) Minimum of sixty hours of the 150 hours must be in AOA Category 1-A or 1-B.

Continuing Medical Education Progress Report

Physicians shall report the total number of Continuing Medical Education credits to the Board. This may be accomplished by:

(a) Sending the Board a copy of their AOA Individual Activity Report, or
(b) Sending the Board copies of any certificates given for attendance at any program approved by the Board.
(c) Reports from any program approved by the Board, to be furnished by the physician, showing his attendance as verified by the program organizer.

Waiver of Requirement

(a) Upon submittal of an application for waiver of CME requirements, the Board may, at its discretion, waive any of the requirements under special circumstances.
(b) Applications for waivers must be submitted on an annual basis to the Board for consideration.
(c) While in a Residency/Fellowship program, CME requirements may be waived upon certification from the program director.

CME Requirement for Inactive License

(a) The holder of an inactive license is exempt from CME requirements.
(b) In order to restore an inactive license to active status the licensee shall have completed a minimum of twenty (20) hours of Category 1-A as defined by the AOA during the 12-month period immediately preceding the licensee's application for restoration.

Sanctions for Noncompliance

(a) Any physician who has not completed 150 hours of approved CME or the prorated share during the three-year period shall be ineligible for renewal of his or her license to practice medicine until such time as the deficient hours of CME are documented to the Board.
(b) It shall constitute unprofessional conduct for any physician to misrepresent his or her compliance with the provisions of this article or who fails to comply with the provisions of this article.
(c) Each physician shall retain records for a minimum of four years of all CME programs attended which indicate the title of the course or program attended, dates of attendance, the length of the course or program, the sponsoring organization and the accrediting organization, if any.

Approved Continuing Medical Education

The following CME programs are approved for credit:

(a) Those programs certified by the AOA as Category I or II credit and those certified by the AMA and approved by the California Medical Association (CMA) as Category I.
(b) Those programs which qualify for prescribed credit from the AOA specialty groups.
(c) Those programs offered by Board approved organizations and institutions.

Pain Management/Terminally Ill Patients

AB 487 adds Business and Professions Code 2190.5; requires all physicians complete a mandatory CME course in subjects of pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients. The one-time requirement of 12 hours shall be completed by December 31, 2006. Pathology and Radiology specialists are exempt.

SUMMARY OF AOA CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

Total Requirement: 150 hours per 3-year period.

CATEGORY 1 (Minimum of 60 hours required in 1-A or 1-B)

1-A Formal education programs sponsored by recognized osteopathic institutions, organizations and their affiliates which meet the definition of "osteopathic" CME; Life Support courses.

1-B Scientific papers and publications; Osteopathic medical teaching; Conducting osteopathic hospital inspections and certifying board examinations (5 credits per inspection or examination); AOA-accredited and/or approved hospital committee and departmental conferences concerned with the review and evaluation of patient care; Other CME activities and programs approved for Category 1 credit by AOA committee and the OMBC.

CATEGORY 2 (Maximum of 90 hours toward requirement)

2-A Formal educational programs that are ACCME-accredited, AAFP-approved, and programs sponsored by AOA-accredited Category 1 CME sponsors which do not meet the quality guidelines for Category 1-A credit.

2-B Home study; reading medical journals and viewing non-osteopathic medical video and audio tapes and cassettes; journal type CME on the Internet; faculty development; physician administrative training; quality assessment programs; observations at medical centers; medical economics; CME on the Internet; risk management programs that are administrative in nature; and programs dealing with experimental and investigative areas of medical practice.

REV. 03/26/03