Continuing Medical Education

Quick Hits

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) REQUIREMENT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2010

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 the three-year period.
(c) Minimum of sixty (60) hours of the 150 hours must be American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Category 1A or 1B.

Continuing Medical Education Progress Report

Physicians shall report the total number of CME 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 CME 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 1A as defined by the AOA during the 12-month period preceding the licensee’s application for activation.

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 (4) 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.

Approve Continuing Medical Education

The following CME programs are approved for credit:

(a) Those programs certified by AOA as Category 1 or 2 credit and those certified by the AMA and approved by the California Medical Association (CMA) as Category 1.
(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 section 2190.5; requiring all physicians and surgeons 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. All physicians and surgeons licensed on or after January 1, 2002, shall complete this requirement within four years of their initial license or by their second renewal date, whichever occurs first. Pathology and Radiology specialists are exempt.

SUMMARY OF AOA CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

California Licensure CME Requirement: 150 hours per three-year period.

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

1A Formal education programs sponsored by recognized osteopathic institutions, organizations and their affiliates which meet the definition of “osteopathic” CME.

1B Scientific papers and publications; Osteopathic medical teaching; AOA-accredited and/or approved hospital committee and departmental conferences concerned with review and evaluation of patient care. Life Support Courses; Other CME activities and programs approved for Category 1 credit by AOA.

Category 2 (Maximum of 90 hours toward requirement)

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

2B Home study, reading medical journals and viewing non-osteopathic medical video and audio tapes and cassettes, CD’s and DVD’s; journal type CME on the Internet; risk management programs that are administrative in nature.

For further clarification of the descriptions of various CME categories, please visit the AOA website

Rev: 04/10