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Alaska
50
Alabama
12
Minnesota
75
Illinois
60
Oregon
60
District of Columbia
50
Delaware
40
New Hampshire
60
North Carolina
60
North Dakota
60
Wyoming
60
Maryland
50
Missouri
50
Nebraska
50
Georgia
40
Hawaii
40
Idaho
40
Iowa
40
New Jersey
40
Kentucky
30
Kansas
20
Louisiana
20
Rhode Island
40
South Carolina
40
Tennessee
40
Utah
40
Virginia
30
Wisconsin
30
CME Requirements by State 2024
Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements vary significantly across states in the United States and are subject to frequent updates, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These requirements, mandated by state medical boards, ensure that physicians maintain, develop, or enhance their knowledge, skills, and performance in the field of medicine.
States like Washington and Illinois have robust CME requirements, with Washington mandating 200 hours over a four-year period and Illinois requiring 150 hours every three years. On the other hand, states like Alaska and Connecticut have relatively lower requirements, with Alaska mandating 50 hours over a two-year period and Connecticut requiring 50 hours every two years.
Interestingly, certain states like California and Maine have additional requirements for specific areas of medical practice, such as pain management and cultural competence. This underscores the importance of staying updated on state-specific regulations to ensure compliance and the delivery of high-quality medical care.
- CME state requirements change frequently, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Interested parties are advised to confirm requirements with the their state board of medical licensure.
- State with no CME requirements have been left blank.
The following abbreviations are used in the tables below:
- CME - Continuing Medical Education - CMEs are educational activities physicians complete to maintain, develop, or increase their knowledge, skills, and performance.
- DO Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- AAFP American Academy of Family Practice
- ABMS American Board of Medical Specialties certification or recertification
- ACOG American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- AMA PRA American Medical Association Physician's Recognition Award
- AOA American Osteopathic Association
- APA American Pediatric Association
- CAFP California Academy of Family Physicians
- CMA California Medical Association
- CME Continuing Medical Education
- FLEX Federation Licensing Examination
- GME Graduate Medical Education
- MOCOMP Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- OSMA Ohio State Medical Association
- USMLE United States Medical Licensing Association
State | AMA/AOA/AAFP/ACOG Cat. 1Hours | Avg. Hours Per Year | Accepted As Equivalent | CME Per Year | Additional Details | CME Total Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 100 (MD) | 60 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 25 (MD) | 50 (DO) | AMA PRA app, ABMS, SMS (MD) | AOA, AAFP, CMA, CAFP (DO) | 100 (MD) | 150 (DO) | Pain management, geriatric medicine, end-of-life care; AOA cert. accepted when accompanied by AOA ac... | 4 (MD) | 3 (DO) |
| New Mexico | 75 (MD) | 75 (DO) | 25 (MD) | 25 (DO) | AMA PRA, ABMS, GME (MD) | AMA PRA, ABMS, USMLE (DO) | 75 (MD) | 75 (DO) | 3 (MD) | 3 (DO) | |
| Michigan | 75 (MD)| 60 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 50 (MD)| 50 (DO) | AMA PRA app (MD) | ABMS, GME | 150 (MD) | 150 (DO) | 75 Category 1 AMA PRA (MD) |
60 hours Category 1-A or 1-B (DO) | 3 (MD) | 3 (DO) |
| Minnesota | 75 | 25 | AMA PRA, ABMS, MOCOMP | 75 | ABMS cert/recert accepted | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 60 (MD) | 16 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 20 (MD) | 16 (DO) | AMA PRA, ABMS, GME+ | 60 (MD) | 16 (DO) | 50+ hours for each year of GME (MD) |
1 credit on prescribing controlled substances (every 2 yrs) (D... | 3 (MD) | 1 (DO) |
| Illinois | 60 | 50 | AMA PRA, SMS, NSS, GME | 150 | SMS, NSS if ACCME-accredited | 3 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | 50 | AMA PRA, ABMS, GME | 150 | Credits reported to NH Med Society; CME reporting cycle changing to 2 years | 3 |
| North Carolina | 60 | 50 | 150 | Active membership in AOA may replace 75 hours of CME (DO) | 3 | |
| North Dakota | 60 | 20 | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, MOCOMP | 60 | 3 | |
| Oregon | 60 | 60 | 1 pain management course; 6 credits pain management or end of life care; cultural competency; suicid... | 2 | ||
| Wyoming | 60 | 20 | AMA PRA, ABMS | 60 | 3 | |
| West Virginia | 50 (MD) | 16 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 25 (MD) | 16 (DO) | AMA PRA | 50 (MD) | 32 (DO) | One-time requirement for two credits in end-of-life care, including pain management, and 30 credits ... | 2 (MD)| 2 (DO) |
| Alaska | 50 | 25 | AMA PRA, ABMS, GME | 50 | 2 | |
| District of Columbia | 50 | 25 | AMA PRA app, AOA, GME | 50 | 2 | |
| Maryland | 50 | 25 | AMA PRA app, ABMS+ | 50 | Plus Partial credit for ABMS. |
- Partial CME credit is offered for ABMS certification, select peer ... | 2 |
| Missouri | 50 | 25 | ABMS, GME | 50 | The CME license renewal requirement can be met by: |
a) completing 50 hours AMA PRA Category 1 Credi... | 2 |
| Nebraska | 50 | 25 | AMA PRA, AOA | 50 | 2 | |
| Maine | 40 (MD) | 40 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 50 (MD) | 50 (DO) | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, SMS, GME | 100 (MD) | 100 (DO) | 2 (MD) | 2 (DO) | |
| Florida | 40 (MD) | 20 (AOA Category 1-A) (DO) | 20 (MD) | 20 (DO) | AMA PRA, GME (MD) | AMA PRA app, GME (DO) | 40 (MD) | 40 (DO) | HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, TB, end of life palliative care, med error. Continuing medical educatio... | 2 (MD) | 2 (DO) |
| Nevada | 40 (MD) | 10 (AOA 1-A) (DO) | 20 (MD) | 35 (DO) | AMA PRA app, GME (MD) | AMA PRA app, AOA, ABMS (DO) | 40 (MD) | 35 (DO) | Ethics (2 credits), 20 credits in specialty; other 18 credits can be any in Category 1; 4 credits in... | 2 (MD) | 1 (DO) |
| Mississippi | 40 (DOs: AOA 1-A) | 20 | AMA PRA app, ABMS, GME | 40 | Initial certification only (not renewal); for DOs, all credit must be AOA 1-A | 2 |
| Ohio | 40 (DOs: AMA 1-A or B) | 50 | AMA PRA app, AOA | 100 | All CME must be certified by the OSMA or OOA | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 40 (40 AOA 1-A for DOs) | 50 | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, SMS | 100 | Study board reqs; risk mgmt. | 2 |
| Delaware | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA app | 40 | 2 | |
| Georgia | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA app, GME | 40 | 2 | |
| Hawaii | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA, SMS, NSS, GME | AMA PRA, SMS, NSS, GME (DO) | 40 | 2 | |
| Idaho | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, AOA, ABMS, GME | 40 | 2 | |
| Iowa | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA, ABMS (cert and recert), GME | 40 | Training for identifying and reporting abuse required every 5 years for EM, FM, IM, FP, OB/GYN, and ... | 2 |
| New Jersey | 40 | 50 | GME | 100 | Cultural Competence |
- The six credits for cultural competence are in addition to the 100-hour requ... | 2 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 20 | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, AOA, ABMS, SMS, NSS, GME | 40 | 2 credits: universal precautions, bioterrorism, end of life, OHSA, ethics, or pain management | 2 |
| South Carolina | 40 | 20 | ABMS, GME | 40 | 75% specialty education (30 credits every 2 years) | 2 |
| Tennessee | 40 | 20 (MD) | 20 (DO) | AMA PRA | 40 (MD) | 40 (DO) | Appropriate prescribing (1 credit every 2 years) | 2 (MD) | 2 (DO) |
| Utah | 40 | 20 | GME | 40 | Applies to MDs and DOs | 2 |
| Kentucky | 30 | 20 | AMA PRA, AOA, NSS, GME | 60 | Requires a minimum of 4.5 hours every licensing cycle for physicians who are authorized to prescribe... | 3 |
| Virginia | 30 | 30 | AMA PRA app, GME | 60 | 2 | |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 15 | AMA PRA | 30 | 2 | |
| Pennsylvania | 20 (MD) | 20 (AOA 1-A) | 50 (MD) | 50 (DO) | SMS, GME | 100 (MD) | 100 (DO) | 12 hrs patient safety/risk mgmt | 2 (MD)| 2 (DO) |
| Kansas | 20 | 50 | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, SMS, GME | 50 | 1 | |
| Louisiana | 20 | 20 | AMA PRA | 20 | One-time board orientation course | 1 |
| Texas | 12 (12 AOA 1-A for DOs) | 24 | AMA PRA, ABMS, GME | 24 | Of 12 Category 1 credits, at least 1 in ethics and/or professional responsibility | 1 |
| Alabama | 12 | 12 | ABMS | 12 | 1 | |
| Washington | Not specified (MD) | 60 (AOA 1-A or B) (DO) | 50 (MD) | 50 (DO) | AMA PRA, ABMS, SMS, NSS (MD)| AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, SMS, GME (DO) | 200 (MD) | 150 (DO) | MD: The board classifies CME into five different categories. A candidate for relicensure may earn al... | 4 (MD) | 3 (DO) |
| Arkansas | Not specified | 20 | AMA PRA, AOA, GME | 20 | 1 | |
| Arizona | 20 (MD) | 20 (DO) | AMA PRA, AMA PRA app, ABMS, GME (MD) | AOA, ABMS, GME (DO) | 40 (MD) | 20 (DO) | 12 AOA 1-A credits per year (DO) | 2 (MD) | 1 (DO) | |
| Connecticut | 25 | 50 | Infectious disease, risk management, sexual assault, domestic violence | 2 | ||
| Vermont | 15 (DO) | AMA PRA (DO) | 30 (DO) | At least 12 of 30 hours must be in osteopathic medical education (DO). | 2 (DO) |