For M.D.’s
In order to keep an M.D. license in Pennsylvania, the State Board of Medicine requires physicians to earn:
- 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)
For D.O.’s
In order to keep a D.O. license in Pennsylvania, the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine requires a physician to earn:
- 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)
Category 1 CME credits
Category 1 credits must be approved by an accredited provider and 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.”
Category 2 CME credits
Category 2 credits consist of self-directed learning. Common examples of this are:
- 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
Reference: Pennsylvania Medical Society