Delaware DO CME requirements

At a glance: DO (osteopathic physician)

Hours

40 hours every 2 years

Renewal cycle

Every 2 years

Deadline

March 31 of odd-numbered years (renew online in DELPROS)

Required topics

4

Hours carry over

No

First renewal

Rule 12.2: at your first renewal, if you have held the Delaware license for less than one year, no CME is required until the next renewal; if for more than one year, you need 20 hours (half) of Category I CME instead of 40. The child abuse and domestic violence training is still required before renewal.

Reporting

You attest to completing CME on the online renewal application in DELPROS (Rule 7.2.3). Do not upload documents unless you are selected for the random audit; then upload certificates showing your name, course, provider, dates and hours. Under the Board's disciplinary guidelines (Rule 17.11.2), failing to meet the CME requirement carries a $5,000 fine and 60 days to finish the hours, with the license suspended until they are done. The Board may waive the requirement for good cause beyond your control (Rule 12.3).

Board

Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline

24 Del. C. 1723(c) and Rule 7.1: registrations renew every two years. The Division of Professional Regulation counts physician CME over each renewal period from April 1 through March 31 of odd-numbered years (the current period ends March 31, 2027). Rule 7.3-7.4: an expired license can be renewed within one year with a late fee, but you may not practice while it is expired; after one year you must reapply.

Deadline

• March 31, 2027

Find your Delaware DO deadline and add it to your calendar

Required topics

• Recognizing child sexual and physical abuse, exploitation and domestic violence, and reporting obligations Confirm with your Board1 hour · Every renewal · Every licensee
  24 Del. C. 1723(c): renewal requires evidence of training on recognizing child sexual and physical abuse, exploitation and domestic violence, and the reporting obligations under the Medical Practice Act and 16 Del. C. 903. The Board's Mandatory Training page says it must last at least one hour (one 1-hour course, or a 30-minute refresher plus a 30-minute advanced course), must meet Child Protection Accountability Commission standards, and is required before every renewal. Whether it also counts toward the 40 Category I hours depends on how the course is certified. The Board's page names one course — "Mandatory Reporting for Medical Professionals" (Option 1, one hour, ACCME-accredited, required in the first licensure period), or later its 30-minute Refresher plus one of four 30-minute advanced courses (abusive head trauma, pediatric drug exposures, medical neglect, sentinel injuries) — with registration through the Office of the Child Advocate. The page does not say whether other courses are accepted; confirm with the Board before using another course.
• Diagnosis, treatment or care of patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias2 hours · Once, by March 31, 2027 · Every licensee
• Controlled substance prescribing practices or treatment of chronic pain2 hours · Every renewal · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  Uniform Controlled Substances Act Regulations 3.1.3: practitioners holding a Delaware controlled substance registration must attest to two hours of CE every two years on controlled substance prescribing practices, treatment of chronic pain, or other topics related to prescribing controlled substances. The Office of Controlled Substances says hours earned for your medical license on these topics also count.
• Delaware law, regulation and programs on prescribing controlled substances Confirm with your Board1 hour · Once · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  Uniform Controlled Substances Act Regulations 3.1.2: practitioners who obtain a new Delaware controlled substance registration must complete a one-hour course on Delaware law, regulation and programs on prescribing and distributing controlled substances within the first year of registration. The Office of Controlled Substances' Mandatory Course page says all practitioners applying for a Delaware CSR must complete the Division's own one-hour, two-part course and attest to it within the application; only that course counts, and it "is no longer accepted as continuing education credit." The timing differs between the rule (first year) and the web page (at application); confirm with the Office of Controlled Substances.

Credit that counts

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Rule 12.1: 40 hours of Category I courses approved by the AMA, or equivalent courses approved by the AOA. Residents and fellows may submit proof of satisfactory participation instead, and certification by the Medical Society of Delaware is acceptable proof.
• AOA Category 1-ARule 12.1 accepts equivalent courses approved by the American Osteopathic Association, for every physician.
• AOA Category 1-B Confirm with your BoardThe rule says 'equivalent courses approved by the AOA' without naming 1-A or 1-B. Confirm with the Board before counting AOA Category 1-B toward the 40.
• AAFP Prescribed credit Confirm with your BoardNot named in Rule 12 or on the Board's page, which accept AMA Category I or AOA-equivalent courses. The AMA accepts AAFP Prescribed credit as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1, but the Board has not said so in writing.