Maine DO CME requirements

At a glance: DO (osteopathic physician)

Hours

100 hours every 2 years

Renewal cycle

Every 2 years

Deadline

The last day of your birth month — in even-numbered years if you were born in an even-numbered year, odd-numbered years if born in an odd-numbered year

Required topics

1

Hours carry over

No

First renewal

Confirm with your Board Neither 32 M.R.S. §2581 nor Chapter 14 waives or prorates CME at the first renewal. We plan for the full 100 hours; confirm with the Board if your first license ran less than two years.

Credit minimum

Confirm with your Board 32 M.R.S. §2581 and Chapter 14 §2(1): at least 40 of the 100 hours must be osteopathic medical education. For primary care physicians (family or general practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics) that means AOA Category 1. For osteopathic specialists it may be AOA, AMA or ACGME [sic] Category 1 (Chapter 14 §1(7)–(9)). Specialists should confirm with the Board before counting AMA credit toward the 40.

Reporting

You certify on the renewal application, or attach satisfactory evidence, that you completed the hours (Chapter 14 §2(1)). In each odd-numbered year the Board audits a random 10% of licensees, who must produce proof within 30 days of the request (Chapter 14 §3). No retention period is set; keep certificates (or AOA printouts) at least through the next renewal. Waivers or extra time for illness, hardship or military service are by written petition (§2581; Chapter 14 §2(5)). The Board may not require specialty certification or osteopathic continuous certification for licensure (§2581).

Board

Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure

Rule 02-383 ch. 19 §§2–3: osteopathic licenses expire on the last day of the birth month every two years, by birth-year parity. 32 M.R.S. §2581: 100 hours of approved CME in the 2 preceding years, at least 40% osteopathic medical education; the Board sends notice at least 60 days before expiration, and if a missed renewal is not corrected within 30 days of the Board's notice the license may be considered lapsed. Chapter 14 §2(2) still refers to reporting by January 1 of even-numbered years, which predates the 2003 birth-month schedule.

Deadline

In Maine, the date depends on your license: the last day of your birth month — in even-numbered years if you were born in an even-numbered year, odd-numbered years if born in an odd-numbered year.

Find your Maine DO deadline and add it to your calendar

Required topics

• Prescribing of opioid medication3 hours · Every renewal · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  32 M.R.S. §2600-C(4) and joint rule Chapter 21 §5(3): 3 hours of Category 1 CME every two years on the prescribing of opioid medication "as a condition of prescribing opioid medication" — so it applies to DOs who prescribe opioids. Accepted from AMA, ACCME, AAFP, AOA, Maine Medical Association, Maine Osteopathic Association or AAPA sources. Counts toward the 100 hours. Unlike the MD rule, the DO section has no "regardless of whether or not they prescribe" sentence.

Credit that counts

• AOA Category 1-AChapter 14 §1(6)–(7): CME is activity designated Category 1 or 2 by the AOA, the AMA or the ACGME [sic]; AOA Category 1 is osteopathic medical education for every DO.
• AOA Category 1-BChapter 14 §1(7) counts CME "designated by the AOA as Category 1" as osteopathic medical education; AOA Category 1-B is AOA Category 1.
• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Chapter 14 §1(6): AMA Category 1 counts toward the 100 hours. It counts toward the 40 osteopathic hours only for osteopathic specialists, not for primary care physicians (§1(7)).
• AMA PRA Category 2Chapter 14 §1(6): activity designated Category 2 by the AOA or the AMA counts toward the 60 hours beyond the osteopathic minimum.
• AAFP Prescribed credit Confirm with your BoardNot named in Chapter 14 or §2581 for the general hours; Chapter 21 names AAFP only for the opioid hours. Confirm with the Board before relying on AAFP Prescribed credit.