Tennessee MD CME requirements

At a glance: MD (medical doctor)

Hours

40 hours every 2 years

Renewal cycle

Every 2 years

Deadline

The last day of your birth month, every two years

Required topics

1

Hours carry over

No

First renewal

Confirm with your Board Rule 0880-02-.19(1)(e)2 exempts only the calendar year in which licensure is issued, and only for someone licensed in the same calendar year they passed USMLE Step 3. The rules do not say how the 40 hours apply when the first renewal comes less than 24 months after licensure; confirm with the Board.

Reporting

By signing the renewal application you affirm that you met the requirement; the Department of Health audits licensees. Keep independent documentation (certificates, provider letters or AAFP records) for four years from the end of the calendar year in which the CME was earned (Rule 0880-02-.19(2)). Under the Board's policy, a physician short of hours pays a civil penalty of $100 per missing Category 1 hour, makes up the hours and completes ten penalty hours, through a public Agreed Citation. Waiver requests for illness, disability or hardship must be made in writing before the end of the renewal period and before renewing.

Board

Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0880-02-.09(1)(a): the renewal due date is the license expiration date, 'the last day of the month in which a license holder's birthday falls' under the biennial birthdate renewal system. Rule 0880-02-.19(1)(a): 40 hours during the 24 months that precede licensure renewal. The Board's FAQ example: for an October 31, 2024 expiration, the 40 hours must be earned November 1, 2022 through October 31, 2024. Since January 1, 2025, audits count CME by renewal cycle, not calendar year (0880-02-.19(2)(d)). The rule has no carryover provision.

Deadline

In Tennessee, the date depends on your license: the last day of your birth month, every two years.

Find your Tennessee MD deadline and add it to your calendar

Required topics

• Controlled substance prescribing, including the Tennessee Department of Health treatment guidelines2 hours · Every renewal · Every licensee

Credit that counts

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Rule 0880-02-.19(3): hours must be awarded by an ACCME-accredited sponsor and designated AMA PRA Category 1.
• AAFP Prescribed creditRule 0880-02-.19(3)(b): hours designated by the AAFP as meeting the criteria of AAFP Prescribed credit. The Board's FAQ also accepts AAFP documentation as proof.
• AOA Category 1-A Confirm with your BoardRule 0880-02-.19(3)(b) accepts hours 'designated by the AOA as meeting the criteria of the AOA's prescribed credits', but (3)(a) also requires an ACCME-accredited sponsor. Confirm with the Board before counting AOA credit from an AOA-only sponsor.