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Online Courses for California CME Requirements

California State Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirement

Credit amount:
- For MDs, California requires 50 hours of approved CME credits per licensure cycle. All must be Category 1 approved.
- For DOs, effective January 1, 2018, licensees must complete 100 CME hours per licensure cycle; 40 hours must be AOA Category 1A or 1B.
Licensure cycle: Biennial—for licenses issued after July 1, 2018, the license expires at midnight on the expiration date, which is the last day of the month in which it was issued. For licenses issued before July 1, 2018, the license expires at midnight on the expiration date, which is the last day of the physician's birth month. If an initial license was issued for less than 13 months, only 25 hours must be completed.
Topics: Physicians (with exemptions for radiologists and pathologists) must complete a one-time CME course in pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients. There are two ways to meet these requirements.
1) By completing 12 CME hours in the treatment and management of patient with opioid use disorders. If this course is chosen it must include 8 hrs. of CME in buprenorphine treatment or other opioid replacement therapy.
OR
2) Physicians may complete 12hrs of pain management and or the treatment of patients who are terminally ill/at the end of life. Any combination of courses in these topic areas are acceptable.

CME requirements listed above were updated based on the Medical Board of California's information, but education requirements do change. Certain states might have modified their licensure requirements due to COVID-19. Physicians should confirm California's current requirements on the Medical Board of California's Continuing Medical Education page.

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You can select from a variety of education activities to earn CME credit that counts toward the state of California's CME requirements. On the AMA Ed Hub you can find curated courses featuring trending topics such as Clinical Challenges, women's health and more. Our online CME courses are available in text, video, and audio/podcast formats. Featured courses include:

Opioid and Pain Management CME Course - Fulfill your state-mandated CME credits while enhancing your knowledge on opioids and pain management, safe opioid prescribing and substance use treatment.
Physician Burnout & Wellness CME Course - Get a better understanding of physician burnout and how it can be prevented with these educational activities. Gain insights on how you can redesign your practice to reduce stress and promote well-being.
Electronic health record (EHR) CME course - Take one or more of these activities. Explore and learn the importance of securely sharing electronic information with patients and other clinicians, as well as enabling safe and reliable prescribing with this course.

The Medical Board of California is California’s governing body for CME and medical license requirements. The Medical Board of California’s Licensing Program:

"assists licensees and registrants in renewing and managing the status of their license or registration, provides updated information on the legal and regulatory requirements that impact their respective scopes of practice, and describes various programs and resources available to licensees."

Additional information can be found on the Medical Board of California website or within their physicians & surgeons licensing page, which includes information pertaining to: changes to license status, renewal information, general practice information and more.

Founded in 1847, the mission of the American Medical Association is to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. Since its inception, the AMA has been committed to lifelong learning that helps physicians and other medical professionals support real world outcomes of better health care. The AMA Ed Hub is a continuation of this commitment. Whether you’re in Sacramento, Pasadena, or anywhere in between, the AMA Ed Hub is your trusted source for online CME courses—no matter where you are located.

Listed below are online CME activities that meet the California topical state CME requirements.

U.S. State Requirements

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Online Courses for California CME Requirements

California State Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirement

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