Continuing Medical Education

Upcoming Programs to be announced!

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 Visit the MPS Online CME Library

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MPS CME Committee 2024 Calendar of Meetings & Submission Deadlines

The Board has adopted an Interim Policy on Continuing Medical Education. This interim policy waives the continuing medical education (CME) requirement for licenses which are due for renewal on April 2, 2020 through and including Dec. 31, 2020. The full text of the policy may be found here.


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During the State of Emergency, any physician with a CME requirement whose license is due for renewal on April 2, 2020 through and including December 31, 2021 will not be required to complete any CME requirements.  Click here for the Board of Registration in Medicine’s interim policy (Policy 20-03).

Statutorily-mandated requirements such as training in pain management and risk management, as well as Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias training, domestic violence and sexual violence training, end-of-life training, electronic health records training and child abuse and neglect training are still required.  Policy 2017-05

The information below provides physicians with licensing requirements, guidelines, and interpretations addressing continuing medical education in Massachusetts. For additional information go to the Board of Registration in Medicine's website at http://www.mass.gov/massmedboard

Frequently Asked Questions of the BRM CME Pilot Program
https://www.mass.gov/doc/continuing-medical-education-pilot-program-faq/download

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Physician License Renewal

Documentation

Physicians should maintain records of their continuing medical education (CME) activities but are not required to submit documentation to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine with their renewal applications. The Board may conduct an audit and randomly select physicians to forward evidence of CME credits listed on their renewal form. Therefore, it is important to keep adequate records of all CME credits earned within the biennial renewal cycle. 

Maintain a list of Category 1 CME activities and include the name of the provider of the activity, title, date(s) of attendance, and number of credits earned. Also record Category 2 CME activities. Be sure to list the approximate number of credits spent in each type of CME activity. Maintain CME records for at least one full license cycle (2 years) after the cycle in which credits were earned.


CME Reporting Cycle

To renew a medical license, physicians must certify compliance with state CME requirements. Licensees are required by law to renew their licenses biennially, on or before their birthdays. The Board will automatically forward a renewal application to each physician sixty days prior to his or her birthday. 

Physicians who receive an initial license within three months prior to their birthday will not be required to renew the registration until their birthday in the second year following the aforesaid birthday. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine will assign a renewal date to new licensees.


Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Training
One-Time Requirement

To meet this one-time requirement, please visit the Massachusetts Medical Society’s course: Diagnosis, Treatment & Care of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018, An Act Relative to Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias in the Commonwealth, requires that physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses and practical nurses take a one-time educational course on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This educational training requirement only applies to licensees who serve adult populations. As part of its coordinated plan for the implementation of Sections 3 and 9 of this statute, the Board adopts the following interim policy, effective immediately:

All applicants and licensees who apply for a license from November 7, 2018 through June 30, 2019, shall hereby be granted an administrative waiver of the Alzheimer’s educational training requirement for this licensing cycle. As of June 27, 2019, the waiver has been extended to December 31, 2019. All licensees will have until November 6, 2022 to complete this one-time requirement.


Demonstrating Proficiency in EHR is a Prerequisite to Medical Licensure in Massachusetts
One-Time Requirement

Physicians, Renewing Licensees and Lapsed Licensees must demonstrate proficiency in the use of EHR in one of the following ways:

  • Participation in a Meaningful Use program as an eligible professional; OR
  • Employment with, credentialed to provide patient care at, or in a contractual agreement with an eligible hospital or critical care access hospital with a CMS certified meaningful use program;
  • Participation as either a Participant or Authorized User in the Massachusetts Health Information Highway, “Mass HIway” OR
  • Completion of three hours of a Category 1 EHR-related Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course that discusses, at a minimum, the Core and Menu Objectives and the Clinical Quality Measures for Meaningful Use. The three EHR credits may be used toward the required 10 risk management CPD credits.

Recognize and Report Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect
One-Time Requirement

Physicians renewing their MA medical license must also demonstrate competence in the following area.  This is NOT an accredited CME/CPD requirement.  

M.G.L. c. 119, 51A(k) required all mandated reporters (including physicians), professionally licensed by the Commonwealth, to complete training to recognize and report suspected child abuse or neglect.

Physicians may comply with the training requirement through:

  • Receiving training in child abuse or neglect assessment in medical school education or postgraduate training;
  • Completion of a hospital sponsored training program in recognizing the signs of child abuse and neglect;
  • Completion of continuing professional development (formerly known as continuing medical education credits) in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect;
  • Completion of an on-line training program (i.e., The Middlesex Children’s Advocacy Center’s program “51A Online Mandated Reporter Training: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation” www.middlesexcac.org/51A-reporter-training); or
  • Completion of a specialized certification (i.e., Child Abuse Pediatrics).

Full license applicants must complete the requirement for training prior to submission of an application to the Board.  This is a one-time requirement.


Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Training
One-time requirement

Per Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence, the Board of Registration in Medicine and other health profession boards are required to develop and administer licensing standards that include education and training on domestic violence and sexual violence. The following online course offered by the Massachusetts Medical Society meets this requirement: Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Continuing Education for Massachusetts Clinicians. The Department of Public Health has also developed an e-Learning tool that can be accessed from the DPH’s webpage: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/domestic-and-sexual-violence-integration-initiatives  Only a DPH-approved course can fulfill the requirement.


Waiver of CME Requirements

In the event that a physician is unable to complete the CME requirements by date of license renewal, a CME Waiver Request Form must be completed and submitted with the license renewal form to the Board no later than 30 days prior to the renewal date. Visit the Board's website at http://www.mass.gov/massmedboard for specific details and the CME Waiver Request Form and instructions.

Board of Registration in Medicine CME Requirements for License Renewal

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