All members of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), other than those exempted, are required to participate in the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program and meet specified CME credit hour requirements for the 2013-2015 CME cycle. One hundred and twenty credits of CME are required for membership in the AOA within a three-year cycle.

The 120 credits must be earned as follows:

30 CME hours must be earned in Category 1-A

90 CME hours must be earned in Category 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, or 2-B

Physicians entering the program in mid-cycle will have their credit requirements prorated. Individual CME Activity Reports outline total CME requirement and the amount of credits required in categories 1 and 2 and can be viewed at http://www.osteopathic.org

Members who obtain one hundred and fifty credits or more of AOA approved applicable CME credit in a three-year CME cycle will be given a certificate of excellence in CME. These hours must be earned by December 31st, but reported no later than May 31st of the current CME cycle.

The AOA assigns CME credit to four categories: 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, and 2-B

Category 1-A Credit

Formal, live educational activities and online programming that includes pre- and post-testing as well as opportunity for a live interactive component related to any of the seven core competencies, approved for 1A credit, and designed to enhance clinical competence and improve patient care. CME credits for presenters and participants in these events are submitted to the AOA, based on sign-in sheets and attestation forms. Presenters are awarded one credit for each hour presenting. Attendance earns one credit per hour. Examples include:

  • OMM Grand Rounds
  • Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism course
  • TOMA faculty development workshop
  • On-site Medical Library Resources training

Category 1-B Credit

Category 1-B credit is awarded for less formal osteopathic CME and online materials without a live, interactive component sponsored by AOA CME sponsors. Osteopathic physicians serving as LMU-DCOM clinical adjunct faculty preceptors may be granted a maximum of sixty Category 1-B credits applicable to the 120-hour requirement. Precepting hours are generated from the Clinical Education Office after student evaluations are completed. The CME office submits the hours to AOA twice a year.

CME Credit for Precepting

Continuing medical education credit is hour-by-hour credit. For example, if you work 40 hours (1 week of a clinical clerkship rotation), you can request 40 CME credit hours. You should only claim the number of hours you spent with the student.

If you are in a practice group and the student spent time with more than one physician, you cannot claim the same hours as another physician. For example, if there are four physicians in the practice, you can only claim a pro-rated portion of hours (40/4 = 10) per week.

Additionally, if you had two students during the same time period, you cannot claim double hours. For example, if you had two students for one week, you can only claim 40 hours (or the amount actually worked, not to exceed specified limitations).

Category 2-A Credit

Category 2-A credit includes formal educational programs that are AMA accredited, AAFP approved, an internationally known sponsor acceptable to the CCME, or sponsored by AOA accredited Category 1 CME Sponsors that do not meet the 1-A faculty/hours requirement for Category 1-A credit.

Category 2-B Credits

Category 2-B credit also shall be awarded for: the preparation and presentation of scientific exhibits at a county, regional, state, or national professional meeting (ten credits per scientific exhibit), home study, and reading medical journals.

CME on the Internet

Osteopathic physicians may earn up to 30% of their Category 1-A requirements for real time, interactive Internet CME, meeting AOA requirements (up to nine Category 1-A CME for members with a requirement of thirty Category 1-A credits). Interactive Internet CME credits earned in excess of nine will be applied to the Category 1-B, 2-A, or 2-B requirements. Category 1-B credit is awarded for audio and video programs sponsored by AOA accredited Category 1 CME sponsors and are typically programs available on an on demand schedule and are not real time, interactive CME activities.