American Osteopathic Association

Continuing Medical Education menu

Des Moines University is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to sponsor continuing medical education (CME) for osteopathic physicians.

State of Iowa General Requirement For Renewal of a Permanent License

40 hours of Category 1 activity are required for a two-year license renewal.  This may include up to 20 hours of Category 1 activity carried over from the previous license period.  The number of required Category 1 hours is pro-rated for anyone who holds a permanent license that was issued for less than two full years.

  • A physician who certifies or re-certifies with an ABMS or AOA specialty board during the licensing period may claim 50 Category 1 activity hours.
  • A resident or fellows may claim 50 Category 1 activity hours for participation in an approved residency or fellowship training program within the licensing period.
  • Activities designated as formal cognates by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or as prescribed credit by the American Academy of Family Physicians are accepted as equivalent to Category 1 activities

Maintenance of license requirements

The requirement for membership in the American Osteopathic Association is 120 CME hours. Of this total, 30 CME credits must be obtained in Category 1-A, and the remaining 90 credits may be satisfied with either Category 1-A, 1-B, 2-A or 2-B credits. Physicians entering the program in mid cycle will have their credit requirements prorated. Your individual CME activity report outlines your total CME requirement and the amount of credits required in categories 1 and 2.

Members who obtain 150 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 31, but reported no later than May 31 of the current CME cycle.

In recognition that members of the AOA who hold specialty or subspecialty certificates in those specialties with less than 250 certificate holders may have difficulty accruing the necessary AOA 1-A credits required for membership, and to allow adequate time for the development of such programs, such members may apply ACCME or AAFP Category 1 credits to their AOA 1-A credit requirement up to the maximum credits per cycle as per the following table:

CME cycle ACCME category 1 credits AOA category 1-A credits Total credits
2007-2009 20 credits 10 credits 30 credits
2010-2012 15 credits 15 credits 30 credits
2013-2015 10 credits 20 credits 30 credits
2016 – onward 0 credits 30 credits 30 credits

AOA categories and types of CME credits awarded

Category 1-A or 1-B credit must meet the following standards:

At least 50% and the total educational credits are presented by osteopathic physicians; or M.D.s, Ph.D.s and other professionals with graduate degrees who hold a full-time, paid faculty appointment at a college of osteopathic medicine; or AOA staff or AOA component society staff who hold a graduate degree

OR

At least 50% of the presenters are osteopathic physicians; or M.D.s, Ph.D.s and other professionals with graduate degrees who hold a full-time, paid faculty appointment at a college of osteopathic medicine; or AOA staff or AOA component society who hold a graduate degree.

1-A

  • Formal education programs
  • Osteopathic medical teaching (live lecture)
  • Real-time CME on the internet (maximum: nine hours)
  • Risk management and managed care programs (clinical in nature)
  • Grand rounds when submitted as a “series”
  • Faculty development programs (maximum: 15 hours)
  • Judging osteopathic case presentations and research poster presentations (maximum: 10 hours)

1-B

  • AOA-accredited standardized life support courses
  • Development and publication of scientific papers and e-communication programs intended for physician education
  • Osteopathic preceptoring (maximum: 60 hours); Provide practical experience and training to a student
  • Administering certifying board examination and conducting inspection of osteopathic healthcare facilities
  • Passing an AOA recertification exam
  • Committee and departmental meetings for the review and evaluation of patient care
  • Enduring materials (maximum: nine hours)
  • Reading the JAOA or its supplements
  • Faculty development programs
  • Risk management (administrative in nature)
  • Journal reading approved by the AOA’s CCME
  • Test construction committee work
  • Postgraduate in-service examination committee work

Category 2 credit must meet the following standards:

Formal educational programs that are ACCME 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 faculty/hours requirement for Category 1-A or 1-B credit.

2-A

  • Real-time CME on the internet
  • Risk management program (clinical in nature, ACCME sponsored and AAFP approved)
  • Managed care programs (clinical in nature, ACCME sponsored and AAFP approved)

2-B

  • Journal-type CME on the internet
  • Home study
  • Scientific exhibit preparation and presentation
  • CME on the internet
  • Risk management programs (administrative in nature)
  • Passing an American Board of Medical Specialties recertification examination or a certification of added qualifications examination (maximum: 15 hours)

Calculating continuing medical education credit

Continuing medical education credit is calculated by each half hour. Please keep this in mind as you are finalizing your agenda. Examples include:

30 minute presentation = 0.5 credits
45 minute presentation = 0.5 credits
60 minute presentation = 1.0 credits
75 minute presentation = 1.0 credits
90 minute presentation = 1.5 credits

A continuing education activity must be a minimum of 30 minutes in length. Sessions within an activity, however, may be of any length. A 15 minute break must be provided every four hours.

Credit may be variable.

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