Prescribed, Elective, Category 1, Division 1, re-election, re-certification… What does it all mean? This is the place to look to help you understand and meet all of your CME requirements. If someone in your office does your CME Reporting, share this article with them, or put it in your CME Folder.

File It, Don’t Lose It

If you haven’t done so already, we suggest that you start and maintain a CME file to keep the certificates from all the CME activities you attend. The certificate usually contains all the information you need to report an activity: the date, location, title, sponsor and type of credit awarded.

CME Requirements by Organization/Agency

AAFP/LAFP Membership Re-election

For continued membership AAFP/LAFP members must participate in and report 150 hours of Continuing Medical Education every three years. Here is the breakdown:

The credit must have been earned in the three-year period prior to re-election. AAFP does not allow any hours to be carried over.

American Board of Family Medicine

The CME requirements for re-certification are similar to AAFP requirements. You must attend and report credit for 300 hours at the end of the six-year cycle. AAFP provides a tape of members who have met the requirements to the Board. If you do not have enough hours reported when the tape is sent, you will need to provide a list of all CME activities to the Board or get a Letter of Good Standing from LAFP. If you have questions about Board certification or re-certification, call (888) 995-5700 or visit their web site at www.theabfm.org

Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

Acts 1999, No. 661 of Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, amended the Louisiana Medical Practice Act, La. Rev. §§37:1261-92 and authorized the Board to require continuing education as a condition to the renewal and/or reinstatement of any license or permit issued by the Board.  See the LSBME continuing medical education ("CME") rules which have been adopted by the Board.  Pursuant to such rules, commencing on January 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, physicians must document that in the preceding calendar year they have obtained twenty (20) hours of Board approved CME as a prerequisite to renewal or reinstatement of licensure.  All physicians, regardless of birthmonth renewal, must have obtained 20 hours of Category 1 CME January - December in the year prior to renewal (i.e. all 2003 renewals will have CME obtained in 2002).  The rules specify those categories of CME which are acceptable, the method for annual documentation, identify a minimum percentage of applicants to be audited annually, provide a period of ninety days to submit evidence of compliance once an audit notice is received and exempt altogether certain categories of applicants. 

As part of such CME requirement, the rules provide that physicians seeking to renew their license for the FIRST time in 2002 and thereafter must have attended a Board sponsored seminar, which will be utilized to acquaint new licensees with such matters as the Louisiana Medical Practice Act, the function of the Board and its rules, opportunities available in rural and professional health shortage areas, etc.    Physicians who at the time of the initial renewal of medical licensure are residing and practicing in another state are exempt from attending the Board Orientation.  However, in the event that the physician should return to Louisiana for the purpose of residing or practicing medicine, he must satisfy this requirement prior to the next renewal. Visit the LSBME website, for the Board Orientation registration form.  All registrations must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date.  

Questions about License Renewal should be addressed to the Board of Medical Examiners at (504) 568-6820. www.lsbme.louisiana.gov/

How to Report CME to AAFP/LAFP

You can use a CME Reporting Form to report your hours. The form is obtained from the AAFP CME Reporting Department at (800) 274-8043. Keep the original in your CME files and make copies to report hours as you attend activities. Reporting your hours as you go will ensure that you don’t forget an activity when it comes time for re-election.

You can also report hours, view and print your CME record, and check your re-election status on the internet. Simply point your Web Browser to: www.aafp.org/cme/ and follow the easy directions.

Glossary of Terms

AAFP Prescribed Credit—Programs that have been planned with input from an AAFP member. The sponsoring organization must apply to AAFP for Prescribed Credit. If a course is good for Prescribed Credit, the brochure or certificate of attendance will indicate that it is acceptable for up to X Prescribed Credit hours. Courses that are approved for AAFP Prescribed Credit is equivalent to AMA Category 1 Credit. You can also earn Prescribed Credit by teaching medical students, residents, physicians, physician assistant students or nurse practitioner students (Limit 20 hours per year for Teaching).

AAFP Elective Credit—Elective credit comes from programs that have been designated as Category 1 credit for the AMA Physicians Recognition Award but have not been approved as AAFP Prescribed Credit.

Enrichment Credit—Programs without AAFP Prescribed or AMA Category 1 credit. You can use up to 25 hours per three-year re-election cycle for AAFP.

Group Learning Activities—Educational activities involving two or more physicians which take place in "real time". AAFP/LAFP requires 25 Group Hours every re-election cycle.

Category 1/Category 2 Credit—These terms refer to CME required for the AMA Physician Recognition Award. Category 1 courses are formally organized and planned educational meetings. Category 2 includes less structured learning activities, e.g., consultations, discussions with colleagues, and teaching. Neither is equivalent to AAFP Prescribed hours.

Division I/Division II Credit—These terms are used by the American Board of Family Medicine. Division I credit is for courses that are accredited. Division II includes teaching and unsupervised individual activities.