Department of Commerce, Office of Health Services, State of Michigan, July 1992
Authority: P.A. 368 of 1978, as amended.
The Michigan Pubic Health Code requires physicians to complete, during the 3 year period before application for license renewal, not less than 150 hours of continuing medical education in courses or programs approved by the board. Pursuant to this requirement the Board of Medicine has promulgated rules to establish specific criteria for the board's approval of continuing medical education courses and programs. This pamphlet was developed explain the requirements and the license renewal process to physicians licensed to practice medicine in Michigan.
Requirements
The continuing medical education requirements apply to every physician renewing a Michigan license who held the license for the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the license renewal. The requirements apply whether or not the physician actively engaged in the practice of medicine. No one, including medical school faculty and resident physicians, is exempted from the requirements.
Each physician is required to complete 150 hours of continuing medical education in courses or programs approved by the board, of which not less than 50%, or 75 hours, of the required 150 hours must be earned in courses or programs designated as either category 1 (accredited) or category 6 (residency) programs.
Records of completing the continuing medical education should be retained by physicians who are renewing their licenses for a minimum of 4 years.
Continuing medical education records should not be submitted with the license renewal application. An audit will be conducted by the Department of Commerce at the conclusion of the late renewal period. Physicians chosen for audit through an automated random selection process will be requested to submit documented evidence of completing the 150 hours of continuing medical education.
Physicians who are unable to provide evidence of completing the continuing medical education requirements upon request are in violation of the Michigan Public Health Code and subject to the following license sanctions reprimand, probation, denial, suspension, revocation, limitation, restitution, and fine.
Categories of Continuing Medical Education
The Board of Medicine has established 6 categories of approved continuing medical education. The following is a brief description of each category the number of allowable hours which may be named in each category during the 3-year period preceding license renewal and examples of acceptable documentation:
Category 1 - Maximum: 150 hours
Continuing medical activities with accredited sponsorship - programs designated as category 1 programs by a sponsor accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or a State Medical Society- Certificate of Attendance.
Tutorial experience - must be approved by the board before commencement of the program - Letter from tutor.
Specialty board certification or re-certification - credit may be earned only during the year in which the licensee is advised he or she passed the examination - Certificate of Completion.
Category 2 - Maximum: 36 hours
Continuing medical activities with non-accredited sponsorship - program must be submitted to the board for approval - Certificate of Attendance.
Note: Prior approval is not necessary if sponsored by an accredited provider that issues a certificate of attendance; Communication, May 1995.
Category 3 - Maximum: 48 hours
Tutoring medical physicians under category 1 - Letter from hospital or institution official
Teaching medical physicians or teaching the allied health services - the hospital or institution must approve the teaching in an accredited residency program and the board must approve all other hospital or institutional instructional programs - Letter from program director.
Category 4 - Maximum: 48 hours
Books, papers, and publications - A maximum of 24 hours may be earned for preparation and initial presentation of a formal original scientific paper before a professional meeting; a maximum of 24 hours may be earned for preparation and initial publication of an original scientific article or paper or chapter or a portion of a chapter in a book that is authored and published in a journal or other periodical publication listed in Index Medicus - Copy of document presented or published with evidence of presentation or publication, i.e. meeting agenda or publication acceptance letter.
Exhibits - a maximum of 24 hours may be earned for preparation and initial presentation of a scientific exhibit at a professional meeting - Copy of meeting agenda or letter from professional organization official.
Category 5 - Maximum: 36 hours
Self-assessment - a maximum of 18 hours may be earned for completion of a multimedia program approved by the board - Licensee's signed statement describing multimedia program.
Self-instruction - a maximum of 18 hours may be earned for the independent reading of scientific journals listed in Index Medicus - Licensee's signed statement describing materials read.
Participation on a hospital staff committee dealing with quality patient care or utilization review - a maximum of 18 hours may be earned in this subcategory - Letter from hospital administrator.
Category 6 - Maximum: 150 hours
Full-time participation in a graduate training program - a maximum of 50 hours per year may be earned for satisfactorily participating in an accredited postgraduate training program with a minimum of 5 months participation per year required for 50 hours of credit- Letter from program director.
Except for the non-supervised educational activities designated in category 5, completion of the required continuing medical education activities must be independently verified, or verified by other than the licensee.
Accredited sponsors are required to provide attendance certificates which indicate program dates and number of designated category 1 hours. Further information about programs with accredited sponsorship may be obtained by contacting either the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or the Michigan State Medical Society at the addresses below:
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
51-B Sherwood Terrace
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(312) 464-2500
Michigan State Medical Society
120 West Saginaw
P.O. Box 950
East Lansing, Ml 48826
(517) 337- 1351
For activities requiring board approval, the licensee is responsible for obtaining all information necessary for the board to determine whether approval can be granted. Information, forms and instructions for obtaining board approval can be obtained from the Continuing Education Evaluation and Compliance Unit of the Department of Commerce, Office of Health Services at the address below:
Michigan Department of Commerce
Office of Heath Services
Continuing Education Evaluation and Compliance Unit
P.O. Box 30018
Lansing, Michigan 48909
(517) 373-3453
Continuing Medical Education Waivers
The Michigan Public Health Code authorizes the Board of Medicine to waive the continuing medical education requirements for a license renewal applicant if upon written application, the board finds the failure of the licensee to attend the required board-approved courses or programs was due to the licensee's disability, military service, absence from the continental United States, or a circumstance beyond the control of the licensee which the board considers good and sufficient. Pursuant to this authority, the board has promulgated guidelines which set forth the policy the board will follow in granting a waiver. The guidelines provide for the following:
Disability: The licensee's disability shall have been temporary in nature and the licensee's physician shall attest on the application that the disability no longer prevents the licensee from attending educational programs and engaging in the practice of medicine without limitation.
Military Service: The licensee shall have been practicing medicine while in active service of the United States, shall have been licensed at the time of induction or entering into service, and shall have requested that his or her license be placed in military status to continue in effect without payment of the license renewal fee pursuant to section 16196 of the Public Health Code. Absence from the United States: The licensee shall establish that board-approved educational programs were not available within a reasonable distance from which the licensee was located and the licensee shall provide evidence of attendance at educational programs which substantially meet the requirements for approval by the board. I
Other Circumstances beyond Licensee's Control: For circumstances, other than a disability, military service, or absence from the continental United States, the licensee shall submit compelling evidence that the circumstances were good and sufficient for a waiver of the requirements.
If the board finds that any of the conditions for waiving the requirements have been met, the number of hours waived shall be proportional to the length of time the licensee was temporarily disabled, in active military service, outside the continental United States, or involved in circumstances beyond the licensee's control. The board will not waive the requirements prospectively, nor will the requirements be waived for a licensee whose circumstances changed in time to reasonably allow the licensee to complete all or part of the requirements before license renewal.
Renewal Procedures
Medical licenses are renewed every 3 years by January 31st. Although a 60-day late renewal period is allowed, the 150 hour continuing medical education requirement must be completed by the renewal date of January 31st. Submission of the renewal application form certifies that the requirements are met. If the renewal requirements have not been completed, the renewal application should not be submitted. If a waiver is necessary, an application should be made after the renewal application is received by the licensee in early December, but before the license expires on January 1st. Licensees who have not completed the 150 hour continuing medical education requirement and have not been granted waivers should allow their licenses to expire. Application for relicensure may be made upon completion of the 150 hour requirement within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the application for relicensure.
Questions?
Contact the Continuing Education Evaluation and Compliance Unit of the Department of Commerce's Office of Health Services below: Michigan Department of Commerce
Office of Heath Services
Continuing Education Evaluation and Compliance Unit
P.O. Box 30018
Lansing, Michigan 48909
(517) 373-3453