Continuing Medical Education (CME) is essential for physicians to maintain licensure and stay updated with medical advancements. West Virginia has specific CME requirements for MD and DO physicians to ensure they provide the highest quality care. Understanding these requirements is crucial for compliance and professional development.
West Virginia CME Requirements for MD and DO Physicians:
- Total CME Credits: Physicians must complete 50 hours of CME every 2 years.
- Category 1 Credits: All 50 hours must be Category 1 credits.
- Specialty Requirement: 30 of the 50 hours must be related to the physician's area of specialty.
- Teaching Credit: Physicians can earn CME by teaching medical education courses, lectures, or serving as preceptors, with a maximum of 20 hours allowed in this category.
- Board Certification: Participation in a board certification or recertification by an ABMS specialty board within the licensing period is equivalent to 47 hours of Category 1 activity.
- Drug Diversion Training: Beginning May 1, 2014, every physician must complete a minimum of three (3) hours of drug diversion training and best practice prescribing of controlled substances training during the previous reporting period, which may be provided only by a Board-approved program.
Fulfilling these requirements ensures that West Virginia MD and DO physicians remain current in their medical practice and provide the best care to their patients.
For further details on state CME requirements, please visit the official Federation of State Medical Board documentation
Resources to Fulfill West Virginia’s CME Requirements
CME Trail offers a tailored collection of CME opportunities that adhere to West Virginia's guidelines. We provide a variety of educational resources, from a question bank, summarized guidelines, guideline based algorithms, and a price transparency tool designed to fulfill the state-mandated topics while also fitting into busy schedules. Earn up to 120 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.
To assist healthcare professionals in fulfilling their specific CME requirements on prescribing controlled substances, we've compiled a list of free resources:
Free Resources of Prescribing Controlled Substances
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Offers CME/CE activities on topics related to opioid and substance use disorders and addiction. NIDA CME/CE Activities
- Pri-Med: Provides timely opioid CME courses to help primary care clinicians learn appropriate risk mitigation strategies and prevent substance use disorder. Pri-Med Opioid CME/CE
- Wake AHEC: Offers a webinar and panel discussion series on controlled substances prescribing, with an emphasis on treating pain. Wake AHEC CME
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Provides training modules on treating substance use disorders, effective communication in treating SUDs, and care coordination in the treatment of SUDs, eligible for free continuing education credits. Access CDC Training Modules
UAB Division of Continuing Medical Education: Provides online courses developed by UAB faculty that qualify for CME credit, focusing on identifying substance use disorders and updates in substance use and mental health. UAB CME
