Osteopathic Physicians licensed by the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine must complete 40 hours of continuing medical education (CME) every renewal cycle. The renewal cycle is biennial, running from April 1 to March 31 of even-numbered years.
Note: This article covers the CME requirements for Osteopathic Physicians (license prefix OS). If you hold an Osteopathic Area of Critical Need license (OCN), the requirements below apply to you exactly as written. If you hold an Osteopathic Resident Registration (UO) or Osteopathic Faculty Certificate (OFC), see CME Requirements for Other Osteopathic License Types at the end of this article.
First Renewal requirements:
If this is your first renewal and you were licensed before July 1 of the second year of the biennium, you must complete the full standard requirement described below (40 hours, including all mandatory subject areas), plus 1 additional hour of HIV/AIDS education.
If you were licensed after July 1 of the second year of the biennium, your first renewal requirement is reduced to 6 hours total: 2 hours Medical Errors, 1 hour Florida Laws & Rules and Professional & Medical Ethics, 1 hour HIV/AIDS, and 2 hours Prescribing Controlled Substances (only if you hold a DEA registration — see Exemptions and Special Circumstances below).
CME Hour Categories
AOA Category 1-A (at least 20 hours)
At least 20 of your 40 hours must be American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Category 1-A continuing education related to the practice of osteopathic medicine.
Remaining Hours (AOA or AMA Category I)
The remaining 20 hours may be any combination of AOA or AMA Category I continuing education.
Delivery Limits
A few limits apply no matter which subject area the hours count toward:
- Up to 8 hours per biennium may be Home Study.
- Up to 5 hours per biennium may be Risk Management coursework.
- Up to 8 hours per biennium may come from standardized life support courses (see note below).
- Hours may be reported in increments as small as 0.25 hours.
Note on Standardized Life Support Courses: Courses such as ACLS, BLS, PALS, ATLS, NALS, and similar standardized life support courses are awarded AOA Category 1-A credit up to a maximum of 8 hours per cycle; any remaining hours from these courses are awarded Category 1-B credit. Only the practical (hands-on) portion of an online/blended course counts.
Mandatory Subject Areas
In addition to the hour categories above, your 40 hours must include:
| Requirement | Minimum Hours | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AOA Category 1-A | 20 hours | General requirement — see CME Hour Categories above. |
| Medical Errors | 2 hours | Required every renewal. Unlike most subjects, this course may not be repeated within the same biennium. |
| Florida Laws & Rules and Professional & Medical Ethics | 1 hour | Required every renewal. May be completed as a single 1-hour course covering both topics, or as two separate 1-hour courses. |
| Domestic Violence | 2 hours | Required every 3rd biennium. |
| Prescribing Controlled Substances | 2 hours | Required every renewal, but only for licensees registered with the DEA to prescribe controlled substances. May be AOA or AMA Category I. See Exemptions and Special Circumstances below. |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 hour | One-time requirement, due no later than your first renewal. |
Additional CME opportunity — Medical Marijuana Course: Osteopathic physicians who want to register to order low-THC cannabis for patients with uncontrollable seizures must complete a 2-hour course and register with the Office of Compassionate Use. This 2-hour course can be self-reported in CE Broker and counts toward your regular CME requirement.
Simultaneously Applying Hours
- Your AOA Category I hours can count toward the general AOA Category 1-A requirement at the same time as they satisfy Medical Errors, Florida Laws & Rules and Professional & Medical Ethics, Domestic Violence, Prescribing Controlled Substances, and HIV/AIDS — one course can check more than one box if it covers both topics.
Banking Excess Hours
Florida does not allow osteopathic physicians to carry excess CME hours forward into the next renewal cycle. All 40 hours (and all mandatory subject-area hours) must be earned within the current biennium.
Exemptions and Special Circumstances
Not registered with the DEA: If you don’t hold a DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances, the Prescribing Controlled Substances requirement doesn’t apply to you. Update your registration status in your DOH profile — that information is sent automatically to CE Broker and the requirement is removed from your transcript.
Active military service: If you’re an active-duty service member (or within 6 months of discharge), you may complete all 40 hours through distance learning or home study, and you’re exempt from the usual 20-hour AOA Category 1-A requirement. Separately, if your license status is changed to “Military” (rather than “Active”), you’re fully exempt from completing CE for that cycle — but you also aren’t able to practice while in that status. Status changes like this are handled directly with the Board, not through CE Broker.
CME Requirements for Other Osteopathic License Types
- Osteopathic Area of Critical Need (OCN): Identical requirements to Osteopathic Physician — 40 hours biennially, including all the same mandatory subject areas described above.
- Osteopathic Resident Registration (UO): A much shorter requirement — just 2 hours of Prescribing Controlled Substances each renewal. This license renews annually (July 1–June 30).
- Osteopathic Faculty Certificate (OFC): Also just 2 hours of Prescribing Controlled Substances. This certificate doesn’t renew on a cycle — it expires 24 months after issuance.