On March 11, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners (BME) sent out a summary of new rules going into effect on June 6, 2022. Most importantly for doctors who are already licensed, the time period in which to obtain the required 40 hours of CME prior to license renewal is changing.
- Licensees will now be allowed to obtain internet CME hours if they met the criterial for CME credit, such as AMA Category 1
- Also, after June 6, licensees would need to obtain the 40 hours of required CME in the immediate 24 months before the month of license renewal. Currently, all 40 hours must be obtained within the two calendar years prior to the year a licensee must renew a license (For 2022 renewals before June 6, 2022, all CME was required by December 31, 2022).
The BME has indicated that there will be some latitude regarding enforcement during the transition period. The change will not impact the current system of random CME audits conducted following the month of your licensure renewal. Continue to save your documented hours and only send them in pursuant to an audit request.
The new rules also change the number of allowable times an applicant for a license gets to try to pass the USMLE and address re-entry to practice after absence from clinical practice.
For more information on continuing medical education and licensure renewal, members may access TMA’s Law Guide topic on Continuing Medical Education at tnmed.org/lawguide or contact the legal department at legal@tnmed.org.
