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Florida Physician & PA CME Requirements

Overview

The Florida Board of Medicine requires physicians to complete 40 hours of CME per biennial cycle, while physician assistants have a significantly higher requirement of 100 hours. Florida uses a centralized tracking system called CE Broker for all licensees.

Physician (MD/DO) Requirements

Florida physicians must complete 40 hours of CME every biennial period to renew their medical license.

CME Breakdown

Requirement Details
Total CME 40 hours per biennial cycle
Credit type AMA PRA Category I™
Renewal cycle Biennial (Group 1: Jan 31 even years; Group 2: Jan 31 odd years)
Rollover No — hours do not carry over
Tracking CE Broker (required)

Mandatory Topics for Physicians

Topic Hours Frequency
Prevention of Medical Errors 2 hours Every renewal
Prescribing Controlled Substances 2 hours Every renewal (DEA-registered physicians)
Domestic Violence 2 hours Every third biennium (every 6 years)
General CME 34-38 hours To complete 40-hour total

Note: The controlled substances requirement applies to all physicians registered with the DEA. Content must come from board-approved providers.

First Renewal Requirements

New Florida physicians have reduced requirements for their first renewal:

  • HIV/AIDS: 1 hour
  • Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 hours
  • Prescribing Controlled Substances: 2 hours (if DEA-registered)

CE Broker Tracking

Florida requires all CME to be reported via CE Broker before license renewal. This is a centralized system that:

  • Tracks your completed coursework
  • Verifies compliance automatically
  • Allows providers to report directly
  • Makes renewal seamless when requirements are met

Physician Assistant Requirements

Florida PAs have significantly higher CME requirements than physicians.

CME Breakdown

Requirement Details
Total CME 100 hours per biennial cycle
Renewal cycle Biennial
Tracking CE Broker (required)

Mandatory Topics for PAs

Florida PAs must complete specific mandatory topics including:

  • Healthcare facility training (2-hour course requirement)
  • Additional detailed requirements per official PDF form

Note: The Florida Board of Medicine maintains a separate PDF document with complete PA CME requirements: CME Requirements for PA License Renewal (PDF)

Important Differences: MD vs PA

Aspect Physicians (MD/DO) Physician Assistants
Total hours 40 hours 100 hours
Rollover No Not specified
Tracking system CE Broker CE Broker

The significant difference in requirements (40 vs 100 hours) is one of the largest MD/PA disparities among all states.

Exemptions & Reductions

Florida offers several exemptions and fee/CME reductions:

Full Exemptions

  • Military service: Active duty + 6 months post-discharge (not private sector military contractors)
  • Retired physicians: Exempt from CME requirements

Partial Reductions

  • Volunteer health services: 160 hours of indigent care = waive up to 25% of CE hours + fees (but NOT mandatory topics)
  • Public school volunteer: 80 hours/year (or 400 if retired) = waive up to 25% CE + fees
  • Health care price transparency: Post minimum 15 sq ft sign of 50 most common services = waive 1 biennial cycle of CE + fees
  • Legislature members: Special consideration available

Important: Exemptions and reductions do NOT waive mandatory topics (medical errors, prescribing, domestic violence).

DO (Osteopathic) Physicians

Florida DO physicians follow the same requirements as MD physicians. Both are regulated by the Florida Board of Medicine with the same 40-hour biennial requirement.

Approved CME Providers

Florida accepts Category I CME from organizations accredited by:

  • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
  • American Medical Association (AMA)
  • American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
  • American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
  • Florida Medical Association (FMA)

Tips for Florida Licensees

  1. Set up CE Broker early: Don't wait until renewal — create your account and verify your profile
  2. No rollover means no slack: Unlike Texas, excess hours don't carry forward, so plan each cycle independently
  3. Track mandatory topics separately: Medical errors and prescribing are required every single renewal
  4. PAs: Plan for 100 hours: This is a substantial requirement; spread coursework throughout the biennium
  5. Know your group: Check whether you're in Group 1 (even years) or Group 2 (odd years) for your deadline
  6. Volunteer for reductions: If you provide charity care, you may qualify for CE reductions

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