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Oregon Physician & PA CME Requirements

Overview

The Oregon Medical Board regulates both physicians and PAs with identical requirements: 60 hours of CME every 2 years. Oregon uniquely requires cultural competency education (1 hour/year) and pain management training (1 hour every 2 years, free online). PAs are licensed by the same board as physicians — not a separate PA board.

Physician (MD/DO) Requirements

Oregon physicians must complete 60 CME hours per biennium under OAR 847-008-0070.

CME Breakdown

Requirement Details
Total CME 60 hours per 2-year biennium
Credit type AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1-A/2-A, or APMA-approved
Cycle 2 years (biennium)
Rollover No — hours cannot carry over
Emeritus status 15 hours/year

Mandatory Special Topics

Topic Hours Frequency Details
Pain Management 1 hour Every 2 years Free online course from Oregon Pain Management Commission
Cultural Competency 1 hour/year Ongoing (averaged over 4-year audit) Diverse options beyond traditional CME

Cultural Competency Options

Oregon's cultural competency requirement is broadly written. Acceptable activities include:

  • Traditional in-person/online courses
  • Experiential learning
  • Cultural immersion
  • Rural clinic volunteering
  • Employer training programs
  • Implicit bias training
  • Community cultural events

Track using the OMB record-keeping form.

Office-Based Surgery

Physicians performing Level II office-based surgery must complete 50 hours yearly specific to procedures performed (unless maintaining specialty board certification).

Physician Assistant Requirements

Oregon PAs have identical requirements to physicians — regulated by the same board with the same hours.

CME Breakdown

Requirement Details
Total CME 60 hours per 2-year biennium
Credit type NCCPA Category 1, AAPA Category 1, or equivalent
Cycle 2 years (biennium)
Special topics Same as physicians
Emeritus status 15 hours/year

Same Requirements as Physicians

Topic PAs Physicians
Total hours 60/2yr 60/2yr
Pain management 1 hr/2yr 1 hr/2yr
Cultural competency 1 hr/yr 1 hr/yr
Office-based surgery 50 hrs/yr 50 hrs/yr

Audit Policy

Oregon conducts random CME audits with escalating penalties.

Audit Timeline

Stage Consequence
Audit notice 60 days to provide documentation
120 days non-compliance $250 fine
180 days non-compliance $1,000 fine
Beyond 180 days License suspension (minimum 90 days)

Alternative Compliance

Specialty Board Certification

May fulfill CME requirements through active participation in:

  • ABMS recertification programs
  • AOA-BOS recertification
  • ABPM recertification
  • NCCPA recertification (for PAs)

Important: Lifetime certification alone does NOT satisfy requirements. Must maintain active participation in recertification program.

Documentation Requirements

Requirement Details
Pain management Attestation on renewal
Cultural competency Attestation on renewal
General CME Certificates with name, date, credit type, course name
Record retention Indefinitely

ACCME Partnership

Oregon Medical Board partners with ACCME for streamlined CME reporting through PARS (Program and Activity Reporting System).

Exemptions

Exemption Details
Residency training Exempt from CME
Volunteer Camp licensees Exempt
Military service May substitute equivalent training
Teleradiology/Telemonitoring Exempt from pain management only

New Licensees

Situation Requirement
Licensed during second year of biennium 30 hours (instead of 60)
Cultural competency Prorated based on months licensed
Pain management 1 hour at initial licensure

DO (Osteopathic) Physicians

Oregon requirements for DO physicians are identical to MD requirements per OAR 847-008-0070. DOs may use AOA Category 1-A or 2-A credits while MDs use AMA Category 1. Same total hour requirements.

Tips for Oregon Licensees

  1. Pain management is free — Use the Oregon Pain Management Commission course
  2. Cultural competency is flexible — Many activities qualify beyond traditional CME
  3. PAs and MDs: Same requirements — 60 hours per biennium for both
  4. Board certification works — But must be active recertification, not just lifetime cert
  5. Keep records indefinitely — Oregon requires permanent documentation
  6. 60-day audit response — Respond quickly to avoid escalating fines

Contact Information

Oregon Medical Board

  • Address: 1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 620, Portland, OR 97201-5847
  • Phone: 971-673-2700 (Toll-free: 1-877-254-6263)
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Website: oregon.gov/omb

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