State General Medical License and Controlled Substance License Renewals

Each state has their own requirements for CME to maintain your state license. It is important to understand the requirements of the every state that you hold a license in, as the requirements can be very different. For example, Alaska requires physicians to earn 50 credit hours every 2 years, while Michigan requires 150 credit hours every 3 years. Further, some states have different requirements for MD's and DO's, regardless of which board your obtained specialty certification in. 

 

For the purpose of this discussion, we will focus on the specifics of the State of Michigan requirements. Check with your state licensing board for specific requirements in your state. A brief overview of the general requirements for each state is outlined here. 

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General Considerations

In the state of Michigan, both Allopathic and Osteopathic physicians are required to renew their state medical license and their controlled substance license every 3 years. This can be done on the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) website at www.michigan.gov/miplus

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It is your obligation to ensure that you complete all of your required CME prior to submitting your application for renewal. You are not required to submit proof of your CME when you apply for your license renewal. Instead, physicians are randomly selected for audit and will be required to provide proof of CME obtained between the dates of your last license renewal and prior to the end of the 3-year cycle.

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YOU MUST COMPLETE THESE REQUIREMENTS EVERY 3 YEARS

 

YOU CANNOT CLAIM CREDIT FOR THE SAME COURSE TWICE IN A CYCLE

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YOU ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP RECORDS FOR 4 YEARS AFTER RECERTIFICATION FOR AUDIT

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Failure to provide evidence of completion of the CME requirements, when requested, is in violation of the Michigan Public Health Code and subject to one or more of the following possible license sanctions: 

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• Reprimand

• Probation

• Denial

• Suspension

• Revocation

• Limitation

• Restitution

• Fine

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If you do not have all of your CME at the time your license renewal is due, don't worry. You have a 90-day grace period in which you can finish your CME and submit your application. It is very important that you do not submit your application if your CME is not completed!

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In general, the license renewal process is essentially the same for Allopathic and Osteopathic physicians. However, the CME requirements have a few key differences that are important to understand. Click the links below based on your license level to learn more. It is important to understand that these CME are for your STATE MEDICAL LICENSE, AND NOT YOUR SPECIALTY BOARD CERTIFICATION.