CME Requirements & Course Resources

Each two-year licensing renewal cycle, physicians licensed by the Board of Medical Practice must certify that they have completed 30 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, including 1-hour addressing palliative care, hospice care OR pain management AND 2 hours addressing prescribing controlled substances for physicians with DEA registrations. As of June 27, 2023, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 enacted a new one-time, 8-hour training requirement for all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. Read more here. These subject-specific activities count toward the 30-hour requirement. A link to the Board’s CME Rules can be found here.

Please contact VMS or the Vermont Board of Medical Practice if you have questions about the renewal process or CME requirements.

Opportunities to Meet CME Requirements

Prescribing Controlled Substance Offerings - Online – Free

2 CME credits per training. Boston University School of Medicine. S.C.O.P.E of Pain Trainings.
Up to 10 CME credits. NEJM Knowledge+ Pain Management and Opioids Course.
Some topics meet prescribing controlled substances requirements. The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. Vermont Academic Detailing Program.
A range of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Providers Clinical Support System. Substance use, pain management, medication adherence etc.
A number of free courses linked: AMA Education Hub, Substance Use Disorders and Addiction Education to Meet New DEA Requirements

Palliative Care Offerings Online – Free or Low Cost

Range of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Massachusetts Medical Society. Palliative care, pain management, and communication with patients.
Ariadne Labs materials. Communication in Serious Illness.
Range of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits, Alzheimer's Association, free Clinical Education offerings
Free if you belong to a member-organization. Center to Advance Palliative Care. Pain Management, Symptom Management and Communication Skills at the End of Life.
Free, but membership required. National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Starting at $20, range of CME credits. American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. AAHPM Education and Events.

General CME Offerings - Online – Free

Account required. For more info on claiming CME. Medscape Education. Multi-Specialty Courses.
Membership required. American Medical Association Ed Hub. Comprehensive portfolio of more than 2,000 online CME activities, including free CME for AMA STEPS Forward™.

Vermont Physician Executive Leadership Institute:

With the generous support of the Physicians Foundation, the VMS Education & Research Foundation is able to offer a leadership curriculum to Vermont physicians interested in affecting the future of the region’s health care delivery system.

Massachusetts Medical Society Partnership- Online - Special Member Discount

The Vermont Medical Society has formed a partnership with the Massachusetts Medical Society which provides VMS Members a 25% discount on all of MMS’ online CME courses. To take advantage of this opportunity, please view this tutorial. It covers topics, such as searching course offerings, using the discount code, creating a user account, and course payment.

Use code VMSCME20

To view MMS’ course offerings, click here. If you have any questions about the registration or login process, please contact the MMS Continuing Education Department at (800) 322-2303, ext #7306, or via email at jvautour@mms.org.

Medical School and State CME Programs: