California Medical Doctor CME
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Required Courses for
California Medical Doctors
Cultural Competency in Healthcare: Tools and Strategies for Better Patient Care
4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™Text-basedCultural Competency in Healthcare: Tools and Strategies for Better Patient Care
Learn how cultural competence enhances healthcare delivery. This course explores cultural factors in patient care, providing strategies to improve communication and deliver equitable, respectful care for diverse populations.
View full details of Cultural Competency in Healthcare: Tools and Strategies for Better Patient CarePrice: $35.00
Duration: 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
DEA MATE 8-Hour Training: SUD & Pain Management
8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™Text-basedDEA MATE 8-Hour Training: SUD & Pain Management
Fulfill the DEA MATE 8-hour requirement in one bundle. Update pain pharmacology, MOUD for opioid and alcohol use disorders, and controlled substance best practices to treat SUD, manage pain safely, and reduce misuse and diversion.
View full details of DEA MATE 8-Hour Training: SUD & Pain ManagementPrice: $79.00
Duration: 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
End-of-Life Care: Integrating Pain Management, Communication, and Ethical-Legal Decision Making
3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™Text-basedEnd-of-Life Care: Integrating Pain Management, Communication, and Ethical-Legal Decision Making
Learn to deliver compassionate end-of-life care by integrating pain management, effective communication, and ethical-legal decision-making in clinical practice.
View full details of End-of-Life Care: Integrating Pain Management, Communication, and Ethical-Legal Decision MakingPrice: $20.00
Duration: 3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
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State requirements for California Medical Doctors
All California Physicians Need:
- 12 Hours Pain Management and End-of-Life Care (One Time Only)
Some California Physicians Also Need:
- 10 Hours Geriatric Medicine and Care of Older Patients — General Internists and Family Physicians Whose Patient Population Is More Than 25% Age 65+
- 8 Hours DEA MATE Training on Opioid or Substance Use Disorder — If Holding a DEA Registration (One Time Only)
HOW MANY CE HOURS DO CALIFORNIA PHYSICIANS NEED?
California physicians need 50 hours of Category 1 CME every two years ( Medical Board of California — Continuing Medical Education ). You may complete all 50 hours online with an on-demand Complete California CME Physician Package
California licenses run on an individualized biennial cycle: a license expires at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the month in which it was originally issued, every two years from that point ( Medical Board of California — Renew Your License ). Physicians must retain records of every CME activity attended — course title, dates, length, and sponsoring organization — for at least four years.
WHICH CE TOPICS ARE REQUIRED FOR CALIFORNIA PHYSICIANS?
Every physician must complete a one-time, 12-hour course in pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients, by their second license renewal — pathologists and radiologists are exempt. A physician may instead satisfy this with a one-time 12-hour course on treating opioid-dependent patients, including 8 hours on buprenorphine or similar medication-assisted treatment ( Medical Board of California — Continuing Medical Education ).
General internists and family physicians whose patient population is more than 25% age 65 or older must devote at least 20% of their CME — 10 of the 50 hours — to geriatric medicine, care of older patients, or dementia care ( Medical Board of California — Continuing Medical Education ).
State law also requires that every CME course relating to direct patient care — not a separate, standalone hour bucket, but a content mandate woven into the courses physicians already take — include curriculum on implicit bias and its effect on health outcomes for patients from historically underserved communities ( California Business and Professions Code § 2190.1 ). This requirement does not add hours to the 50-hour total.
Physicians holding a DEA registration must also complete a one-time 8-hour DEA MATE Training on Opioid or Substance Use Disorder, per the federal MATE Act — not a California Board mandate ( DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ ).
DO NEWLY LICENSED CALIFORNIA PHYSICIANS NEED CE FOR THEIR FIRST RENEWAL?
Yes. The standard 50-hour requirement applies starting with a physician's first renewal, though the one-time pain management and end-of-life care course isn't due until the second renewal ( Medical Board of California — Continuing Medical Education ).
DOES THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA AUDIT CE RECORDS?
Yes. The Board conducts CME audits and requires physicians to produce documentation on request; failure to provide verification is unprofessional conduct ( Medical Board of California — Continuing Medical Education ).
SOURCES
Last verified: September 11, 2026
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I am always interested in continuing education in the areas of health, wellness, nutrition and mental health. Your course was well written, well organized and helpful in meeting state licensure requirements.
Verified reviewVery well written, easy to digest, time efficient, and straight to the point. Thank you!
Verified reviewI appreciate the convenience of the course being online and accessible through my phone and that it directly reports to CEBroker to support mandated education requirements.
Verified reviewI really loved this information. I was hospitalized last year for almost a month and I noticed multiple medical errors (not being hooked up to my IV multiple times, given wrong medication which caused my sodium to be very low, etc.) which lengthened my stay. I can now define those exact errors and better understand what happened to me. I hate that these medical errors are so common and I appreciate how well laid out your breakdown and categorization of them was.
Verified reviewI am always looking for concise ,thorough, and up to date continuing education, and this course provided exactly what I was looking for. Thank you
Verified reviewEnjoyed this course! It squarely met my license renewal requirement as a physician. It was well-written, and an altogether enjoyable read.
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