Massachusetts Medical Doctor CME

How many CE hours do Massachusetts physicians need?

Massachusetts physicians need 50 credits of continuing medical education every two years, under the Board's Continuing Medical Education Pilot Program, which applies to every renewal on or after January 1, 2018 ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — CME Pilot Program ). Physicians are not required to track which activities are Category 1 versus Category 2 under the pilot program.

Renewal falls every two years, on the physician's birthday; a license issued within 90 days of the physician's birthday has its first renewal deferred to the following birthday ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — General Physician Licensing FAQ ).

Which CE topics are required for Massachusetts physicians?

Every physician must complete 10 hours of risk management study each two-year cycle ( 243 CMR 2.06(6)(a)3 ). This is a single 10-hour bucket, not 10 hours plus separate add-ons: the regulation names end-of-life care and study of the Board's own regulations (243 CMR 1.00–3.00) as qualifying risk-management content ( 243 CMR 2.06(6)(a)4 ; 243 CMR 2.06(6)(b) ), a physician who prescribes controlled substances can likewise apply their opioid education and pain management hours toward it ( 243 CMR 2.06(6)(d) ), and every physician must complete 2 credits on implicit bias in health care each cycle that also count toward this same 10-hour bucket ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — Implicit Bias in Health Care Policy , effective June 1, 2022). Up to 7 credits of physician-wellness or burnout-prevention CME may also be applied toward the same bucket ( Board of Registration in Medicine — BORIM CME Requirements ). A physician can fill the 10 hours entirely with general risk-management CME, or with any mix of these named topics — either way the requirement tops out at 10 hours, it does not stack on top of itself.

Every physician must also complete one-time training on child abuse and neglect and on domestic and sexual violence ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — CME Pilot Program ). The Board does not specify a minimum number of hours for either one-time training. Check that your chosen course meets the applicable requirement.

Every physician must also demonstrate proficiency in electronic health records once, through one of four options: participating in a Meaningful Use program, employment at a hospital that uses EHR, participation in the Mass HIway, or 3 hours of Category 1 EHR-focused CME ( 243 CMR 2.06(2)(d) ). If a physician uses the CME option, those 3 hours also count toward the 10-hour risk-management requirement rather than adding to it.

A physician who prescribes controlled substances must also complete 3 hours of opioid education and pain management CME each cycle (counting toward the 10-hour risk-management bucket described above), and a physician who treats adult patients must complete a one-time 1-credit training on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders ( Massachusetts General Laws c.112 §2 ; Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — Alzheimer's CME Requirement ).

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 Massachusetts Board mandate ( DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ ).

Do newly licensed Massachusetts physicians need CE for their first renewal?

Yes. The standard 50-credit requirement applies to a physician's first renewal the same as every renewal after it ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — General Physician Licensing FAQ ).

Does the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine audit CE records?

The Board may request CME records for verification. Physicians self-certify compliance at renewal and must retain documentation to provide if requested ( Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — General Physician Licensing FAQ ).

Sources

Last verified: September 23, 2026

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — CME Pilot Program

• 243 CMR 2.06 — Licensing and the Practice of Medicine

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — General Physician Licensing FAQ

• Massachusetts General Laws c.112 §2

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — Alzheimer's CME Requirement

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine — Implicit Bias in Health Care Policy

• Board of Registration in Medicine — BORIM CME Requirements

• Final Amended Guidelines for Fulfilling the CME and Educational Trainings Requirements (Adopted July 19, 2018, Amended April 11, 2024)

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ