Pennsylvania Medical Doctor CME

How many CE hours do Pennsylvania physicians need?

Pennsylvania physicians need 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years, at least 20 of which must be AMA PRA Category 1 Credit and at least 12 of which must be in patient safety or risk management; the remainder may be AMA PRA Category 1 or Category 2 credit ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ).

Renewal falls every two years, with every license expiring December 31 of each even-numbered year, the same date for every physician regardless of when the license was first issued ( PA Department of State — State Board of Medicine Renewal Information ).

Which CE topics are required for Pennsylvania physicians?

Every physician must complete 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting CME each renewal, per Act 31, regardless of what other continuing education requirements apply to the licensee ( PA Department of State — Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting ). A physician applying for an initial Pennsylvania medical license must also complete a separate 3-hour Act 31 child abuse course before licensure — a one-time requirement tied to first licensure, not to any renewal cycle ( PA Department of State — Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Every physician must also complete 12 hours of patient safety and risk management CME each renewal ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ).

Every physician must also complete a one-time 2-hour organ and tissue donation awareness training, within 5 years of initial licensure or within 5 years of licensure renewal, whichever comes first, effective May 1, 2026 ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ).

A physician who holds a DEA registration must also complete 2 hours of opioid education and pain management CME each renewal, as a prescriber or dispenser under the ABC-MAP program, counted as a portion of the standard 100-hour total rather than owed on top of it; a physician who neither prescribes nor dispenses controlled substances is exempt from this specific topic ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ). Separately, a physician applying for an initial Pennsylvania medical license must also complete a one-time 4-hour opioid education course (2 hours on pain management or addiction identification, plus 2 hours on the practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids) within one year of initial licensure — a requirement tied to first licensure, not to any renewal cycle ( PA Department of State — Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

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

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

No. A physician applying for licensure in Pennsylvania for the first time is exempt from the 100-hour CME requirement for the biennial renewal period in which initial licensure is acquired ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ). The separate one-time 3-hour Act 31 child abuse course must still be completed before initial licensure is granted, and the one-time 4-hour opioid education course must still be completed within one year of initial licensure — both are conditions of first licensure itself, independent of the renewal-cycle exemption ( PA Department of State — Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Does the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine audit CE records?

Yes. Physicians report CME compliance through the PALS licensing portal at renewal, and the Board may audit licensees to verify compliance. Documentation must be retained for at least 2 years after completing the CME or after the biennial registration for which it was required, whichever is later ( PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License ).

Sources

Last verified: September 23, 2026

• Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine

• PA Department of State — CME Requirements for MD Unrestricted License

• PA Department of State — State Board of Medicine Renewal Information

• PA Department of State — Medicine Board Licensure Guide

• PA Department of State — Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ