APA Member CME Requirement
***Starting in August 2008, members seeking to fullfill the APA's CME member requirement will be required to complete their report using the CME Recorder. We will no longer be accepting faxed paper reports.***
The APA requires that members participate in at least 150 hours of continuing medical education (CME) activities per three-year period, of which at least 60 hours must be in Category 1 activities.
In December 1983, the APA Board of Trustees ratified a change in reporting CME activities. Although the basic requirement of 150 hours every three years (with at least 60 hours in Category 1) remains the same, members no longer are required to report these specific activities but need only sign and return a compliance statement to the effect that the requirement has been met. A certificate will not be issued for this method of reporting. To receive a certificate, follow the instructions in the next section.
Submission of the Report Form to Receive a CME Certificate
Reporting cycle: APA CME reports encompass a three–year reporting period, and certificates expire three years from the end of that period. A report made for the period July 1997–July 2000, for example, would result in a certificate expiring in July 2003. The next report would be due in July 2003, and would cover the period from July 2000 - July 2003. Reports may be predated, but may not extend beyond the month and year the report is submitted.
Category 1 CME Activities: Titles and accredited sponsors of activities approved for Category 1 Credit should be listed on the front of the CME form. Accredited sponsors are those institutions and organizations, which have been designated by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The date, place, and credit hours should be listed for each Category 1 activity. Reporting is on an honor basis; evidence of attendance and documentation of hours is not required. To fulfill the CME requirement, the report must show a total of at least 60 Category 1 hours.
In addition to the guidelines for Category 1 CME credits outlined above, the APA recognizes these additions to Category 1 Credit in agreement with the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award:
1. Articles published in peer–reviewed journals (journals included in the Index Medicus): 10 Category 1 Credits for each article, 1 article per year.
2. Poster preparation for an exhibit at a medical meeting designated for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™, with a published abstract: 5 Category 1 Credits per poster, 1 presentation per year.
3. As an APA member, you may claim 25 Category 1 Credits for the successful completion of Part I and 25 Category 1 Credits for the successful completion of Part II of the examinations of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (of Canada). You may also claim 25 Category 1 Credits for successful completion of the ABPN or APA specialty board certification and recertification in Addiction Psychiatry, Administrative Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Pain Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine and Sleep Medicine. These credits apply only toward the APA CME Certificate; no separate certificate is provided by APA. A physician may apply directly to the AMA for a certificate that specifically reports successful completion of a Board certification or recertification exam.
4. Medically related degrees, such as the Master’s in Public Health: 25 Category 1 Credits following award of the advanced degree.
Category 2 CME Activities: Category 2 educational activities should be listed on the back of the report form. The total of Category 1 and Category 2 credit hours must be at least 150 hours.
Some organized CME programs are presented by accredited sponsors, yet do not meet all the standards for Category 1; these may be considered as Category 2 (e.g., some Workshops at the APA Annual Meeting). Conversely, some activities, which appear to meet the descriptions of Category 2 on the back of the form, may have been approved for Category 1 by an accredited institution or organization.
Alternate Methods of Reporting for a CME Certificate
Members may also satisfy the APA CME reporting requirement by completing report forms from other organizations, which utilize the requisite three-year reporting period. These forms are subject to APA standards for review. To eliminate duplication of efforts, the APA accepts the following alternate methods of reporting:
1. Submit a copy of current re-registration of medical licensure from any state that has CME requirements equal to or greater than the APA (i.e. 50 credits/year with at least 20/year as Category 1 Credits).
2. Submit a copy of a current CME certificate from a state medical society that has CME requirements equal to or greater than the APA (i.e. 50 credits/year with at least 20/year as Category 1 Credits).
3. Submit a copy of a current Physician's Recognition Award (PRA) from the American Medical Association.
4. Request notification by the AMA: When applying for the Physician's Recognition Award, applicants may request that the APA be notified when the PRA is awarded. Approximately 10 weeks from the time a report is submitted to AMA, an APA CME certificate will be issued.
5. Reciprocity with AMA: By completing APA's CME membership requirement and qualifying for the APA CME certificate, members may also qualify for the standard Physician's Recognition Award (PRA) of the American Medical Association (AMA).
In each of the above cases, the Department of Continuing Medical Education will issue an APA CME certificate valid for the same period as the document submitted.
***Starting in August 2008, members seeking to fullfill the APA's CME member requirement will be required to complete their report using the CME Recorder. We will no longer be accepting faxed paper reports.***