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Continuing Education:

Requirements & Licensure Renewal

Medicine

In Georgia, allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) doctors are both classified as physicians. Georgia does not make a distinction between the two, and they are issued the same type of medical license. RENEWALS SECOND RENEWALS AND BEYOND

• Physicians must renew their licenses every two years before the last day of their birthday month. Failure to do so will lead to revocation of the physician’s license by the Georgia

Composite Medical Board. However, physicians have the right to obtain a late renewal of their license during the three-month period immediately following the expiration date. • 40 continuing medical education (CME) hours

• Up to 10 hours of CME credit can be waived per biennium with volunteer work. The Georgia Composite Medical

Board will waive one of the required

CME hours per every four hours of work documented by the physician in uncompensated healthcare services, such as free clinics. In order to receive the waiver, the physician must submit documentation to the Georgia Composite

Medical Board of such work at the time of renewal.

EXEMPTIONS

Some exceptions to the CME requirement do apply. Retired physicians who have an active license, and who provide uncompensated healthcare services pursuant to Code Section 43-34-41, are only required to complete 10 hours of Boardapproved continuing education biennially. Furthermore, physicians enrolled in full-time graduate medical education programs, such as residencies and fellowships, which are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association are exempt from the CME requirement. Finally, physicians who are initially licensed by the Board and who have not renewed their licenses for the first time, physicians with inactive licenses, and those specifically exempted due to cases of hardship, disability, illness, etc. are not responsible for the CME requirement. Any physician seeking such an exemption must submit a written request and documentation to support their exemption eligibility in a sufficient time period prior to the expiration of his or her license.

Physician Assistants

Physician Assistant licenses must be renewed every two years by the last day of their birthday month. Licenses expired for three months or less may be renewed by meeting all the requirements for renewal and paying a late renewal fee. Licenses that are not renewed within three months after the expiration date will be revoked by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, and the physician assistant will have to apply for reinstatement.

Additionally, the licensee must complete 40 hours of Georgia Composite Medical Board-approved continuing medical education (CME) prior to renewal. FIRST RENEWAL SECOND RENEWALS AND BEYOND

• When renewing for the first time, 40 hours of continuing education are not required.

• Any physician assistants who are authorized to carry out prescription drug orders, including those who are exempt from the 40 required CME hours, are required to complete a minimum of three hours (as part of the 40 CME hours required, when applicable) in practice-specific pharmaceuticals for which the physician assistant has prescriptionorder privileges. • Licenses must be renewed every two years by the last day of the birthday month.

• Licenses expired for three months or less may be renewed by meeting all the requirements for renewal and paying a late renewal fee. Licenses that are not renewed within three months after the expiration date will be revoked by the

Georgia Composite Medical Board, and the physician assistant will have to apply for reinstatement.

• 40 hours CME