Investing in ongoing or continuing education is a vital part of many professions — especially within the fast-changing medical field. Keeping up with these requirements helps you maintain professional competency and stay updated on the latest advancements.

Since continuing education is so important, many states have set ongoing ed requirements for doctors who want to maintain their licenses. If you don't meet these requirements, there can be severe consequences (up to and including license revocation)

What Are State-Specific Medical Continuing Education Requirements?

Each state's requirements can vary slightly. Let's take a quick look at some representative examples:

California

Californian doctors are expected to finish a certain number of ongoing ed hours per license renewal cycle. The number of hours varies per specialty — for example, MDs complete 50 hours every two years.

California also recommends specific areas of ongoing ed, including pain management, controlled substance management, cultural competency, and ethics training.

New York

While the Office of the Professions in New York does not require ongoing physician education, it's encouraged. Ongoing education topics recommended in New York include pain management, infection control, and child abuse recognition.

Texas

Texas-specific expectations for licensed physicians include 48+ hours of ongoing medical education every two years. The topics recommended for Texas doctors include risk management, pain management, prescribing controlled substances, and ethics training.

To complete these ongoing education requirements, doctors nationwide have many options. For example, online classes and webinars may suffice, as well as in-person trainings offered at a doctor's place of work or study.

The important thing is to do them and document them appropriately.

If doctors don't complete their continuing ed to their licensing board's satisfaction, the consequences can be swift and severe.

The Surprisingly Steep Consequences of Failing to Maintain Continuing Education Requirements

When doctors do not keep up with continuing education, whether they are aware of the lapse in compliance or not, they risk disciplinary action.

Depending on the state's regulations, that disciplinary action may include:

• Temporary license suspension
• A ding on the doctor's professional reputation
• Possible legal ramifications
• Disruption in the doctor's ability to practice
• The necessity of dealing with a lengthy license reinstatement process

Dealing with these consequences can be frustrating — to say the least.

The Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm is here to help you manage the aftermath of a license challenge and mitigate the potential damage to your career.

How the Nationwide Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm Can Help

If you need to reinstate your license or move past another medical license-related challenge quickly and smoothly, you must act quickly.

No matter where you live in the nation, we can help. For years, the Lento Law Firm has supported medical professionals through license challenges.

Call 888.535.3686 today to set up a consultation to learn about your next steps, or alternatively, you can fill out this brief form online. A member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.