Texas State Board of
Podiatric Medical Examiners

Continuing Medical Education

► All ("Even" & "Odd" Year) CME Biennia begin on November 1^st and end 2-years later on October 31^st.

There appears to be confusion on the part of some licensees regarding several important CME issues.  The information below is being provided for your benefit and guidance.  Please know that you may view the Board’s Rules on "Continuing Medical Education" by going to the "Statute and Rules" link (to the left). Locate and click on “Texas Administrative Code / Rules” and look under §378.1 for the complete CME rules.

1. Effective March 4, 2008 (to be accrued on/after 11/01/2008 for "Even" year licensees and on/after 11/01/2009 for "Odd" year licensees), you must have obtained your 50 hours of C.M.E. each biennium in order to renew your license.
   
   
2. If you were originally licensed in an "Even" year, your C.M.E. biennium begins on November 1 and ends on October 31^st of the next "Even" year. For example, Jane Doe, D.P.M. was originally licensed in 2006. Her "Even" year C.M.E. biennium is "11/01/2006 - 10/31/2008" and follows thereafter.
   
   
3. If you were originally licensed in an "Odd" year, your C.M.E. biennium begins on November 1 and ends on October 31^st of the next "Odd" year.  For example, John Doe, D.P.M. was originally licensed in 2007. His "Odd" year C.M.E. biennium is "11/01/2007 - 10/31/2009" and follows thereafter.
   
   
4. All licensees are subject to random C.M.E. audits in accordance with Board Rules. Failure to comply with C.M.E. requirements will result in "Disciplinary Action." All Board "Disciplinary Actions" (which include C.M.E. violations) are reported on the Board's website and also to the National Practitioner Databank - Healthcare Integrity Protection Databank (NPDB-HIPDB) in accordance with state/federal law. Licensees have a 2-year period in which to obtain their requisite C.M.E.!
   
   
5. All "Even" year licensees audited after October 31, 2010 must be able to produce proof of 50 hours of C.M.E. beginning with the "11/01/2008 - 10/31/2010" biennium and thereafter.
   
   
6. All "Odd" year licensees audited after October 31, 2011 must be able to produce proof of 50 hours of C.M.E. beginning with the "11/01/2009 - 10/31/2011" biennium and thereafter.
   
   
7. In addition to the March 4, 2008 C.M.E. rule changes also mandating a "Two (2)-Hour Ethics / Rules-Regulations / Healthcare Fraud / Professional Boundaries / Risk Management / Jurisprudence" requirement, licensees are now afforded greater community opportunities to obtain C.M.E. as set forth below. Be engaged in your community!
   
   

   • Board Rule §378.1 "Continuing Education Requirement" provides, in part, that:

     (a) Each person licensed to practice podiatric medicine in the State of Texas is required to have 50 hours of continuing education every two years for the renewal of the license to practice podiatric medicine. Two hours of the required 50 hours of biennial continuing education (CME) shall be a course, class, seminar, or workshop in: Ethics in the Delivery of Health Care Services and/or Rules and Regulations pertaining to Podiatric Medicine in Texas. Topics on Healthcare Fraud, Professional Boundaries, Practice Risk Management or Podiatric Medicine related Ethics or Jurisprudence courses, including those sponsored by an entity approved by CPME, APMA, APMA affiliated organizations or governmental entities, are acceptable towards fulfilling this 2 hour requirement.

     (b) A licensee shall receive 100% credit for each hour of training (one hour of training equals one hour of CME) for podiatric medical meetings and training sponsored by APMA, APMA affiliated organizations, TPMA, state, county or regional podiatric medical association podiatric medical meetings, university sponsored podiatric medical meetings, hospital podiatric medical meetings or hospital podiatric medical grand rounds, medical meetings sponsored by the Foot & Ankle Society or the orthopedic community relating to foot care, and others at the discretion of the Board. If a podiatric physician gives a lecture, he/she can receive the same CME credit that a podiatrist attending the lecture obtains.

     (c) A licensee shall receive 100% credit for each hour of training (one hour of training equals one hour of CME) for non-podiatric medical sponsored meetings that are relative to podiatric medicine. The method used to determine whether the training is "relative" to podiatric medicine is: "will the training enhance the knowledge and abilities of the podiatric physician in terms of improved quality and delivery of patient care?" One hundred percent credit shall also be assigned to hospital grand rounds, hospital CME programs, corporate sponsored meetings, and meetings sponsored by the American Medical Association, the orthopedic community, the American Diabetes Association, the Nursing Association, the Physical Therapy Association, and others at the discretion of the Board.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

1. Can I receive CME credit for home study programs?

   The answer to this question is "Yes." Board Rule §378.1(d) provides that: "It shall be the responsibility of the podiatric physician to ensure that all CME hours being claimed to satisfy the 50-hour biennial requirement meet the standards for CME as set by the Board. One hour of CME is defined as a typical fifty-minute classroom instructional session or its equivalent. Practice management, home study and self study programs will be accepted for CME credit hours only if the provider is approved by the Council for Podiatric Medical Education. The licensee may obtain up to, but not exceed 20 hours of the aforementioned hours per biennium." (Note: The allowance limit prior to March 4, 2008 was 10 hours and remains in effect for CME audits subject to the biennia prior to this rule change.)

2. Carrying Forward CME Hours:

   Some licensees are attempting to carry over and receive credit for CME hours that were not obtained within the licensee’s most recent CME period, or that are too old to be carried forward from the proceeding CME period.  Board Rule §378.1(i) provides that: "These hours of continuing education must be obtained in the 24-month period immediately preceding the year for which the license was issued. The two-year period will begin on November 1 and end on October 31 two years later. The year in which the 50-hour credit requirement must be completed after the original license is issued is every odd-numbered year if the original license was issued in an odd-numbered year and is every even-numbered year if the original license was issued in an even-numbered year. A licensee who completes more than the required 50 hours during the preceding CME period may carry forward a maximum of 10 hours for the next CME period."

   As per the above rule, you may only carry over a maximum of 10 CME hours from the prior 2-year CME period.  No older CME hours will be allowed for any reason. 

3. Using the Board's old CME printout as written proof of obtaining CME's:

   Effective as of the 9/01/01-08/31/03 CME period, we will no longer accept your sending us a copy of the Board’s “CME Printout Sheet” as written documentation or proof that you have completed the requisite 50 hours (previously 30 hours) of CME, as we will no longer have on file the supporting certificates verifying your attendance (you must now keep these documents in your office.)  If audited, you will be required to send us a copy of the actual certificate of attendance for the CME hours being claimed.

4. Which  "Two (2)-Hour Ethics / Rules-Regulations / Healthcare Fraud / Professional Boundaries / Risk Management / Jurisprudence" courses are acceptable towards fulfilling the requirement and where can I attend?

   Licensees may attend a variety of courses to suffice this mandate to include specific topic offerings provided by the TPMA and PICA. At the local level, hospitals, governmental agencies and private entities offer related education opportunities for community involvement. You may ALSO visit the following: 1) Office of the Attorney General’s “Crime Victims Services;” 2) Advocate Web and 3) Professional Boundaries Incorporated.
   

5. Can I take Hospital CME courses and obtain credit?        

   Yes! Please note the following clarifications.

   One element of the State of Texas' Statewide Strategic Planning/Philosophy provides that: "...Decisions affecting individual Texans, in most instances, are best made by those individuals, their families, and the local government closest to their communities..."

   To this end, the Board encourages all licensees to: "Be engaged in your community!" Hospital CME suffices this end.

   Licensees may obtain Hospital CME credits/courses and must produce proof of issuance of Hospital CME certificates. As long as the CME courses are "relative to podiatric medicine," we will accept them and we also accept American Medical Association (AMA) and Texas Medical Association (TMA) accredited programs/courses provided that the AMA/TMA allow a Podiatric Physician to attend their educational programs.

   As an example, a Podiatric Physician taking CME courses on brain surgery, proctology, shoulders, etc. would NOT be acceptable.

   However, courses on the foot/ankle, lower extremity, cardiovascular system, nervous system, diabetes, renal system, obesity, risk management, drug prescriptions, pain management, bones, muscles, nerves, wound care, nutrition, electronic/medical records, etc., or the like, would be acceptable for 100% credit. The Board's goal is for Podiatric Physicians to not be on an island but rather to be engaged in their community and with their peers/colleagues for the benefit of "...improved quality and delivery of patient care." Courses also on histories/physicals, CPR, ACLS, admissions, discharge, oncology, systemic diseases (which have an effect/manifestation of diseases of the foot/lower extremity), dermatology and those topics enumerated above under "(a)" above (red), or the like, would all be acceptable. The guide is the "relativity" to Podiatric Medicine and the enhancement/knowledge of a DPM's skills/abilities. No Podiatric Physician can be an island!!!

   Additionally, courses on Medicare/Medicaid (government healthcare programs, CMS, and MAC/RAC, integrity/anti-fraud measures, etc.), electronic medical records and tools to improve care related to re-ordering, reconciling medication orders and monitoring and reporting quality data (in response to federal/national initiatives related to improved patient care and safety) would all be acceptable for 100% credit. Do Your Part to ensure the wellness of the nation's/state's healthcare system!!!

   Podiatric Physicians, for their own edification, can take any other course they choose, but the Board will only give credit for those courses "relative" to Podiatric Medicine.

6. Can I receive CME credit for having completed a specialty board certification examination, or Hyperbaric Oxygen training, or post/graduate education?

   The answer to this question is "No." While it is understood that preparing for and completing a specialty board certification process is an exhaustive effort and requires extreme commitment, the Board CME Rules Chapter 378 do NOT provide for credit hours for completion of any specialty board certification process. Specialty board certification processes are not CME events and do not provide for CME objectives/goals. It is rather an avenue that a licensee undertakes to further their standing for professional/credentialing purposes. As for Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) training, that course pursued in regards to Board Rule §375.5 is for the purpose of obtaining a HBO registration and is a fundamental base course, not a CME event. Licensees who have furthered their education via post/graduate education (e.g. Pharmacy school, Law school, Nursing school, PT/OT school, Etc.) may not receive CME for those fundamental educational programs as they are not CME events. Submission of such educational/college transcripts to the Board in place of true CME courses will be rejected.