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VERIFICATION  OF  CERTIFICATION:
To obtain a 'physician profile', contact the AOA Information Association at (800)621-1773.  The profile is the official form for verification of certification awarded by the American Osteopathic Association.

DATES FOR OCTOBER 2008 EXAMS:

Certification Exam Saturday and Sunday, October 25-26

Recertification Exam Saturday and Sunday, October 25-26

The exams will be administered at the Venetian Hotel during the AOA Convention in Las Vegas, NV. The convention dates are October 26^th – October 30^th.

The applications are available online. Just ‘enter site’ from this page and select ‘Certification Requirements and Apps’ at the top of the ‘home page’. The initial postmark deadline date is June 1^st. Subsequent postmark deadlines with late fees will be July 1^st, August 1^st, and Sept. 1^st.

The processing time for applications is 2-3 weeks. Written confirmation will be sent to the candidate.

CME HOURS TO MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION:
Certified physicians in family practice and osteopathic manipulative treatment are required to maintain a total of 150 CME hours, 30 hours more than the 120 hour AOA membership requirement. Thirty (30) of the 150 hours must be in category 1-A to meet the AOA requirement.

Fifty (50) of the required 150 CME hours for the three-year cycle must be documented in the primary specialty area of family practice and OMT. Following is a listing of the classification of hours that may apply toward the primary specialty –

CME Activity	Hrs. Applicable Toward 50 Hr. Primary Specialty Requirement
1. AOA Annual Scientific Seminar & Convention	All credit hours up to 50 are applicable to the specialty. The specialty must complete the AOA CME form to identify applicable credit hours by specialty.
2. AIDS Seminars	All credit hours up to 50 for both osteopathic and allopathic AIDS seminars.
3. Risk Management	All credit hours up to 50 for both osteopathic and allopathic risk management courses.
4. Ethics	None
5. Specialty College Seminars	All credit hours up to 50 hours; including state ACOFP mtgs.
6. AOA State Society Seminar	Up to 50% of the applicable credit hours. The state societies must complete the AOA CME form to identify applicable credit hours by specialty.
7. Medical Journals and Home Study Courses	All credits up to 20 for journals and home study courses for both osteopathic and allopathic organizations.
8. Exhibits – Commercial and Scientific	All credit hours up to 50
9. ACCME Courses	All credit hours up to 25
10. Teaching	All credit hours up to 25
11. Standardized Life Support Courses	All credit hours up to 5
12. Clinical Exams, Recertification Exams, and CAQs	Full credit be given for: All CAQs Passing recertification exams Developing test construction exams meetings No specialty CME credit hours granted for administering clinical exams. 1-B Credit (osteopathic) or 2-B Credit (allopathic) credit is awarded toward membership hours required, but not toward specialty credit.
13. Publications	All up to 50 hours
14. Healthcare Facility Meetings	No specialty credits are granted
15. Hospital Inspections	No specialty credits are granted

The AOA Department of CME has not yet designated on the current individual activity reports the hours applicable to the primary specialty area, as the process for the recording of hours continues to be developed. Therefore, your current report may indicate that the ‘Requirement has not been fulfilled’, although the individual listing of programs completed showing the hours awarded may already fulfill that requirement.

There has been no indication from the Department of CME as to when the 2007-2009 reports will be updated with the primary specialty hour designation.

Posted 8/18/2008