Osteopathic Medicine: Requirements and Continuing Education

Definitions

Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery Practitioners

Application For Licensure

Application:  All persons seeking licensure shall submit application on forms provided by the board.  All application forms must be verified under oath and shall contain but shall not be limited to the following information and documents:

• full legal name;
• present mailing address;
• date and place of birth;
• date and location of all baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate training, professional training, medical training, degrees obtained, and field(s) of study;
• certification of dean of osteopathic school with school seal affixed;
• certification of one year of post-graduate training;
• two letters of reference from two physicians who have known the applicant in a professional and personal capacity for at least one year;
• a photograph taken within the preceding six months attached to the application;
• notarized copy of medical diploma;
• notarized copy of internship certificate;
• clearance from other state boards where licensed stating that license has not been subject to disciplinary action;
• clearance from the American osteopathic association, the federation of state medical boards of the United States;
• NBOE, FLEX, COMLEX or USMLE scores sent directly to the board.

Interview:  Any applicant for licensure with prior, current or pending disciplinary action must appear before the board at its next regular scheduled board meeting after the applicant has met all other application requirements.

Annual Renewal Of License

On or before July 1 of each year, all physicians must submit an application for renewal form provided by the board.  Physicians who fail to renew their certificates as of July 1 will be subject to suspension of their license.

As a condition of annual renewal, physicians must submit proof of completion of continuing education.

Physicians must submit a renewal fee.

ONLINE RENEWAL INSTRUCTIONS

CME Hours Required

The New Mexico board of osteopathic medical examiners will require seventy-five (75) hours of continuing education every three years in required education, category I.  These may be distributed over the three year period, or they may all be obtained in one year.  The board accepts one (1) credit hour for every clock hour of participation in a CME activity.

Acceptable As CME

• The board will also accept active membership in the American osteopathic association.
• Certification or re-certification by a specialty board during the three year cycle.
• Passage of the SPEX with a score of seventy-five (75), during the three year cycle.

CME Allowed Courses and Providers

• AOA or AMA and NM CATEGORY 1. Clinical courses approved for AOA or AMA category 1-A, 1- B are approved for New Mexico category 1.  Clinical courses certified by the New Mexico osteopathic association and the New Mexico medical society continuing education committee as meeting the criteria for AOA/AMA category 1, but certified as New Mexico category 1 specific, are acceptable for credit.

• POST GRADUATE EDUCATION. Internship, residency or fellowship: forty (40) credit hours per year during service in post graduate educational programs approved by AOA or AMA.

• ADVANCED DEGREES. Education for an advanced degree in a medical field or medically related field: 40 credit hours are allowed for each full academic year of study.

• SELF ASSESSMENT TESTS. Self assessment tests given by medical associations and other educational institutions approved by the board will be accepted for credit if the test is scored by an institution approved by the board.  A total of not more than thirty-five (35) hours will be granted for self assessment tests completed during a three year period.

• TEACHING. One (1) credit hour is allowed for each clock hour of teaching of medical students or physicians in an approved medical school or approved internship or residency program or in institutions or programs approved by the board.

• PHYSICIAN PRECEPTOR. Physicians, approved by an accredited medical school to act as preceptors for students, will be granted a maximum of thirty (30) hours credit during a three year period.

• PAPERS OR PUBLICATIONS. Ten (10) hours may be claimed for each scientific paper or publication.  A paper must be presented to a recognized international, national, regional or state medical society or other organization whose membership is primarily composed of physicians.  A publication must appear in a regularly recognized medical or medically related scientific journal.  Scientific material used in the paper or publication may be credited only once.  No more than thirty (30) hours may be claimed in a three year period.

• CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION. Credit may be claimed during each three-year reporting period for successful completion of ACLS (advanced cardiac life support), PALS (pediatric advanced life support), ATLS (advanced trauma life support) and NALS (neonatal advanced life support) courses.

• VERIFICATION OF CME: Each physician renewing a license shall attest that they have obtained the required hours of CME on the renewal form.  The board will select renewal applications for audit to verify completion of acceptable CME.  Audit requests will be included with the renewal notice and those selected physicians will be asked to submit proof of compliance with the continuing education requirements.  The board may audit CME records at any time.  CME records must be maintained for one year following the renewal cycle in which they are earned.

Osteopathic Physicians Assistants

Application For Certification Of Qualification

No application for certification under the Osteopathic Physicians Assistant Act, Section 61-10A-1 through Section 61-10A-7 NMSA 1978, shall be deemed complete until the Board's administrator certifies that the application contains all of the following:

• a completed application form;
• a $100 application fee, cashier's check or money order;
• letter size certified copy of original physician assistant diploma;
• 2"X 2" photograph attached to the application;
• certified copy of the transcript of physician assistant training program;
• certified copy of the certificate of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA);
• verification of licensure and good standing in any state where the applicant holds a current or inactive license which must be sent directly from the state licensing agency to the New Mexico Board;
• supervising physician's Statement of Responsibility;
• completed Registration of Employment form;
• Plan of Supervision; and
• Drug Formulary and guidelines.

All documentation from an agency must be sent directly to the New Mexico Board office.

Application must be complete and shall be received by the Board's Administrator no less than 10 days in advance for the next regular meeting of the Board.

All applications deemed complete by the Board's Administrator shall be referred to the Board for final consideration. No applicant shall be eligible to meet with the Board until the application is complete in every detail.

Applicants seeking a Certificate of Qualification as a physician assistant shall be discussed at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. The completed application must be filed at least ten days prior to that meeting. Applicants must attend this meeting. The Board will determine if the applicant is qualified to be issued a certificate.

Temporary Certification: If an eligible applicant has filed his or her application and has complied with all other requirements of the Physician Assistant Act and the rules including certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) as having passed the examination, the Board Administrator may issue a temporary certificate of qualification to the applicant to hold good until the next regular Board meeting. [Rule PA2-95 - 3/15/95; Recompiled 12/31/01]

Registration Of Employment

Before beginning employment as a physician assistant, all physician assistants must register their employment with the Board, and must submit a Plan of Supervision which states the parameter in which they will practice.

In order to register employment with the Board, the applicant must submit:

• a Registration of Employment on a form provided by the Board, signed and sworn under the penalty of perjury by the physician assistant and every physician who will be a supervising physician or back-up physician for the physician assistant; and
• a Plan of Supervision as provided in Rule PA8-95 [now 16.18.6.9 NMAC].

At the next regularly scheduled Board meeting following the receipt of the application for Registration of Employment and the Plan of Supervision, the Board will consider the sufficiency of the plan. It is strongly suggested, but not required, that the supervising physician, or in the case of a group of supervising physicians, at least one of the supervising physicians attend the meeting with the physician assistant in order to discuss the provisions of the Plan of Supervision with the Board. During the meeting, the Board will discuss the proposed Plan of Supervision and may request such additional materials as it feels necessary to ascertain the details of the Plan of Supervision and whether or not the plan is workable, practicable, and effective. If necessary, the Board may require certain changes in the plan before it is approved. When all questions have been answered to its satisfaction, the Board will vote whether the Plan of Supervision, as it was originally submitted or as it may have been amended by the Board, should be approved as meeting the criteria set out in Rule PA-8 [now 16.18.6.9 NMAC]. If a majority of the Board votes in favor of approving the plan, the Registration of Employment will be accepted.

Certificates of Registration of Employment must be conspicuously displayed at the physician assistant's place of employment.

Renewal Of Registration Of Employment

On or before June 30 of each year, all osteopathic physician assistants shall file a Renewal of Registration of Employment with the Board. The Renewal of Registration shall be on a form provided by the Board and shall be accompanied by a cashier's check or money order in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

Certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) shall be maintained by the physician assistant in order to renew his or her New Mexico registration.

A copy of the physician assistant's National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certificate of qualification will be included with each application for renewal of certification.

Continuing Medical Education

As a condition of continued certification, the New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners requires 100 hours of continuing education for physician assistants every two years. These hours may be obtained during one year or over the two year period.

The Board recognizes that the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) requires that physician assistants acquire a similar number of hours in similar types of activities in order to renew their NCCPA certificates. Accordingly, physician assistants who have satisfied the continuing medical education requirements of the NCCPA shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing medical education requirements of this rule.

One credit hour is equal to one hour of participation in a continuing medical education activity.

In the event a physician assistant fails to meet these requirements because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, the Board may grant an extension in which to obtain the requisite credits.

Physician assistants will submit proof of completion of continuing education activities on or before July 1 of every other year at the same time the physician assistant renews his or her Registration of Employment as provided in Rule PA4-95 [now 16.18.3.8 NMAC].

Types of credit allowed:

• Programs with accredited sponsorship.
  • Any continuing medical education activity must be part of a planned program sponsored by organizations approved by the Board. Physician assistants who fail to submit proof of completion of continuing education will not be allowed to renew their Registration of Employment. Medical Osteopathic Colleges, teaching hospitals of institution, regional medical programs, specialty college seminars or government sponsored teaching seminars.
  • Each program must be a part of a planned program of continuing medical education prepared by the sponsoring organization.
• Program with non-accredited sponsorship.
  • This category consists of any continuing medical education activity sponsored by any medical organization that is not accredited for continuing medical education.
  • Types of continuing medical education that may be claimed under this category are: attendance at state or national association scientific meetings or international scientific meetings; hospital staff meetings; county society meetings; department scientific meetings; seminars; workshops; miniresidencies; scientific sessions of medical meetings; traveling lecturer programs; correspondence courses; individually planned learning experiences; and other kinds of learning experiences that can be documented on a time basis and are sponsored by an accredited organization or institution including in-hospital programs. Nonaccredited programs must be accompanied by explanation.
• Teaching.
  • This category consists of teaching medical students or physicians in a Board approval program, approved college, approved internship or approved residency training program.
  • Physician assistants may acquire up to 10 hours in this category. Requests for additional hours will be considered by the Board on a case by case basis.
• Papers for publication. This category consists of the publication of scientific papers in international, national regional and state medical journals.
  • Physician assistants may acquire 10 hours per article.