Osteopathic Continuous Certification

Overview

Through the following requirements, board-certified physicians maintain Osteopathic Continuous Certification in the primary specialties of Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine and its subspecialties.

• Maintain valid, active medical licensure in good standing in the U.S., its territories or Canada.
• Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.
• 120 total CME credits required during the 3-year certification CME cycle.
  • This requirement will begin with the 2025-2027 certification CME cycle. The requirement for the 2022-2024 certification CME cycle will remain 60 total CME credits for time-limited diplomates and 120 total CME credits for non-time-limited diplomates.
  • Of the 120 total CME hours required, twenty-five percent (25% or 30 CME hours) must be specialty-specific.
    • Please note, this requirement is 25% total, not 25% for each specialty/subspecialty certified. A diplomate holding both an Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine will be required to attest to 30 CME hours total in any combination of the two specialties, not 30 hours in each specialty.
  • Specialty-specific CME will be verified by the diplomate via a self-attestation form, subject to random audit by the AOBPa. View the self-attestation form.
• Pay an annual certificate maintenance fee of $100 beginning in 2024 to cover administrative costs associated with CME services and activity. This fee is waived for members of the AOA.
• Diplomates holding subspecialty certification in Dermatopathology are also required to take the Dermatopathology OCC examination. For more information on the Dermatopathology OCC process, please visit the Dermatopathology OCC Overview webpage.