1. ACCME
  2. CME Collaborations
  3. State Medical Licensing Boards Collaboration

The ACCME and State Medical Licensing Boards Collaboration enables CME providers to report physician participation in accredited CME to participating boards via ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS), with the goal of reducing burdens on physicians and simplifying the audit process for boards. The ACCME offers the service free of charge to medical boards, accredited providers, and licensees.

All state medical licensing boards have access to the CME credit data reported for their licensees.

The following boards have designated PARS as their primary source, or actively use PARS, for CME information required for relicensure:

  • Alabama Board of Medical Examiners

  • Alaska State Medical Board

  • DC Health

  • Idaho Board of Medicine

  • Medical Board of California 

  • Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine 

  • Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure 

  • Maryland Board of Physicians

  • Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure

  • New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners

  • North Carolina Medical Board 

  • North Dakota Board of Medicine 

  • Oregon Medical Board 

  • Virgin Islands Board of Medical Examiners

  • Washington Medical Commission

  • Wyoming Board of Medicine

Download the collaborations program guide here.

 

Background and Purpose

The ACCME and State Medical Licensing Boards Collaboration enables accredited CME providers to report physicians’ CME credit details and make that information available to participating state boards via ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). ACCME’s goal is to reduce burdens on physicians and simplify the audit process for boards. ACCME offers this service free of charge.

The collaboration began in 2018 as a pilot project with a limited group of CME providers. Based on the success of the pilot, the ACCME extended the collaboration to include any state medical boards and any CME providers that choose to participate.

Process

When a physician attends an accredited CME activity that you offer, you can report their CME credit for their licensing board. You will need their name, state of licensure, state license number or national provider identifier (NPI) and the month and day of their birth, as well as their permission to report their credit. You can then report the physicians’ CME credit in PARS using your preferred method and the credit details will be made available to the licensing board. 

You do not need to limit your credit reporting only to physicians licensed in states who are actively participating in the collaboration. Physicians whose licensing boards are not yet participating in the collaboration are still able to email a transcript of their reported CME credits directly to their boards and other credentialing bodies, so it is still beneficial to report their credit.

Resources

Questions

This page For questions or more information about submitting learner credit data for your physician-learners, please contact info@accme.org.

Process

When a physician attends an accredited CME activity held by one of the participating CME education providers, they may be asked to provide their name, state license number or national provider identifier (NPI) and the day and month of their birth. The physician can also ask the education provider if their credit can be reported on their behalf. The education provider can upload this data into the system they already use to report activities, ACCME's Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). This information will then be made available to the licensing board.

This video shows you how to search for specific information about your licensees in PARS. You will only be able to log in to PARS if an account has been created for you. To request an account, please email info@accme.org.

Resources

Reviewing CME Credit Data: Getting Started in PARS PDF

Questions

All state medical boards are welcome to join our collaboration! If you are interested in joining, please contact info@accme.org.

Process

When you attend an accredited CME activity you may be asked to provide your name, state of licensure, state license number or national provider identifier (NPI) and your month and day of birth. If the education provider does not ask for this information, you can ask them if they can report your CME credit for your licensing board. If they are able to, the education provider will report your CME credit data into the system they already use to report activities, ACCME's Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). This information will then be made available to the licensing board. 

If you wish, you may choose not to use this system and to retain your own CME records, just as you do now. Physicians whose licensing boards are not yet participating in the collaboration are still able to email a transcript of their reported CME credits directly to their boards or other credentialing bodies.

Resources

Questions

Please contact your accredited educational provider. Contact information is available here. If your educational provider is not reporting your credit data, we recommend that you suggest they contact the ACCME at info@accme.org.