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MD/DO · Requirements & free courses

District of Columbia CME requirements

District of Columbia requires 50 hours every 2 years for MD/DO renewal, including 3 topic-specific mandates. Every one of them has a free option below unless we say otherwise.

50total hours required
2 yrrenewal cycle
3topic-specific mandates
Requirements per FSMB, April 2026 · courses checked August 22, 2026

Your mandated topics, and what satisfies them

Each requirement below is paired with activities we opened and verified ourselves.

Public health priorities of the District

5 hours per cycle.

5 hrs

Any accredited activity in this subject counts. Browse our verified free list or check your specialty society.

LGBTQ cultural competency

2 hours, required by D.C. Law 21-95.

2 hrs
Free LGBTQIA+ health learning modules and webinars

The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute

1 credit
FreeAAFP Prescribed (AMA-equivalent)Free account required

The leading free source of accredited LGBTQIA+ health CME and the strongest match for the District of Columbia's 2-hour requirement. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the AMA as equivalent to Category 1. Also includes a free intimate partner violence panel.

Heads up: Credit eligibility is per-activity — confirm the credit statement inside each module.

More options on the lgbtq competency page.

Pharmacology

1 hour.

1 hr

Any accredited activity in this subject counts. Browse our verified free list or check your specialty society.

DEA MATE Act — federal, applies to you too

A one-time 8 hours on substance use disorders, required of every DEA-registered practitioner regardless of state, due at your next registration or renewal. The attestation does not recur — you will not be asked again at future DEA renewals.

8 hrs
8-Hour Training: Pain, Opioids & Effective Patient Care

PCSS / American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

15 credits
FreeAMA PRA Category 1Counts toward MATE ActFree account required

Bundle worth up to 15 credits; 8 are needed for the DEA attestation.

14 credits
FreeAMA PRA Category 1Counts toward MATE ActFree account required

14 stand-alone modules, roughly 0.75–1.25 credits each. Take only what you need.

You may already be covered. The requirement is satisfied without new coursework if you are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, graduated within the past five years from a qualifying program whose curriculum included the required content, or previously completed DATA-2000 waiver training.

More at MATE Act options.

Before you rely on any of this

Boards revise requirements mid-cycle and interpret them differently. Confirm against your own board’s current rules — find yours here — before counting an activity toward renewal.

Other jurisdictions