New York CME requirements for physicians
New York has no general physician CME-hour minimum, but it does require specific training. MDs and DOs share the same physician requirements, with separate clocks for registration, infection control and prescriber education.
By Michael Rushton, DO · Physician founder of ClearCME
Last verified: · Verification methodology
Published: · Updated:
At a glance
MD and DO · New York physician license
No general CME-hour minimum
- Renewal cycle
- Physician registration renews every two years. Training deadlines are separate.
- Accepted credit types
- Required courses must meet the relevant NYSED or NYSDOH approval and content rules.
Mandatory topics
Child-abuse identification and reporting
Two hours of approved training are required for initial licensure unless an accepted education pathway or exemption applies. Previous completion does not remove the updated-curriculum requirement due November 17, 2026.
Explore related courses →Sources: NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update
Infection control and barrier precautions
Complete approved training at initial licensure and every four years, unless a formal exemption applies. NYSDOH oversees the physician training pathway.
Pain management, palliative care and addiction
Three hours every three years for the prescribers covered by Public Health Law 3309-a, including DEA-registered practitioners and covered residents prescribing under an institutional DEA registration. Complete the required NYSDOH attestation as well as the course.
Explore related courses →Sources: NYSDOH · mandatory prescriber education and attestation
A related-topic link helps you find courses. It does not establish that a particular activity satisfies this state’s requirement. Verify the accepted provider, category, content and dates before enrolling.
Exceptions and exemptions
NYSED describes education-based and practice-based exceptions to child-abuse coursework. Infection-control exemptions require the appropriate determination; they should not be inferred merely from a low-risk practice setting.
NYSDOH has an exemption process for the prescriber requirement. Follow the agency’s documentation and approval process before treating a training obligation as waived.
Sources: NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update · NYSED · mandated infection-control training · NYSDOH · mandatory prescriber education and attestation
Carryover and documentation
There is no general hour bank to carry into a later New York registration cycle. Recurring training must meet its own interval; keep the completion date for each topic.
Keep authorized course certificates and documentation of any accepted exemption. NYSED specifies submission of child-abuse completion or exemption documentation. Preserve the NYSDOH prescriber attestation confirmation separately from the course certificate.
NYSDOH’s prescriber attestation instructions require keeping training records for six years from submission of the attestation, available for audit or inspection.
Sources: NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update · NYSED · mandated infection-control training · NYSDOH · mandatory prescriber education and attestation · NYSDOH · prescriber attestation and record retention
What’s tricky about New York
“No general CME requirement” does not mean no training. A two-year registration, four-year infection-control interval and three-year prescriber interval will not always align.
The child-abuse requirement is normally one-time, but curriculum updates can require action by physicians who already completed it. Check the version and date of your course, not just whether you have a certificate.
Sources: NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update · NYSED · mandated infection-control training · NYSDOH · mandatory prescriber education and attestation
What changed in 2026
November 17, 2026 is the deadline for the updated child-abuse curriculum covering identification of abuse or maltreatment of children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
For approved training completed between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025, NYSED describes a 15-minute addendum available through most approved providers. Updated full courses began September 1, 2025. This follows a separate earlier curriculum-update deadline of April 1, 2025.
Sources: NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update
Questions physicians ask next
Does New York require 50 hours of CME for physicians?
No general physician CME-hour minimum applies. Specific mandated training still applies, and specialty certification, hospital privileges or other licenses may have separate requirements.
Are the MD and DO requirements different?
New York licenses both under the physician profession. The mandated training described here applies to both degrees, subject to the relevant practice and exemption rules.
Do I need to repeat child-abuse training in 2026?
You must meet the updated curriculum by November 17, 2026 even if you previously trained. If your approved course was completed from November 1, 2022 through August 31, 2025, check the approved-provider addendum pathway.
How often is infection-control training due?
Generally every four years after the initial training, unless an approved exemption applies. It is a separate clock from your two-year registration.
Does my DEA MATE Act course cover New York prescriber education?
Only if the activity independently meets New York’s required content and timing. The federal MATE Act is one-time; New York prescriber education recurs every three years and has its own attestation.
What proof should I keep?
Keep each certificate, the completed curriculum/version, completion date, approval information and any official attestation or exemption confirmation. ClearCME records do not replace NYSED or NYSDOH submissions.
Primary sources
Board guidance and controlling law support this guide. Your board’s current rules and individual determination govern your renewal.
- NYSED · physician child-abuse training and November 2026 update ↗
“complete the updated training curriculum by November 17, 2026”
- NYSED · mandated infection-control training ↗
- NYSDOH · mandatory prescriber education and attestation ↗
- NYSED · physician registration renewal ↗
- NYSDOH · prescriber attestation and record retention ↗