New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners · OSTEOPATHIC

75 hours triennially. 30-hour AOA Category 1-A/1-B floor. Alternative pathways permitted.

A source-verified guide to New Mexico's CME requirements for osteopathic physicians — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.

Updated April 2026Sourced from NMBOME~1 min read
Licensed as an MD instead? New Mexico regulates MDs through a separate board. See New Mexico MD CME requirements →

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 21, 2026

Mandatory topics

For osteopathic physicians, 75 hours is the total CME requirement. New Mexico also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 75-hour total.

Legal & Risk Management[1]
1 hr
Triennial
One-hour Osteopathic Medical Practice Act and board rules review per triennial cycle, parallel to the MD rule under 16.10.4 NMAC. DOs must certify completion of this review at the time they submit their triennial renewal application. Counts within the 75-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“One credit of required CME must be earned by reviewing the New Mexico Osteopathic Medical Practice Act and these board rules. Physicians must certify that they have completed this review at the time they submit their triennial renewal application.”
16.17.3.9(B) NMACSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your New Mexico cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalPain Management[1]
6 hrs
Triennial

DOs who hold a DEA registration AND a New Mexico controlled substance license AND are practicing in New Mexico

View sourceVerbatim from source
“Six CME credits in pain management must be earned and may apply toward the 75 credits required in Subsection A of this section and may be included as part of the required CME credits in pain management in either the triennial cycle in which these credits are completed.”
16.17.3.9(D)-(E) NMACSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, New Mexico Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
AOA Category 1-A
DOs onlymin 30 hrs
at least 30 of the 75 triennial hours must be AOA Category 1-A or 1-B CME. This is the key structural difference from the NM Medical Board MD rule (which has no AOA category minimum).Source16.17.3 NMAC[1]
AMA PRA Category 1
DOs only
Remaining hours (up to 45 of the 75) may be AMA PRA Category 1 Credit or equivalent. Active AOA membership, specialty board certification/recertification (ABMS or osteopathic specialty board), or passage of COMVEX or SPEX during the triennial cycle may satisfy the CME requirement in the alternative.Source16.17.3 NMAC[1]
Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

Emergency deferral of up to 90 days available for DOs unable to fulfill CME requirements prior to license expiration. Written request due no later than July 1 of the renewal year. Board may grant additional extension for illness or other documented circumstances.[1]

DOs practicing or residing outside the United States are not required to fulfill CME for the period of absence. Board must be notified prior to license expiration.[1]

FAQ
How many CME hours do New Mexico DOs need?
New Mexico DOs must complete 75 hours of CME per three-year license cycle.[1] At least 30 of those hours must be AOA Category 1-A or 1-B. The remaining hours (up to 45 of the 75) may be AMA PRA Category 1 or equivalent. A 1-hour Osteopathic Medical Practice Act and board rules review is required each triennium and must be certified at renewal. DOs may alternatively satisfy the full 75-hour requirement through active AOA membership, ABMS or osteopathic specialty-board certification or recertification during the cycle, or passage of COMVEX or SPEX during the cycle.
How is the New Mexico DO rule different from the MD rule?
The New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners licenses DOs under 16.17.3 NMAC[1] — a separate regulatory scheme from the New Mexico Medical Board's 16.10.4 NMAC.[2] Both regimes share the 75-hour triennial total and the same alternative pathways (AOA membership, board certification or recertification, COMVEX or SPEX). The material difference is the 30-hour AOA Category 1-A or 1-B floor that applies only to DOs. DO licensing is administered through the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department; the osteopathic board does not maintain a standalone website.
What alternative pathways does 16.17.3 NMAC allow?
New Mexico's DO rule permits a licensee to satisfy the 75-hour triennial requirement through any of four substitutions: active AOA membership for the cycle, osteopathic specialty board certification or recertification during the cycle, ABMS certification or recertification during the cycle, or passage of COMVEX or SPEX during the cycle.[1] Each substitutes for the full 75 hours rather than a portion of them. CME records must be maintained for one year following the renewal cycle in which they are earned.[2]

Never miss a New Mexico CME deadline.

Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary renewal.

Start tracking freeSee how it works

Other roles in New Mexico

Osteopathic Physicians (DO) CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. N.M. Admin. Code § 16.17.3 NMAC — Continuing Medical Education (NM Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “One credit of required CME must be earned by reviewing the New Mexico Osteopathic Medical Practice Act and these board rules. Physicians must certify that they have completed this review at the time they submit their triennial renewal application.”16.17.3.9(B) NMAC
    “Six CME credits in pain management must be earned and may apply toward the 75 credits required in Subsection A of this section and may be included as part of the required CME credits in pain management in either the triennial cycle in which these credits are completed.”16.17.3.9(D)-(E) NMAC
  2. N.M. Admin. Code § 16.10.4 NMAC — Continuing Medical Education for Physicians (NM Medical Board, parallel MD rule)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “CME records must be maintained by the licensee for one year following the renewal cycle in which they are earned.”16.10.4.13 NMAC

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CME requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, or any other state medical board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Physicians are solely responsible for verifying their own current CME requirements directly with their state medical board before relying on any information presented here.

Privacy policyTerms of serviceContact