West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine · OSTEOPATHIC

32 hours biennially. 16-hour AOA Category 1A/1B floor. All courses pre-approved by the Board.

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

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

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 21, 2026

Mandatory topics

For osteopathic physicians, 32 hours is the total CME requirement. West Virginia also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 32-hour total.

Opioid / controlled substances[1]
3 hrs
Biennial
Board-approved course on Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances. The 3 hours are PART OF the 32-hour biennial total, not additive. Waiver available for physicians who certify via Board-developed form that they did not prescribe, administer, or dispense any controlled substance under a WV license during the entire previous reporting period.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Unless a physician has completed and timely provided to the Board a Board-developed certification form and waiver request attesting that he or she has not prescribed, administered, or dispensed a controlled substance pursuant to a West Virginia license during the entire previous reporting period, every physician shall complete a minimum of three (3) hours of training in a Board-approved course on Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances during the previous reporting period. These three (3) hours shall be part of the 32 total hours of CME required and not three (3) additional hours”
W. Va. Code R. § 24-1-15.2.7See source [1] in Primary Sources
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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.

ConditionalOpioid / controlled substances[2]
3 hrs
Biennial

DOs who prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances

View sourceVerbatim from source
“All licensees who prescribe, administers or dispenses a controlled substance must complete A three hour CME, course which has been approved by the WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine.”
WVBDO CME Requirements (DO)See source [2] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, West Virginia 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 16 hrs
16 of 32 biennial hours must be AOA Category 1A or 1B Credit (Osteopathic). AOA Category 1A is the primary form of osteopathic credit. The 16-hour osteopathic minimum is half the 32-hour biennial total.SourceWVBDO CME Requirements (DO)[2]
AOA Category 2
DOs only
AOA Category 1B credit also qualifies for the 16-hour osteopathic minimum. The remaining 16 hours may be any Board-approved CME. All courses must receive prior approval from WVBDO.SourceWVBDO CME Requirements (DO)[2]
Documentation & audit

The Board may request documentation of entries at any time.[2] Documentation retention recommended for the full biennial period and beyond.

Waivers & exemptions

DOs who have not prescribed, administered, or dispensed controlled substances during the two-year reporting period may waive the 3-hour controlled substance CME requirement by signing a waiver attesting to non-prescribing.[1]

FAQ
How many CME hours do West Virginia DOs need?
West Virginia DOs must complete 32 hours of CME per two-year licensing period.[2][3] At least 16 hours must be AOA Category 1A or 1B credit.[2] The remaining 16 hours may be any Board-approved CME. All courses — including those in the 16-hour osteopathic subset — must receive prior approval from the WVBDO. DOs who prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances additionally owe a 3-hour WVBDO-approved controlled-substance CME course per W. Va. Code § 30-1-7a, unless they sign a waiver attesting to non-prescribing during the period.[1]
How is the West Virginia DO rule different from the MD rule?
The West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the West Virginia Board of Medicine are separate agencies. DOs owe 32 hours biennially with a 16-hour AOA Category 1A/1B floor,[2] while WV MDs owe 50 hours biennially with 30 hours in the specialty area. The WVBDO requires prior approval of all CME courses, does not publish MOC or ABMS alternative pathways, and does not impose the nutrition CME requirement that applies to MDs under W. Va. Code § 30-3-12. The 3-hour controlled-substance CME under W. Va. Code § 30-1-7a applies in parallel on both boards.[1]
Why does the WVBDO require course pre-approval?
The WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine's CME page states plainly that courses must receive prior approval from the WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine to be accepted, and advises licensees to check with the CME sponsor before registering to make sure it has been approved.[2] A CME course approved by the WV Board of Medicine on the MD side is not automatically accepted by the WVBDO. The Board retains authority to request documentation of entries at any time; records should be retained through the full biennial period and beyond.

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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. W. Va. Code R. § 24-1 — WVBDO Licensing, Discipline, CME Rule (Final File, eff. 7/1/2024)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-19
    Show verbatim text
    “Documentation of a minimum of 32 hours of AOA approved Continuing Medical Education, of which at least 50% shall be category 1 or CME hours in standard heart saver courses obtained during the preceding 2-year licensing period pursuant to W. Va. Code § 30-14-10.”W. Va. Code R. § 24-1-15.2.7 · Effective 2024-07-01
    “Unless a physician has completed and timely provided to the Board a Board-developed certification form and waiver request attesting that he or she has not prescribed, administered, or dispensed a controlled substance pursuant to a West Virginia license during the entire previous reporting period, every physician shall complete a minimum of three (3) hours of training in a Board-approved course on Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances during the previous reporting period. These three (3) hours shall be part of the 32 total hours of CME required and not three (3) additional hours”W. Va. Code R. § 24-1-15.2.7
  2. Continuing Medical Education Requirements for D.O.'s — WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “a total of 32 CME hours ... 16 hours must be AOA Category 1A or 1B Credit (Osteopathic).”
    “All licensees who prescribe, administers or dispenses a controlled substance must complete A three hour CME, course which has been approved by the WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine.”WVBDO CME Requirements (DO)
  3. W. Va. Code § 30-14-10 — Biennial renewal; CME requirements (Board of Osteopathic Medicine)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “each licensee shall furnish biennially to the board satisfactory evidence of having completed thirty-two hours of educational refresher course training, of which the total amount of hours must be approved by the American Osteopathic Association, and fifty percent of the required thirty-two hours shall be classified as category (1). The continuing medical education requirement shall include completion of medical education in nutrition.”W. Va. Code § 30-14-10(b)

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 West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine, 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's medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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