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One of the most complicated aspects of continuing medical education in the United States is the brevity of possible requirements based on individual states. These can vary wildly, from almost no requirements at all, to very extensive and specific CE requirements based on profession. But why is this not the case? Why isn\u2019t there one central standard for healthcare licenses mandated by the federal government? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tThe answer ends up being one of governance, not medicine. Due to the separation of powers, all rights not specifically given to the federal government fall to the states — this includes deciding what certifications doctors within their borders need to do to renew their license. Each state\u2019s medical board then has the ability to decide exactly what the doctors in their state need to accomplish every one to four years in order to maintain their medical license. Some states, such as Indiana, have no requirements whatsoever, meaning a doctor practicing within the state needs to only earn their license once and then they have it for life. Most states, however, have a specified set of requirements to maintain the license, ranging from 15-35 continuing education credits per year. The full spread of state-by-state<\/a> requirements can be seen below:
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