On March 15, 2016, Governor Rick Snyder signed Public Acts 47 and 49 into law requiring continuing medical education (CME) for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Prior to this, Michigan was the only state without such a requirement. Here is MVMA’s understanding of what will occur:
When will mandatory CME take affect?
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs says the following:  “Beginning in 2019, an applicant for a veterinarian license renewal who held a license for the 3-year period immediately preceding the expiration date of the license shall have earned, within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the application, 45 hours of approved continuing education. Beginning in 2019, an applicant for a veterinarian technician license renewal shall have earned, within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the application, 15 hours of approved continuing education.  Licensees must complete approved continuing education for all renewal cycles thereafter.”

How often will I need to renew my license?
License renewals for veterinarians and veterinary technicians will occur every 3 years. Previously licenses were renewed every 2 years.

How much CME will veterinarians and veterinary technicians need in order to comply with the law?
Veterinarians will be required to complete 45 hours of CME every 3 years and veterinary technicians will be required to complete 15 hours every 3 years.

What will the new fees be and when will they be implemented?
The new veterinarian fees will be $70 per year and veterinary technicians will be $20 per year when fully implemented. No fee increases will occur until the CME program is implemented.

What will be counted as CME?
There are no mandates or specific CME subject matter in the new law. Consequently, the Michigan Board of Veterinary Medicine will be working to determine the rules.  MVMA has submitted suggestions to the Board of Veterinary Medicine that they will consider as they move forward.
Will MVMA be providing additional CME options to help members comply?

Absolutely!  In addition to increasing the number of in-person educational opportunities and webinars, MVMA now has an online CE portal available exclusively to members. On our portal, there are over 1,000 courses you can choose from, with over 550 that are completely free.  In addition, the portal will track your CE and you can even enter it from external sources to track your compliance.   If you are a veterinarian and need assistance, please contact us at mvma@michvma.org.

MVMA will keep members posted as more information becomes available.