Starting Sept. 1, physicians seeking license renewals will need to log CME through an electronic tracking system Texas Medical Board (TMB) will use to fulfill a new state mandate.
Passed during last year's legislative session, Senate Bill 912 requires health care licensing entities in Texas to verify that a license seeker meets continuing education requirements through an electronic tracking system. That system must be accessible to health care professionals, those who staff licensing entities, and those who provide CME.
TMB has previewed its arrangement with CE Broker to accommodate the new state law on the medical board’s website. Their partnership began in 2024 to provide physicians an option for electronically logging CME, prior to SB 912 requiring it.
Up until Sept. 1, using CE Broker is only required for physicians selected for audit. Starting Sept. 1, license holders seeking renewal must have an active CE Broker account and ensure all completed CME is reported in CE Broker’s portal.
TMB encourages physicians to establish accounts before Sept. 1, so they can get familiar with the platform.
Free basic accounts with CE Broker are available for all TMB licensees. However, the platform comes with a learning curve, according to Mark Hormann, MD, chair of TMA’s Subcommittee for Academic Physicians.
“It's going to be a pain point for folks, especially for people who aren't paying attention,” he said.
Dr. Hormann advises physicians to collect documentation for CME as they complete courses, as physicians may need to upload PDFs to CE Broker in the submission process. He recommends scanning any physical certificates received and cautions physicians they’ll also need to type information about the completed CME into the portal.
Additionally, TMA recommends physicians log their individual CME courses and sessions upon completing them, or as soon as possible afterward, to avoid having to recall and log them all at once.
According to TMB, the agency conducts monthly meetings with CE Broker, and while TMB’s initial focus is to spread the word about the new requirements, the agency is exploring creating webinars and tutorial videos, in coordination with CE Broker, to help physicians better understand how it works. TMB has published a video on its YouTube channel detailing how to set up an account.
Phil West
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1394
phil.west[at]texmed[dot]org
Phil West is a writer and editor whose publications include the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Austin American-Statesman, and San Antonio Express-News. He earned a BA in journalism from the University of Washington and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers. He lives in Austin with his wife, children, and a trio of free-spirited dogs.