Texas physicians:

  • You may have participated in an accredited CME activity at Houston Methodist with a free registration type that did not award you AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM, or

  • you may have participated in an educational activity that was not accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM but meets the requirements listed below.

You may be eligible to claim your participation in these activities as AMA PRA Category 2 CreditTM, also known as "informal credit."

Texas physicians may complete up to 24 credits (of the required total 48 hours every 24 months) by participating in informal CME activities. These credits are self-documented and do not need to submitted to the Texas Medical Board unless specifically requested. Use the form in the link below to document your attendance and keep this form in your personal file as a record of your attendance and credits claimed. This form is not mandatory and is only provided as a tool for you to document and record your attendance. This is not an official Texas Medical Board document.

Please ensure you review the form and are familiar with Texas Medical Board and AMA requirements for AMA PRA Category 2 CreditTM.

Requirements for AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™

AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ is self-designated and claimed by individual physicians for participation in activities not certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ that:

  • Comply with the AMA definition of CME;
  • Comply with the relevant AMA ethical opinions. At the time of this writing, this includes:
    • Opinion 8.061, Gifts to Physicians from Industry
    • Opinion 9.011, Continuing Medical Education
  • Are not promotional; and
  • Are determined by the physician to be a worthwhile learning experience related to his or her practice.

Examples of Learning Activities

Examples of learning activities that may meet the requirements for AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ include, but are not limited to:

  • Participation in activities that have not been certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • Teaching physicians, residents, medical students, or other health professionals
  • Unstructured online searching and learning (i.e., not Internet Point-of-Care activities)
  • Reading authoritative medical literature
  • Consultation with peers and medical experts
  • Small-group discussions
  • Self-assessment activities
  • Medical writing
  • Preceptorship participation
  • Research
  • Peer review and quality assurance participation

A physician must individually assess the educational value of each learning experience in which he or she participates to determine whether it is appropriate to claim AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™.

Claiming AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™

Documentation

Physicians should self-claim credit for appropriate AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ activities and document:

  • Activity title or description
  • Subject or content area
  • Date(s) of participation
  • Number of credits claimed

Physicians may not claim AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ for an activity for which they have claimed AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Each physician is responsible for claiming and maintaining a record of his or her AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ activities.

Credit Calculation

As with live activities, physicians should claim credit based on participation time:

  • Sixty (60) minutes of participation equals one (1) AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™.
  • Credit should be claimed in 15-minute increments (0.25 credit).
  • Physicians must round to the nearest quarter-hour.

Additional resources and information

AMA PRA Category 2 CreditTM Recording Form (.doc file)

Texas Medical Board rules for reporting CME activities 

AMA PRA Category 2 CreditTM (from The AMA Physician's Recognition Award and credit system) (starting on page 10)