About State Medical Boards
State Medical Boards regulate physicians. FSMB supports nationally. AMA establishes ethical guidelines.
United States · Doctors
Ethics & Professionalism Courses for Doctors in United States
Developed for physicians licensed by State Medical Boards across the United States. Our courses address ethical standards aligned with FSMB guidance and the AMA Code of Medical Ethics. Written by healthcare professionals who understand state-by-state medical regulation.
Why These Courses?
Aligned with State Medical Board guidelines. Helping doctors facing an investigation, inquiry or fitness to practise review, and for CPD purposes.
Facing an Investigation? Select Your Investigation Type
We'll recommend the courses you need based on your situation
Doctor Ethics, Professionalism & CME Courses
Browse the full catalogue, or use the investigation selector above to match courses to your situation.
ETHICS & CONDUCT STANDARDS
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors
Covers ethical obligations including duties to report concerns, maintain honesty, and uphold probity in all professional dealings — core State Medical Boards requirements.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PROFESSIONALISM STANDARDS
Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors
Covers professional standards and behaviours expected by the State Medical Boards — conduct, communication, teamwork, and maintaining public trust.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
MEDICAL ETHICS
Medical Ethics Course
Comprehensive course on medical ethics principles — ethical frameworks, moral reasoning, and professional decision-making aligned with State Medical Boards guidelines.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Professional Ethics Course
Explores the professional ethics landscape — ethical obligations, standards of practice, and regulatory expectations set by the State Medical Boards.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
DUTY OF CANDOUR
Duty of Candour for Healthcare Professionals
Covers duty of candour obligations — being open and honest with patients when things go wrong, as required by the State Medical Boards.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality in Healthcare Practice
Understand confidentiality obligations under State Medical Boards guidelines — data protection, justified disclosure, and information sharing.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PRIVACY, CONSENT & CHAPERONE
Privacy, Consent and Chaperone in Healthcare Practice
Training on valid informed consent, patient privacy, capacity assessment, and chaperone requirements per State Medical Boards guidelines.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
COMMUNICATION
Effective Communication for Healthcare Professionals
Communication skills that prevent complaints — breaking bad news, shared decision-making, and conflict resolution per State Medical Boards guidelines.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
DOCUMENTATION
Documentation for Healthcare Professionals
Create clear, legally defensible records meeting State Medical Boards standards — electronic records, amendments, and common errors.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media Professionalism and Boundaries for Healthcare Professionals
Navigate social media risks — State Medical Boards guidance on online conduct, digital confidentiality, and reputation management.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
TEAMWORK
Ensuring Teamwork and Collaboration
Strengthen multidisciplinary teamwork — communication, handover protocols, hierarchy management, and safe team environments.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PRESCRIBING
Prescribing Guidance and Standards for Healthcare Professionals
Ethical and professional standards for safe prescribing — regulatory guidelines, controlled substances, and protocols.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
CLINICAL COMPETENCE
Ensuring Clinical Competence and Patient Safety
Maintain and demonstrate clinical competence as required by the State Medical Boards — patient safety, risk management, and governance.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PROBITY
Probity and Honesty for Healthcare Professionals
What probity means under State Medical Boards guidelines — honesty, financial integrity, transparency, and managing conflicts of interest.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
FINANCIAL INTEGRITY
Financial Integrity for Healthcare Professionals
Navigate financial ethics — conflicts of interest, industry relationships, billing ethics, gift policies, and full transparency.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
TRUST REBUILDING
Rebuilding Trust of Patients, Public and Healthcare Regulator
Practical guidance on rebuilding professional trust after an incident — restoring confidence with patients, the public, and the State Medical Boards.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
FITNESS TO PRACTICE
Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals
Essential course for State Medical Boards proceedings — complaints, investigation, hearings, demonstrating insight, remediation, and outcomes.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
MODULE ON INSIGHT
Insight for Fitness to Practise
Build professional insight — recognising limitations, understanding impact, and satisfying State Medical Boards expectations during proceedings.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
MODULE ON REMEDIATION
Remediation for Fitness to Practise
Guidance on effective remediation — action plans, evidencing change, and demonstrating concerns are addressed.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
MODULE ON REFLECTION
Reflection for Fitness to Practise
Develop meaningful reflective practice — reflective accounts, structured frameworks, and meeting State Medical Boards expectations.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
MISTAKE & MISCONDUCT PREVENTION
Ensuring No Repeat of Misconduct or Mistake in Future Practice
Demonstrate that past issues will not be repeated — root cause analysis, practice changes, and sustained improvement.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
COMPLAINT OR INVESTIGATION
Dealing with a Complaint or Investigation Professionally
Guidance on managing complaints professionally — investigation process, response letters, lessons learned, and resilience.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
Professional Boundaries Course
Covers the boundary spectrum, dual relationships, warning signs of drift, sexual boundary violations, and maintaining trust.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
ETHICAL BOUNDARIES
Ethical Boundaries with Patients and Colleagues
Maintaining ethical boundaries in clinical relationships — patient interactions, colleague dynamics, and power imbalances.
2 CME credits · aligned with State Medical Boards
Ethics & Professionalism CME for US Physicians
Ethics and Professionalism Courses for Doctors in the United States
Our online ethics and professionalism courses are written for physicians licensed by state medical boards across the United States, mapped to the AMA Code of Medical Ethics and FSMB guidance. They suit routine CME as well as doctors navigating a complaint, inquiry, or fitness-to-practise review. Browse the full range of United States healthcare ethics courses or use the selector above to match courses to your situation.
If you are facing a board complaint, investigation or disciplinary matter as a physician in the United States, or simply want to strengthen your CME record, our courses are designed to help you demonstrate insight, remediation and a commitment to professional standards — the qualities State Medical Boards look for when assessing your response to a concern.
State Medical Board Ethics CME Requirements
Several states — Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas — require dedicated CME in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility for license renewal, and many other boards accept ethics credit toward general CME. Our Medical Ethics Course and Professional Ethics Course are structured to support these topical requirements at the AMA PRA Category 1 / AOA Category 1-A level. Osteopathic physicians can review the ethics courses for DOs written for AOA expectations.
Facing a State Medical Board Complaint or Investigation
A letter from your state medical board is one of the most stressful events in a physician's career. Once a complaint is opened you become the respondent, and the board weighs how you respond — transparency, insight, and concrete remediation carry real weight. Our Dealing with a Complaint or Investigation course walks through that process, and you can select your investigation type to see the courses most relevant to your case.
Demonstrating Insight and Remediation
Where a board orders or recommends education — or places you on probation or a consent agreement — documented training is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate insight and accountability. Targeted courses on insight, reflection, and remediation produce a downloadable certificate you can submit with your response or remediation plan.
What Our Doctor Ethics Courses Cover
Core topics these courses cover
The catalogue covers the issues most often seen in physician complaints: informed consent, patient confidentiality, professional boundaries, clinical documentation, prescribing and controlled-substance stewardship, and communication.
Shared standards across professions
The same foundations apply across disciplines, which is why many practices also enrol staff through our courses for all healthcare professionals and our dental ethics and jurisprudence courses.
Common Complaint Triggers for Physicians
Recurring triggers include inappropriate or excessive prescribing, breaches of professional boundaries, inadequate or altered documentation, consent failures, and telemedicine practised across state lines. Each course examines these through realistic, case-based scenarios so you can recognise risk before it becomes a board matter — and respond constructively if it already has. Nursing and pharmacy colleagues can find parallel material on our nurses & midwives and pharmacists course pages.
Self-Paced CME Built Around Your Schedule
Every course is 100% online and self-paced, with unlimited re-attempts and an instant certificate on completion — no fixed timetable while you manage a practice or a live inquiry. Groups and departments enrolling multiple staff can ask about discounted multi-course access on the United States courses hub. Written by healthcare professionals who understand state-by-state medical regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these courses count toward CME or license renewal?
Our courses are written to align with the ethical and professional standards that state medical boards apply, and many practitioners use them toward CME or license renewal. However, the courses are not independently accredited by any external body, so you should confirm with your specific state board how they count toward your CME or renewal requirements.
Are the courses self-paced and fully online?
Yes. Every course is 100% online and self-paced. You can start, pause, and complete them at your own convenience on any device, with no fixed timetable and unlimited re-attempts.
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Yes. On successful completion you receive a downloadable certificate that you can keep for your records or submit alongside professional or board documentation as required.
Who writes these courses?
All courses are written by experienced healthcare professionals with postgraduate qualifications in healthcare law and ethics, and reviewed for alignment with the ethical, professional, and regulatory standards relevant to doctors in the United States.
Are these courses accredited or endorsed by state medical boards?
No. The courses are not independently accredited or endorsed by state medical boards, the FSMB or the AMA, or any other organization. They are educational resources designed to support ethical practice, CME/CE, and remediation, and you remain responsible for confirming how they meet your board's specific requirements.
How current is the course content?
Courses are reviewed and updated to reflect current ethical standards and regulatory expectations for doctors in the United States, including guidance referenced by the FSMB and the AMA Code of Medical Ethics.
What is the difference between the ethics and the professionalism courses?
The ethics courses focus on principles and decision-making — autonomy, confidentiality, consent, and managing dilemmas. The professionalism courses focus on conduct and standards in daily practice — communication, documentation, boundaries, and teamwork. Many doctors take both for a complete foundation.
Can I use these courses for remediation or a board-ordered education requirement?
Yes. The courses are frequently used to support remediation, probation, or board-ordered education. Whether a specific course satisfies a condition set by your board or panel depends on that order, so confirm the details with your case manager or attorney before enrolling.
How long does each course take to complete?
Most courses take a couple of hours of focused study, though because they are self-paced you can spread that across as many sessions as you need without losing progress.
Do you offer access for multiple staff or a whole practice?
Yes. Practices, clinics, and groups enrolling several staff can arrange discounted multi-course access. Get in touch through the United States courses hub for group options.
Are the courses suitable for doctors who are not under investigation?
Absolutely. While the courses are valuable for doctors responding to a complaint, they are equally suited to routine CME/CE and to embedding strong ethical practice before any issue arises.
How do I get started?
Use the investigation-type selector on this page to match courses to your situation, or browse the full catalogue and add the courses you need to your cart. You can begin immediately after enrolment.
I've received a complaint from my state medical boards — where do I start?
Take it seriously and respond within any stated deadline. Boards weigh cooperation, insight, and concrete remediation heavily, so completing a relevant ethics course early can strengthen your written response. Use the investigation-type selector above to identify the most relevant courses, and seek legal advice or notify your liability carrier where appropriate.
Which courses should I take if I'm under investigation?
It depends on the allegation. Use the investigation-type selector on this page — Ethics & Conduct, Professionalism, Probity & Honesty, Fitness to Practise, or Professional Boundaries — and we will recommend the courses that map to your situation.
How do these courses help me demonstrate insight and remediation?
Documented completion of relevant training is one of the clearest ways to show a board that you have reflected, understood the concerns, and taken corrective action. The certificate and course content can be submitted as part of your response or remediation plan to evidence insight and accountability.
Do these courses address prescribing and controlled-substance concerns?
Yes. Inappropriate or excessive prescribing and opioid stewardship are among the most common triggers for medical board complaints, and our ethics and professionalism courses examine prescribing responsibilities, documentation, and patient safety through realistic case scenarios.
I'm facing a professional boundaries allegation — is there a relevant course?
Yes. Boundary violations are a leading cause of physician disciplinary action. Our Professional Boundaries content covers therapeutic relationships, communication, social media, and the warning signs of boundary erosion, with practical strategies for safe practice.
Do the courses align with FSMB guidance and the AMA Code of Medical Ethics?
Yes. The content is mapped to the ethical expectations reflected in the AMA Code of Medical Ethics and FSMB guidance, and to the medical ethics and professional responsibility themes that several state boards (including Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas) require for CME.
Who creates the courses at Healthcare Ethics Courses?
Our courses are designed by a London-based team of senior healthcare professionals, led by founder Dr Shehzad Iqbal — MRCS (Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England), MRCGP (Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners), and holder of a Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Law and Ethics from the University of Dundee. Dr Iqbal combines frontline experience as a surgeon and general practitioner with formal postgraduate study in medical law and ethics, so the material is clinically grounded, legally informed, and focused on the real situations practitioners face.
Preparing for Investigation or seeking CPD?
Courses written by healthcare professionals, aligned with State Medical Boards guidelines for doctors in United States.
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★ Recognised Membership
Proud Member of the American Accreditation Association
Healthcare Ethics Courses is a proud organisational member of the American Accreditation Association — a mark of our ongoing commitment to quality, integrity and professional standards in everything we produce for U.S. healthcare professionals.
Our organisational membership reflects our commitment to quality; individual courses are aligned with state board standards and national codes of ethics rather than independently accredited.