A Long-Term Relationship With CME

After weeks and weeks of being up in to my neck with piles after piles of work, I finally found the time to search the Internet about maintenance of certification programs. No medical sub-specialty in particular, just general MOC. It was only then that it hit me: medical professionals should have a long-term relationship with CME!

For those who are still in the dark, CME or Continuing Medical Education is a process by which medical professionals continue learning and re-learning even after medical school. Learning new things is not new to us doctors because we know for a fact that medicine is an ever-changing science; and if we want to perform at our best, we need to keep up with those changes. Re-learning is basically reviewing what we already know from medical school. It can include a simple recall or additional inputs of recent updates on a given topic. 

So why do I say that we should have a long-term relationship with CME in relation to our maintenance of certification? The answer is simple: because CME is required to finish MOC. More than that, however, I noticed that MOC and CME weave through the same path; and without the other, one will fail. Think of it this way, MOC was designed to make sure that all diplomates continue to have the edge and equipment to practice their professions; and CME is the indispensable tool for the MOC program to achieve its goal. On the other hand, if MOC programs do not require CME credits, medical professionals may not be as motivated to join CME activities as they are now. 

I guess, what I am trying to say is that wherever we go, no matter how far we have come along our medical professions, there is no escaping CME. Actually, we should actually be chasing after it. It does not only help us technically (by aiding us in the completion of our subspecialty’s MOC program) it also molds us to become the doctors that we should be – competent and up to date. 

Visit John Hopkins Medicine, Mayo School of Continuous Professional Development, and Apollo AudioBooks for countless CME resources and activities.