What Is CME?
Continuing Medical Education (CME) consists of educational activities which serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is that body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of healthcare to the public.
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A formally planned Category 1 educational activity is one that meets all accreditation standards, covers a specific subject area that is scientifically valid and is appropriate in depth and scope for the intended physician audience. More specifically, the activity must:
Be sponsored by an organization accredited by the ACCME or a state medical society
Conform to the AMA Definition of CME and GBMC Mission Statement.
Conform to the AMA "Ethical Opinion on Gifts to Physicians from Industry" and the "Ethical Issues in CME" as well as the ACCME "Standards for Commercial Support of CME"
Be based on a perceived or demonstrated educational need which is documented
Be intended to meet the continuing education needs of an individual physician or specific group of physicians
Have stated educational objectives for the activity
Have content which is appropriate for the specified objectives
Use teaching/learning methodologies and techniques which are suitable for the objectives and format of the activity
Use evaluation mechanisms defined to assess the quality of the activity and its relevance to the stated needs and objectives
Have documentation of physician's participation kept on file by GBMC
Category 2 activities are not formally designated by an accredited provider for Category 1 credit, however, individual physicians may claim Category 2 credit for learning experiences that have improved the care they provide their patients. Many times participation in these activities cannot be documented. All of these activities should be self-reported for Category 2 credit.
- Patient centered discussions with colleagues
- Medical research and study online
- Using non-designated enduring materials
- Teaching of medical or healthcare professionals
- Reading authoritative medical literature
- Attendance at conferences, lectures, and seminars not designated for Category 1 credit
Definition from the AMA Policies, Procedures and Criteria for the Physicians Recognition Award (PRA) Issued January 1993; Updated June 1996.
