If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact the CME Office at cme@cdrewu.edu.
General
Continuing Medical Education (CME) consists of educational activities, which serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and/or professional performance relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is the 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.
The American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA) and the related credit system recognizes physicians who demonstrate their commitment to staying current with advances in medicine by participating in certified CME activities. Established in 1968, the AMA PRA today stands as the most widely accepted award for recognizing physician CME achievement. AMA PRA credit is recognized by many state licensing boards, medical specialty boards, hospital credentialing bodies, and other entities. The AMA Physician’s Recognition Award or AMA-approved application is currently accepted in many states as documentation for purposes of licensure reregistration.
The ACCME is the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. It is the organization that sets the standards for the accreditation of all providers of CME activities. ACCME providers are dedicated to the identification, development, and promotion of standards for quality CME utilized by physicians in their maintenance of competence and incorporation of new knowledge, in order to improve quality medical care for patients and their communities.
The ACCME owns the accreditation system and accredits providers that demonstrate compliance with the criteria for accreditation, which grants such organizations the authority to certify appropriate educational activities for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. The AMA owns the credit system. Both organizations work in collaboration and support one another’s standards and policies. As well, the AMA has a seat on the ACCME’s Board.
A directly provided activity is one that is planned, implemented, and evaluated by the accredited provider (e.g., departments, colleges, and/or schools within CDU). A jointly provided activity is one that is planned, implemented, and evaluated by the accredited provider and a non-accredited education partner (e.g., community partners).
Physicians/Learners
Certificates of Credit and Certificates of Participation for Regularly Scheduled Series events (i.e. Grand Rounds) are issued quarterly and will be e-mailed. Certificates of Credit and Certificates of Participation for all other CME activities will be issued (i.e. e-mailed) no later than 6 weeks following participation in a CME activity.
Physicians licensed in the state of California are required to complete at least 50 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ during each biennial renewal cycle. In addition to state requirements for maintenance of licensure, additional requirements may be set forth by certifying boards and/or institutions where a physician practices.
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is the most common type of credit physicians need for maintenance of licensure. In order for an activity to be designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, it must be planned and implemented by an accredited CME provider.
Category 1 CME activities are formally planned activities that are certified for credit by an ACCME accredited provider and in compliance with the ACCME standards for Commercial Support. Category 2 CME activities are physician self-reported educational activities that a physician engages in to improve their knowledge, competence and/or performance as it relates to the care of their patients.
It is the responsibility of the learner to claim credit commensurate with their participation in a CME activity.
Yes. An Application for Credit must be fully completed and turned into the CME representative in order to receive credit (physicians) and/or certification of participation (non-physicians).Pr
Only MDs and DOs can be awarded AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Other learners who may be among the target audience for a CME activity will receive a Certificate of Participation indicating the activity was accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. These learners will need to speak with their respective licensing board as to whether or not this credit is transferrable, and if so, the process.
Below are links that may be useful for potential non-physician participation:
If you attended a CME activity but forgot to turn in your evaluation and Application for Credit, please contact the Office of CME at cme@cdrewu.edu
For corrections to your CME certificate, please contact the Office of CME at cme@cdrewu.edu
Contact the Office of CME at cme@cdrewu.edu. CDU broadcasts are sent weekly. Additionally, the Friday Noon Lecture Series schedule and bi-monthly Upcoming Educational Activities flyer are accessible online.
Non-physician participants cannot be awarded CME credit, but can still receive a Certificate of Participation indicating an activity was accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
There are a number of CME activities available to physicians. Visit the CME Resources page for upcoming CME events taking place on CDU’s campus and/or within the community.
Prospective CME Applicants
ACCME accredited providers must provide CME that contains content which serves 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 the 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 health care to the public.
CDU’s Office of CME must be contacted at the very beginning of program planning. Many educational, financial and logistical planning elements require substantial advanced planning for optimum results. As well, this lead time provides you the time to work with the Office of CME to ensure the success of the CME activity. All CME activities must be based on an identified gap in physicians’ professional practices and must align with the mission of CDU. Concise timelines for planning and development, required by the CDU Office of CME, dependent on activity type, are available online.
An initial planning meeting with the Office of CME must be scheduled in order for CME staff to walk through CDU’s CME Application and planning process, as well as to review timeframes and deadlines. The Office of CME works collaboratively with each applicant to ensure clarity as to the CME process and to confirm understanding of the information required to complete a CME application. Once an application is complete, it is reviewed. Then, after the CME application is approved, the Office of CME will reach out to coordinate a project kick-off meeting, develop an activity timeline and confirm roles and responsibilities moving forward in the planning process.
No. You may not make any mention of credit in any promotional piece unless the activity has already been approved for credit. You may, however, advertise your activity in advance of approval if you do not mention credit. The AMA and ACCME require that the final announcement for any activity must clearly advertise the credit and include the required ACCME statement. Please contact the Office of CME prior to printing or sending any announcement mentioning credit.
Any individual in a position to control the content of a CME activity must complete a Financial Relationship Disclosure Form. This includes planners and managers, content developers, authors and presenters, moderators and content viewers as well as anyone else identified as controlling content.
An ‘ineligible company’ is any company whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
A financial relationship is a financial relationship, in any amount, which (a) occurred within the past 24 months, and (b) the educational content is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.
The Office of CME requires that a member of its staff or designee be present at all live CME-certified activities.
