It’s that time—you’re thinking about CME courses. You want to know how to determine which ones will benefit your patients and practice before you invest your allowance into a course or workshop.
But how do you know what makes CME worthwhile? Whether you need a refresher on high-quality CME or this is your first experience with continuing medical education, we’re here to help. Search for the most beneficial credits using these three guidelines:
1. Clinical Relevance
One key factor to consider when choosing CME courses is clinical relevance, or how the content applies to your practice. For example, CME should cover topics related to your specialty or patient needs. That may include:
- Specific conditions
- Medications
- Treatment options
- Best practices
- Research and trends
If you’re a primary care physician, the content should focus on conditions you see regularly and treatment best practices. Or, you could learn more about leadership or patient-provider communication.
2. CME Requirements
Another way to determine if a course or seminar will benefit you is to see if it satisfies your CME requirements. These requirements can vary, but they’re generally necessary for licensing, associations and medical boards.
The most common type of CME you’ll need to earn is AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Any course, workshop or material you look into should explicitly state how many credits it’s worth.
Some content may be categorized in a different credit system, such as AAFP Prescribed Credits. Often, these have an equivalency to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, meaning they can count for both. Just ensure you understand how the conversions work before signing on. If you have questions about eligibility, we recommend contacting your accrediting organization.
3. Quality of the Provider
With that in mind, it’s not only about the content and number of credits—it’s also about the quality of the CME provider. When choosing a CME provider, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Providers must be ACCME accredited for courses to count for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
- Providers are credible, with a good reputation and reviews.
- Online platforms are accessible and easy to use, with features like progress saving and time flexibility.
- Seminars and workshops are interactive and engaging.
- Speakers and presenters have relevant experience and evidence-based resources.
- Content is in one of the official CME formats, like live activities, enduring materials or medical journals.
You may encounter various “free” CME during the search, but it’s crucial to consider what that truly means. To make these courses free, they’re often sponsored by other sources, which may make the content less reliable. Always do your research before enrolling in a free course. While paid CME eats into your budget, those fees are what good providers use to pay for high-quality speakers and experiences.
Ready to start your CME journey? Find relevant courses in primary care, family medicine and more today.