CME Programme for Practising Doctors who are not taking CME Programme for Specialists
Overview
The voluntary "Continuing Medical Education ("CME") Programme for Practising Doctors who are not taking CME for Specialists" ("the Programme") has been implemented by the Medical Council since 1 October 2001. The purpose of the Programme is to encourage practising doctors to keep themselves up-to-date on current developments in medical practice so as to maintain a high professional standard. Practising doctors who are not taking CME for specialists are invited to enroll in the Programme on a voluntary basis. Details of the Programme, which were promulgated by a letter of 17 September 2001 and by subsequent notices from the Medical Council to doctors, are as follows:-
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Programme details
The Programme is based on a "credit point system" with credit points awarded for participation in CME activities recognized by the Medical Council. Doctors may refer to the Medical Council's CME Guidelines on details of the credit point system.
The duration of a CME cycle is three years. Eligible practising doctors can enrol in the Programme on 1st January or 1st July every year by registering with one of the CME Programme Administrators appointed by the Medical Council. Practising doctors who have accumulated 30 or more CME points in a year will be awarded a Certificate to certify that they have achieved a satisfactory level of CME activity during that particular period. Such a certificate can be displayed inside the doctor's office.
In addition, those practising doctors who have accumulated 90 or more CME points in a three-year cycle will be given approval to use the title "CME-Certified" on their visiting cards during the immediately following CME cycle. The validity period should be set out in brackets following the title. If the Medical Council's approval for a doctor to use the title "CME-Certified" in the next validity period has not been given before the expiry of the existing validity period, and that the doctor has records of doing CME, the doctor concerned will be permitted to continue using the title until he is notified of the outcome of the Medical Council's processing of his CME points for the next cycle.
Previously, doctors would not be allowed to quote both the title "CME-Certified" and the specialist title concurrently on their visiting cards. Doctors who became specialists during the validity period of the title "CME-Certified" would be allowed to quote either the title "CME-Certified" or the specialist title on their visiting cards, but not both. At the 342nd Policy Meeting on 3 July 2013, the Medical Council decided that (i) a doctor already on the Specialist Register should not be given the approval to use the "CME-Certified" title; and (ii) approval for using the "CME-Certified" title will lapse upon one's registration as a specialist.
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Enrolment in the Programme
Every practising doctor who is interested in the Programme and not taking CME for specialists should register with ANY ONE of the CME Programme Administrators accredited by the Medical Council. The CME Programme Administrators will be responsible for vetting, documenting and calculating the CME scores for doctors registered with them during the three-year CME cycle and reporting the total CME points to the Medical Council. The CME Programme Administrators shall have their own registration procedures and fee structure for their programmes.
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CME activities
The Medical Council has accredited a number of CME Programme Providers. The CME activities provided by them have received accreditation by the Medical Council. The CME activities provided by associations or institutions other than these CME Programme Providers will NOT attract CME credit points unless they have been vetted and awarded credit points by any one of the three CME Programme Accreditors. Practising doctors are advised to note whether a particular CME activity has been vetted and awarded credit points.