Continuing Medical Education (CME) is an important part of a physicians practice. Physicians should strive to further their medical education throughout their careers, for only by participating in CME can they continue to serve patients to the best of their abilities and live up to professional standards of excellence. Fulfillment of mandatory state CME requirements does not necessarily fulfill the physician's ethical obligation to maintain his or her medical expertise.
The Dade County Medical Association is committed to helping physicians obtain quality continuing medical education credits. Toward this end, the DCMA annually holds at least one CME program which includes the mandatory state CME required programs. In addition, DCMA joint sponsors upwards of 100 CME programs a year, representing over 215 hours of CME and serving approximately 1,800 physicians.
Joint Sponsorship is a process in which an accredited CME provider and an unaccredited organization collaborate to plan and implement an AMA PRA Category 1 CMETM activity. The DCMA is accredited by the FMA (the FMA in turn is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)) and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, Standards to Ensure Independence in CME and the Essential Areas and Elements when joint sponsoring a CME program(s). The American Medical Association and other ACCME member organizations have entrusted the ACCME with maintaining the quality of CME in the United States. As the accredited partner, the DCMA is required to demonstrate direct involvement in the activities we jointly sponsor.
In choosing among CME activities, physicians should assess the programs education value and select only those activities which are of high quality and appropriate for the physician's educational needs. When selecting formal CME activities, the physicians should, at a minimum, choose only those activities that are offered by sponsors accredited by the ACCME, The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a state or county medical society.
