What are CME and CPD?
As healthcare is constantly evolving, medical professionals need to continually enhance their knowledge and skills. This helps them to keep on top of new evidence and deliver good patient care.
In this respect, Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are the two best options. These frameworks work wonders for doctors and other healthcare professionals to grow in their careers while ensuring up-to-date clinical expertise.
Are CPD and CME the Same?
While CPD and CME are similar to an extent, there is a key difference between them.
So how could we define CME vs CPD?
CME
Generally for US Physicians
CME refers to a system of accredited educational activities in the US, primarily for physicians. It focuses on upgrading the knowledge, skills, and performance of healthcare professionals.
These requirements are usually for board-certified physicians and requirements depend on your speciality, board, and state.
CPD
Generally for UK Doctors
In contrast, CPD covers similar educational activities for UK doctors to stay licensed and grow in their careers.
While resident doctors don't usually need CPD-accredited courses to revalidate, staff grade doctors, consultants, and clinical fellows will require some evidence of CPD to help keep their GMC licence.
Physicians in the UK, the US, and across the globe engage themselves in such ongoing learning programs. It keeps them updated with the latest medical advancements and regulatory guidelines.
How Does It Work?
These credits can be earned through various methods, such as attending conferences, completing online modules, or signing up to accredited courses.
Over time, they collect credits to prove their ongoing learning and development. These credits are typically tracked and recorded in a professional development portfolio.
Many healthcare regulatory bodies and certification boards require doctors to meet specific CME and CPD requirements as part of their revalidation process. This ensures that they maintain the necessary knowledge and skills to practice medicine safely and effectively.
Physicians mostly engage engage with CPD and CME activities to gain credits. Perhaps this is a cynical take - there are plenty of CPD/CME accredited courses and activities that genuinely add a lot of value as well as providing credits/hours. However, with the yearly requirements breathing down many doctors necks, there's a propensity for free-and-easy activities to make up a bulk of CME.
That being said, CPD and CME don't have to be boring tick-box exercises - they can completely change how you work.
For example, Pinnacle Conference in Austin has been running for several years to help empower women in medicine to grow their career and become leaders. They have been attracting huge crowds since 2018, without having CME attached. However in the past few years their conference has been CME accredited with ICPE and can now offer attendees some CME hours!
About CME
The term CME stands for continued medical education. It is an approach to ensuring that US physicians continuously upgrade their medical knowledge, skills, and practices to keep pace with the latest evidence and advances. With medicine always in a state of change, it's important for physicians to continue with "lifelong learning" so that the best quality of care is delivered.
CME systems vary across different regions, but the fundamental goal remains the same: to provide healthcare professionals with opportunities to get better at what they do.
In the United States, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) plays a key role in overseeing CME activities. Here are some important details about the governing body.
ACCME
The ACCME accredits organizations that offer CME programs and sets standards for the quality and relevance of these programs. Accredited CME activities can include:
Physicians participate in CME activities and earn CME credits. The number of credits awarded depends on the duration and complexity of the activity. Generally, 1 hour = 1 CME credit.
ACCME also runs accreditation checks on CME providers making sure they comply with the accreditation requirements set by regulatory bodies.
EU-ACME
In the European Union, the framework for CME is somewhat similar to ACCME, although each country may have its own specific rules and accreditation systems. One well-known system for keeping track of this in the EU is the EU-ACME (European Urology – Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education).
EU-ACME approves educational programs and activities across Europe. It offers a standard way for doctors to earn CME credits that are accepted by their country's regulatory bodies.
It also provides support and guidance on CME compliance, regulatory matters, and accreditation management.
The EU-ACME portfolio enables CME credits to be recognised across different countries, making it easier for healthcare professionals to work in various parts of the European Union. It also accredits CME/CNE events, especially in countries without established CME systems.
About CPD
Medical CPD refers to the ongoing education and professional growth activities that healthcare professionals in the UK must engage in. This is particularly important for doctors, as it helps them maintain their medical licenses while continuously improving their practice.
CPD is now mandatory for around 1.5 million people working under 32 regulated titles in the UK. For medics, this is monitored by the GMC and is an important part of the revalidation process.
CPD ensures that professionals are always evolving in their roles. This helps them keep pace with the advancements in the healthcare sector. Through upskilling and reskilling, CPD enables doctors to increase their knowledge base and excel in their careers.
CPD activities are accredited by recognised bodies, and these points contribute to the annual requirement for revalidation. While many CPD activities overlap with those in the US CME system, they are accredited differently, with a focus on UK standards.
Many Royal Colleges, such as the Federation of Royal Colleges, RCSE, and RCoA, provide accreditation services for CPD. There are also 3rd party services from businesses offering CPD accreditation, though you should be careful to check your portfolio requirements to see whether your CPD activities need to be accredited by an official body.
CPD Points
CPD credits are more like points on a game board. Professionals can earn these credits by engaging themselves in various learning activities that include:
- Formal Courses
Attending workshops, conferences, seminars, or online training programs.
- Self-Directed Learning
Reading industry publications, participating in webinars, or listening to podcasts.
- Mentorship and Coaching
Learning from experienced colleagues or seeking guidance from professional mentors.
- Work-Based Activities
Participating in on-the-job training or attending skill development workshops.
Just like CME credits, the specific ways to earn and track CPD credits may vary depending on your specific royal college and regulatory bodies.
CPD vs CME: The Difference
While both are important modes of professional learning and growth, there lies a significant difference between CME and CPD in some aspects. Let's take a closer look below:
| Aspect | CME | CPD |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | In the US, "CME" refers to medical education activities through which physicians can earn credits. This is separate to CNE, CPE, COPE, and other profession-specific terms, but these all fall under the umbrella of Continuing Education (CE). | In the UK, the term "CPD" is used for similar educational activities, including clinical updates. While UK doctors participate in what are essentially CME activities, they refer to them as CPD. |
| Target Audience | US physicians, specialists, and some EU doctors. | UK doctors and other healthcare professionals like nurses and allied health workers. |
| Format | Formal courses, seminars, conferences, or online learning related to medicine. | Includes formal education, workshops, self-learning, mentorship, and practical experiences. |
| Accreditation | Required for licensure and re-certification in the US. It is accredited by various medical boards or professional associations (e.g. AMA). | Required for revalidation and licensing in the UK. It is accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) and other regulatory bodies. |
| Duration | Short-term and focused on specific medical topics. | Ongoing development throughout a doctor's career, covering both short-term and long-term goals. |
| Outcome Measurement | Measured in CME credits or hours earned, often mandated annually or biennially. | Measured in CPD points, typically required for annual revalidation. |
Can You Convert CME to CPD?
In most cases, you can't directly turn CME units into CPD units as they have different goals. CME focuses on improving medical knowledge for US doctors to earn credits, while CPD involves similar educational activities but is designed for professional development under UK regulations and accreditation.
However, some courses in Europe (and those with global reach) are accredited for both CPD and CME.
This allows healthcare professionals to earn credits that fulfill the requirements of both systems. For example, structured learning programs for resident doctors in the UK may not require formal accreditation but still count towards their career development.
While direct conversion isn't always possible, certain activities can still help you meet the requirements for both systems.
How Many CME/CPD Credits Do I Need?
The number of CME or CPD credits required varies greatly depending on your location, profession, and level of training. Here's a brief summary of different levels of training in the UK:
- Trainees
Doctors in training generally don't need to collect CME or CPD credits. However, once they complete their training, they will be required to gather CPD points to maintain their qualifications and progress in their careers.
- Staff Grade / SAS / Speciality Doctors / Locums / Consultants
Consultants must collect CPD credits of around 50 per year, though Royal Colleges have different specific standards for each speciality. One credit = one hour of education, and there's usually a requirement for 25 credits to come from external sources (e.g. outside of your trust).
In the US, requirements are more complex and depend on the state and profession.
For example:
- Texas and Florida have their own specific CME requirements for doctors.
- Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can earn CME credits. However, these credits usually need approval from their specific boards before they count toward renewing their licenses or certifications.
Due to the variety in regulations, healthcare workers need to check the specific requirements set by their regulatory bodies or professional organisations.
Conclusion
In short, both CPD and CME aim to ensure that healthcare professionals stay updated in their knowledge and skills. The key difference lies in accreditation and regional focus.
In the US (and some EU countries), CME activities are accredited for physicians to help with their board licencing. In the UK, doctors complete similar activities under the umbrella of CPD to complete GMC revalidation.
Some courses are accredited for both CME and CPD, but it's worth checking each time you book that the course will count for your speciality, country, and level of training!
