CME only way to stay abreast with fast changing medical science: Experts

Islamabad: Becoming a physician, nurse or other healthcare specialist requires many years of education. But the learning doesn’t stop once a license and board certification have been earned and practice begins—learning continues by way of continued medical education, or CME.

In the recent past CME has been a much discussed topic by the medical practitioners in Pakistan. While the PM&DC has confirmed that the accredited CME is a must for all the doctors, however the debate is still on if CME should exist or not?

While CME is crucial to the prosperity of healthcare providers—it allows a practitioner to learn and discover viable ways to improve on the patient care they deliver and effectively manage a career in the ever-changing landscape of the medical industry. With medical science developing faster than ever before there is no way to stay abreast other than CME, commented Dr Ayyaz a senior professor while talking to Medical News.

In a country like Pakistan where we face diagnosis challenges and unethical malpractice has grown too common to ignore, the implementation of CME should be mandatory in the healthcare sector, not only limited to doctors, but also extending to healthcare providers such as nurse, critical care and lab technicians, he added.

The requirements or acceptable level of CME vary across medical disciplines, but they are equally important no matter the specialty or scope of practice in which a provider is engaged. Continuing medical education allows health care providers to:

· Refine skills to improve overall patient care

· Stay current with the latest developments within their specialty

· Address real-world challenges that healthcare professionals face on a daily basis

· Gain professional growth and a means to advance career status

· Meet licensing/certification requirements

· Learn effective medical team management skills

· Earn membership in professional organizations

Provide benefit to patients.

While PM&DC is striving to regulate and implement the Continuing Medical Education in Pakistan, healthcare providers must understand that CME is designed to comprehensively and systematically share the latest development in the field of medical sciences which will ultimately for the benefit of patients.