How to Get CME Credits Online: A Guide for Physicians

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Physicians spend a tremendous amount of time with patients evaluating their needs and designing plans of care to optimize their health and wellness. The average doctor in America is working 50 hours a week or more, and this overtime load is often the product of additional professional and administrative tasks.

Good quality continuing medical education plays an important role in providing efficient, up-to-date care guided by the latest evidence medicine has to offer. Unfortunately, whether CME is elective to a specialty or completed in response to a regulatory requirement, it’s often acquired through conferences or seminars. These can take you off the floor for a week or more at a time and require extensive travel – all to get CME credits in categories that don’t require in-person training.

Fortunately, there are excellent category 1 CME credits available in convenient online settings that allow you to make the most of your most valuable resource. Courses like Overcoming HIV Stigma and Bias in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Guide for Providers deliver AMA PRA category 1 Credits™ you can easily complete on a timeline that matches your busy schedule.

Here are some of the top benefits and formats available for physicians who are exploring how to get CME credits online.

Self-Paced Learning

One extremely convenient and popular method of getting CME credits is to engage in online self-paced learning modules. Sometimes referred to as asynchronous learning, this type of online CME can be accessed at a time most convenient for you. These modules are also designed to be able to pause when needed and pick up again when you have the time.

As an affordable option, online self-paced learning modules maximize the convenience of the online platform by incorporating evaluation and feedback into coursework. This is done by immediate grading of exams, often with options to review the content for questions answered incorrectly. Most exams have a passing grade of 80%, and once completed, CME credits are often available immediately and can be tracked through online CME management platforms.

Fully accredited category 1 CME providers like Premiere help you keep track of courses by creating an online account. This allows you to access an ongoing record of completed Premiere CME opportunities and those that may be in progress. It’s especially useful when having to provide proof of completion for the state or the organization you work for.

CME on Mobile Devices and Tablets

Many people think that continuing education means sitting down in front of a laptop or computer, but that’s not the case. When considering how to get CME credits efficiently, options that bring education to your smart device combine convenience and portability. Doctors spend a lot of time at work or on call, and even if you just have your phone and 20 minutes, the top providers make it easy to keep moving through coursework.

With mobile flexibility, you’ll be able to:

• Access all your CME courses and content
• Browse and purchase new courses
• Conveniently pick up an activity where you left off
• Leverage 24/7 access to all of your certificate
• Track your progress
• Confirm registration and completion of coursework

Earning CME for Online Research and Publishing

Physicians who are already involved in research can use that research to earn CME credits. Research physicians can typically claim credit by publishing peer-reviewed articles in medical journals through online submissions. Many CME providers will allow you to self-report credit based on the time spent researching and writing the article.

Also, you may be able to earn CME credit by presenting your research findings at accredited virtual conferences or participating in research-focused CME activities offered by medical societies for online platforms. While these activities all require scheduling and time, they are nonetheless much more efficient options than in-person appearances.

Earn CME with Webinars

To earn CME credits with webinars, you need to attend live or on-demand events hosted by an accredited CME provider. Physicians typically need to register in advance, and some may include active participation during the presentation. This can include requiring attendees' cameras to be on and responses either verbally or in the chat forum to serve as proof of engagement.

When the webinar is completed, an assessment or quiz may be given to earn your CME credits, and there may be other unique conditions as well depending on the provider. It’s important to attend the entire webinar, and you should check the specific details and eligibility for CME credits on the provider's platform before enrolling.

Earn CME With Audio

Healthcare workplaces can be frenetic environments, and sometimes the best opportunities you have to learn are in your car or on a treadmill at the gym. Also, physicians can spend a lot of time staring at a screen, and the portable flexibility of online CME with audio options delivers a relaxing break that supports practical productivity.

Audio-based CME can cover a range of important topics that fulfill both required and elective credits, and Premiere has a wide selection available. These include critical areas like chronic pain management, wound care, and controlled substance prescribing practices, and provide the same high-quality training for physicians as traditional screen-based online courses.

Get Online and Get Those CME Credits

The Internet has opened up numerous opportunities for online learning and the convenience and flexibility that accompany that access is freeing up physicians to focus on doing what they do best. Knowing how to get CME credits online can make fulfilling professional obligations much easier, especially for doctors who are already working overtime.

Premiere connects physicians with award-winning online category 1 CME credits that are backed by the latest research and support a variety of learning styles. Featuring content for a wide range of required courses and electives in areas like mandatory DEA controlled substance training, cultural competency, and workplace safety, all of Premiere’s courses are created by industry experts and empower healthcare professionals to develop their careers on a timeline that works for them.