Oakstone’s CME guide for physicians explores the continuing medical education experience, annual requirements and what topic areas best fit their needs.

Continuing medical education (CME) requirements can be time-consuming to plan, manage and track on your own. That’s why Oakstone created our ultimate CME guide for physicians to give you advice on how to optimize your continuing education experience.

Our goal is to support you, regardless of specialty, with the courses necessary to earn the required credits, improve your skills and create positive patient outcomes.

Learn more about the support Oakstone offers, recent changes in health care education and our suggested CME topic areas across specialties.

Traditionally, physicians were required to renew board certifications in their specialties every 10 years. However, the 24 specialty boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties are largely moving away from the 10-year exam in favor of continuing certification testing standards. Each board sets its own process for physicians to earn credits.

As a result, physicians are less likely to seek CME courses featuring self-assessments and more likely to focus on earning AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.

Oakstone has many resources to support you as you fulfill CME requirements and maintain your certification. Our CME programs feature experts across more than 30 specialties and from leading medical institutions.

CMEinfo Insider gives subscribers 24/7 access to single-topic medical lectures and comprehensive multi-lecture programs with the latest treatment guidelines and medication updates. All course material is presented in manageable, bite-sized modules that qualify for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Some activities also meet MOC requirements.

Our Practical Reviews subscription features clinician-selected materials covering nearly 500 journals. They summarize the most relevant articles, medical advances, research and trends for 20-plus specialties. This subscription comes with an app for computers and smartphones, creating options for physicians who need to fit CME credits into their busy schedules.

The Oakstone CMEinfo library showcases single-topic CME courses. These courses are best for when you want the most control over your CME learning plan, when you need a certain number of credits overall or when you need to focus on a specialty. For example, some specialties require CME hours on opioid-related topics before physicians can prescribe them.

Studying for board certification and recertification exams can be challenging. Our board prep courses make the process easier by keeping you up to date on the latest clinical conditions, diagnostic practices and treatment guidelines for improved patient care.

Oakstone is so confident that our preparation materials will help you pass your board certification or recertification exam on the first try that we offer the CME Pass Guarantee.

Many areas of study can benefit physicians regardless of their specialty. Here are five topic-area recommendations from Oakstone that are included in our subscription products and CME course topics.

Physician burnout is an ongoing issue facing the medical community, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians can learn how to spot the signs of burnout in themselves and others and address them without compromising patient safety.

Physicians are called upon to treat all patients with the highest quality of care. Being sensitive to cultural differences can improve your treatment approach while enhancing patient experience and outcomes.

Ethics are a vital component of a physician’s decision-making process and should be revisited regularly. The right ethical framework can make all the difference when navigating tricky, potentially life-or-death decisions.

Federal regulations have restricted the circumstances for prescribing opioids. And many states require some component of continuing education on opioids to meet recertification requirements. Meanwhile, many states are legalizing medical marijuana. Continuing education regarding the use of cannabis to treat pain might be an important topic of interest for many physicians.

All physician practices carry an element of risk. Risk management helps physicians identify problem areas within their practice and address them before an incident occurs. These courses also teach physicians how to prepare for legal issues, including depositions, mediation and arbitration.

At Oakstone, our goal is to build the CME experience around you. That’s why we want your experience to be easy, simple and convenient.

“We want physicians to get the knowledge and education that they need,” Oakstone Director of Continuing Education Sandy Mardant says, “and in a timely manner so they can get back to taking care of their patients.”

Ready to experience the Oakstone CME Advantage? Learn more.