For physicians who work as an independent contractor, getting your CME credits as a locum tenens physician can present challenges of affordability and access. However, during the pandemic, many medical and professional associations moved their meetings and offerings online. Now that in-person medical conferences are resuming, many associations have continued to offer online courses and classes, making it easier than ever for locum tenens providers to get their continuing education credits.
Consider these resources if you’re looking for ways to earn your CME credits outside of the traditional in-person medical conference.
American College of Physicians (ACP)
ACP offers hundreds of curated CME activities organized by topic, product, and format to match physicians’ interests and needs, many of which are free or discounted for ACP members. In addition to live meetings, physicians can earn CME credits by working online or watching course recordings on their own schedules.
CME List, Inc.
CMEList, Inc. maintains a comprehensive list of CME activities including board reviews, conferences, journal summaries, lectures, and other activities that can be completed for CME credits. CMEList sorts CME credits by specialty, topic, or profession, to make it easy to find courses and credits, including hundreds of free continuing medical education courses.
Contemporary Forums
Contemporary Forums Online offers accredited, on-demand continuing education for healthcare professionals. Contemporary Forums’ online courses are ANCC/ACCME accredited, continuously updated, and easy to access, so providers can earn CME credits at their desired pace.
HMP Global
HMP Global is a multi-channel producer of healthcare content, meetings, and education. In partnership with the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NAACME) and Imedex, HMP Global offers educational programming across a range of therapeutic areas and in a variety of formats, including live webinars and on-demand webcasts.
Medscape Education
Medscape Education is a leading destination for continuous professional development, comprising 30+ specialty-focused websites offering thousands of free CME/CE courses. Medscape Education is available through a variety of formats, including clinical news briefs, patient simulations, clinical cases, expert commentary videos, conference coverage, and more. The Medscape Help Center is a great place to get started and review FAQs.
myCME
myCME is a provider of continuing medical education developed in collaboration with prominent academic institutions, medical societies/associations, Haymarket Medical Education, and other quality accredited providers. MyCME offers hundreds of complimentary online CME/CE programs certified by ACCME-accredited providers for clinicians across the full spectrum of medical specialties. Courses and content are organized by specialty and disease topic, for ease of review and use.
Other ways to earn CMEs
The American Medical Association — owner of the AMA PRA credit system — offers ideas for unconventional ways to earn CME credit, many of which physicians may have earned without realizing that they qualified as continuing education.
Activities that may be eligible for credit include publishing articles, authoring poster presentations, teaching at a live activity, or pursuing a medically-related advanced degree. While not overseen by an accredited CME provider, these activities — and others — are recognized as valuable learning experiences by the AMA and may qualify for CME credit.
If you’re a locum tenens provider in need of CME credit, there are a myriad of options available with a little bit of research — many accessible online. You don’t have to have a corporate sponsor to continue developing in your practice and career.
