Earning CME credits can be a pain. It can be time-consuming, inconvenient, and often times expensive. Given the already hectic schedule physicians have making the time and spending the effort to earn these credits can be overwhelming. Given the nuisance of earning these CME credits, some physicians may find themselves asking, “is it even worth it?” If you find yourself in this position, make sure you know the consequences of not earning your CME credits and meeting your CME requirements. These consequences include:
- Losing your state medical board license
- Losing your American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) board certification
Losing your State Medical Board License
If you don’t earn enough CME credits, you might not be able to renew your state board medical license. Most states require you to earn a specific number of CME credits over a certain time period to maintain your license to practice in the state. For example, physicians licensed to practice in Alabama are required to earn at least 25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM every year.
If you do not meet the CME requirements of your state, you will be designated “unregistered” status. Continuing to practice with this “unregistered” status can lead to fees for each month that you practice without a proper license and potentially additional fees after your case has been reviewed by prosecutors. In severe cases, there can also be disciplinary proceedings or even criminal prosecution for practicing without a state medical license.
Check out our state CME requirements guide to see exactly how many CME credits you need to earn to avoid these penalties.
Losing your American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) Board Certification
Similar to state medical boards, the American Board of Medical Specialty Boards have specific maintenance of certification (moc) requirements that physicians have to meet to maintain their board certification. The American Board of Emergency Medicine, for example, requires certified members to earn at least 25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM in the physician’s field of practice to maintain their board certification.
There are many reasons why maintaining your ABMS board certification is important. Being board certified increases your reputation and credibility amongst insurers, regulators, hospitals, physicians, and patients. In addition, it indicates that you are dedicated to improving as a physician and delivering the best patient care to your patients because you have willingly participated in CME activities that should help you expand your medical knowledge around specific specialties and medical topics.
Having the reputation of being board certified and showing a dedication to continuous learning can lead to many benefits including acceptance into professional organizations, which can lead to increased payments, higher reimbursement rates, and lower malpractice premiums.
Best Ways to Earn CME Credits
Clearly, earning CME credits and meeting your state and specialty boards are important and can have severe consequences. So what is the best way to earn CME and avoid these consequences?
While there are many options physicians have to earn CME credits, many agree that the best method is via CME with gift card offers. One of the reasons these options are so popular is that they allow physicians to get a free gift card back with purchase. Physicians typically are able to purchase these activities with their CME allowance so they are essentially getting a free gift card without having to pay out of their own pocket.
Other reasons these activities are popular is that they often contain content that will help you expand your knowledge around the most pertinent medical topics in your specialty/focus area. The activities also often provide the online convenience of being accessible on multiple devices. This helps mitigate the nuisance of trying to find the right time and place to earn your CME credits.
Two of the most popular CME with gift card offers that have the benefits mentioned above are:
Check out more information on these top 2 CME with gift card offers.
