Find Out Which Continuing Medical Education Events You Need To Put On Your Calendar
Are you a healthcare educator or a CME service provider? Perhaps you’re a medical professional looking to learn more about the latest CME technology updates, eLearning trends, content delivery tools, or any other updates in the medical field.
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Continuing medical education is essential for medical professionals of all types. It allows you to learn more about your field and interact with others in your industry. CME activities also give you hands-on experience with new approaches and tools to improve the quality of care you offer your patients.
But finding high-quality CME can be challenging, especially when you have such a busy schedule. Fortunately, many organizations hold CME conferences around the same time each year. This means you’ll be able to plan ahead to attend and make room on your calendar for continuing education opportunities.
Since accrediting organizations hold these conferences, you’ll have the opportunity to receive CE credits to use towards licensure or CME requirements. Additionally, you’ll have plenty of time to network and connect with professionals active in your industry, as well as a chance to get your name, institution, or service out there too.
Let’s take a look at who needs CME events, What to look for in an outstanding continuing medical education conference, and the top 5 conferences to keep an eye out for each year.
Who Are CME Events For?
Continuing medical education events are geared towards professionals in the medical field who are looking to further their knowledge and meet state licensing requirements.
You can attend in-person CME events or look for webcasts, webinars, and online courses that will help you need your CME requirements.
Many events are tailored to a specific practice area or cover a wide variety of topics, such as:
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Pediatrics
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Family medicine
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Cardiology
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Infectious diseases
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Neurology
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Endocrinology
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Women’s health & gynecology
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Sports medicine
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Critical care
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Gastroenterology
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Dermatology
Whether you choose online CME courses or in-person CME events, continuing medical education is necessary for any medical professional. Every state has a different requirement within a specific timeframe for medical professionals to expand their knowledge.
But how can you be sure that the CME event you choose is suitable for your professional needs? Let’s find out.
What To Look For In A Great CME Event
All CME events are not created equal. A great CME course not only offers accredited continuing medical education credits but provides an enriching, knowledgeable experience you can apply to your current position.
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Peer recommendations: Your colleagues are an excellent source for notable CME events. Turn to your peers to discover annual CME events that are relevant to your field and worth your time.
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Amount of attendees: Take a look at the attendance list for the CME event. While not every event will have massive amounts of registrants, you’re looking for solid attendance based on the scale of the CME offerings. If registrants are few and far between, it may mean there is a more valuable CME opportunity out there.
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Flexible attendance options: Hybrid events are great for busy medical professionals looking to rack up CME credits in their practice area. These types of events allow you to attend virtually or in person. That means you won’t need to fly to Maui or San Diego to participate since these events will be live-streaming or posted for on-demand viewing.
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Engagement features: CME activities may be required in your field, but they don’t have to be dull. Look for CME opportunities that offer interesting features, like breakout rooms, gamification, and live chat, to hold your attention and create an enriching experience.
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Accredited CME credits: The best CME courses are fully accredited with ACCME or a similar accreditation council. If they are not, there is a good chance your state licensing board may not accept the time you spent on CME.
Continuing medical education seminars and conferences occur often, but finding the right one for you can be challenging. Let’s look at the top five annual CME conferences you need to add to your calendar.
Top 5 Annual CME Events To Watch Out For
Delivering continuing education courses isn’t an easy task. Organizing the right presenters, tracking registrants' participation, and administering CME certificates to all guests is challenging. It’s a juggling act but incredibly rewarding for both participants and organizers.
Every year, associations and organizations across the world host symposiums and conferences to administer CME courses and sessions to their target audiences. It’s the best way to disperse up-to-date information and new evidence-based practices that medical professionals can use to improve care.
Out of all CME events, some take their offerings to the next level by offering high-quality continuing medical education conferences each year.
Here are some upcoming conferences that are held around the same time each year, so you can plan ahead to get your CME credits.
1. National Nurse Practitioners Symposium
When: Annually, in July
Where: Keystone, Colorado
Best For: Nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physicians assistants
This four-day symposium offers over 100 workshops and sessions with the opportunity for over 40 CE credit hours, all fully accredited by ACPE, ANCC, and ACCME.
The National Nurse Practitioner Symposium each year covers clinical topics, innovative practice settings, acute care, and other professional development subjects. It’s held each year in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
You can also register for the on-demand Encore, a virtual session for those unable to attend in person. This means you can obtain valuable CME credits without booking a flight or travel accommodations.
2. Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Continuing Medical Education Annual Conference
When: Annually in September or October
Where: Past locations include Stevensville, MD, and Hunt Valley, MD
Best For: CE providers looking to learn more about teaching internal medicine, hospital medicine, and evidence-based practices.
Held each fall in the Mid-Atlantic region, MAACME offers outstanding sessions on public health, medical leadership, and best practices for administering CE.
This conference is fast-paced and geared towards promoting high-quality continuing education for medical professionals. They even offer guidance on offering accredited CME in the virtual or hybrid setting.
While this conference is directed towards people who administer CME, there are also valuable sessions for all medical professionals looking to expand their knowledge.
3. Society for Academic Continuing Education Regional Conferences
When: Year-round events available
Where: Past locations include Nashville, TN & South Carolina
Best For: Medical professionals looking to improve their clinical practice and knowledge
SACME is dedicated to improving public health and clinical practices through evidence-based learning. They offer a variety of CME sessions throughout the year at a variety of locations, making it easy for participants to attend.
This organization’s CME is unique because they provide workshops, project-based learning, and team-based CME activities for participants who prefer hands-on learning.
They also offer a Virtual Journal Club that allows members to view past webinars for CME credit. Non-members can register for a fee. This will enable participants to gain valuable CME credits from the comfort of their homes.
4. Emergency Medicine and Acute Care Annual Series
When: Annually, in March
Where: Past locations include Maui, Hawaii, Phoenix, Arizona, and Vail, Colorado.
Best For: Emergency medicine, urgent care, and acute care clinicians.
Offering topics that provide an update to existing emergency medicine literature, these CME courses are fast-paced and evidence-based.
The organization wants participants to know that this isn’t a review course but a deep dive into new, provocative, and sometimes controversial developments in emergency medicine. So expect to be challenged and engaged through their exciting programs.
The organization offers live virtual continuing medical education or self-paced courses. Participants can opt to register and travel to in-person sessions or sign-up for virtual CME options. This means that if your schedule does not allow travel, you can still obtain valuable CME credits through this organization.
5. Pri-Med Southwest- Primary Care CME
When: Annually, in March
Where: Houston, Texas
Best For: Clinicians of all types, including those practicing dermatology, oncology, radiology, hematology, and endocrinology
Pri-Med’s primary care CME is geared towards medical professionals who want to earn up to 17.50 CME credits in a three-day span for an affordable price.
This fast-paced conference offers a variety of primary care topics, as well as specific sessions for different practice areas.
You’ll also have access to industry-sponsored opportunities and an exhibitor hall, which allows you an in-depth look at the latest tools and treatment options that you can bring back to help your patients.
Find The Right CME Conferences To Help You Earn CME Credits
Continuing medical education is an important field. Clinicians, hospitalists, and other medical professionals need up-to-date information to ensure they are giving their patients high-level care.
Whether you are looking to earn CME credits or administer CME courses for your target audience, BeaconLive can help.
Our virtual event platform is made to expand your reach and streamline the administrative tasks associated with CME. We can track participation and administer CME certificates through our automated system.
Contact us for more information on how BeaconLive can help you take your CME offerings to the next level.