1. Who can accredit programs for physicians in the Maritime Provinces? |
Programs for Specialists |
Programs for Family Physicians |
- Dalhousie Continuing Medical Education
- A national specialist society that has accredited provider status with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
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- Dalhousie Continuing Medical Education
- The provincial chapters of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
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Dalhousie CME accredits programs on behalf of the RCPSC and the CFPC. While the requirements and processes for accreditation are essentially the same whether working with Dalhousie or taking the alternate routes above, the balance of this document refers only to Dalhousie. |
2. If my program will be for both specialists and family physicians, will I need to submit two applications?
No. The requirements can be met with a single application and associated fee. |
3. What is the first step? |
- Contact Dalhousie CME before planning the program. The nature of our involvement will depend on the intended target audience and the organization planning the event, but you can ensure that your program will meet accreditation requirements only by seeking advice at the earliest possible stage.
- For programs including family physicians in the target audience, the Office of CME must cosponsor the event. We must be involved from the beginning, with a CME educator serving on the planning committee. This role may be executed by correspondence.
- Programs designed for specialists only may be either cosponsored or approved by the Office of CME.
- In order to qualify for approval, the primary sponsor must be a physician organization, defined by the RCPSC as “ A not-for-profit group of health professionals with a formal governance structure, accountable to and serving, among others, medical specialists through: Continuing professional development; Provision of health care; and/or Research”
- To qualify for approval, it is not necessary for Dalhousie CME to be represented on the planning committee, but it is essential that planners follow and document the criteria for accreditation outlined in the application package.
- When a program is “approved” ultimate accountability for content, educational and ethical standards lies with the physician organization
- If the primary sponsor is not a physician organization, the program may be eligible for cosponsorship by Dalhousie CME in the same manner as events designed for family physicians.
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4. What are the accreditation requirements? |
- These are detailed in the application package, but in summary:
- The planning committee must be representative of the target audience (and not be limited to those presenting the material)
- The program must be based on some form of assessment of needs of the target audience
- The program must have learning objectives that address the identified needs
- At least 25% of the total education time must be devoted to interactive learning
- The program must be evaluated
- The program must meet ethical standards for continuing professional education
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5. What will it cost to work with Dalhousie CME? |
- cosponsorship: $300 + $5 per physician participant (previously $600 + $15/$10/$5 sliding scale)
note: where unusual attendance at meetings or other aspects of the planning process requires CME educator time in excess of 3 hours, the Office of CME reserves the right to apply additional charges to cover this time. Such additional charges are rarely necessary however.
- approval: $300
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6. Who should I contact? |
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7. What if I need help with other aspects of planning and delivering a program? |
- The Office of CME can provide a full range of meeting management services, on a fee for service basis. Contact Eileen MacDougall for information.
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