How to keep up with the medical literature.

As there has been little evidence for the incorporation of CME into the life style of most physicians, governmental and medical organizations, prompted by the dissatisfactions of American society and the increasing costs of medical care, have embarked upon a variety of mandatory or voluntary educational programs.

Abstract

For most professional people, education beyond the compulsory school years is a private matter, particularly so in law, architecture, engineering and to some extent for teachers.However, this is not so for the physician.We are constantly being reminded of the remarkable advances in medical knowledge and the implications for medical practice.The problem for us, then, is how to perceive and retain the new information in order better to care for our patients.This is not an easy task for those who normally continue to practice medicine for some 30 to 40 years after graduation from medical school.Physicians must not only discard the old information, no longer true or applicable, while replenishing the mind with the new.This process falls under the general heading of Continuing Medical Education (CME), meaning that phase of learning which should continue after formal postgraduate training.