Continuing medical education: A new vision of the professional developmentof physicians

The authors describe their vision of what continuing medical education (CME ) should become in the changing health care environment. They first discuss six types of literature (e.g,, concerning learning and adult development p rinciples, problem-based/practice-based learning, and other topics) that co ntribute to ways of thinking about and understanding CME. They then state t heir view that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has made a commitment to helping CME be more effective in the professional developm ent of physicians. In presenting their new vision of CME, the authors describe their interpret ation of the nature and values of CME (e.g., optimal CME is highly self-dir ected; the selection and design of the most relevant CME is based on data f rom each physician's responsibilities and performance; etc.). They then pre sent seven action steps, suggestions to begin them, and the institutions an d organizations they believe should carry them out, and recommend that the AAMC play a major role in supporting activities to carry out these steps. ( For example, one action step is the generation and application of new knowl edge about how and why physicians learn, select best practices, and change their behaviors). Six core competencies for CME educators are defined. The authors conclude by stating that collaboration among the appropriate academ ic groups, professional associations, and health care institutions, with le adership from the AAMC, is essential to create the best learning systems fo r the professional development of physicians.