Who accredits continuing medical education providers?

A course flyer says "accredited," and you have to decide whether that word is worth your tuition. Before you pay, it helps to know who does the accrediting and what that body actually accredits.

The ACCME accredits organizations, not courses

For continuing medical education for physicians, the body to look up is the ACCME. Here is how the ACCME describes its own role. The ACCME accredits organizations that provide continuing medical education for physicians. The ACCME does not accredit individual educational activities.

What that means when you shop for a course

The accredited party is the organization behind a course. It is not the single workshop or weekend session you are considering. So the useful question for a clinician in Morristown is "Which organization provides this, and is it the one accredited?" The course title answers neither half of that.

The same habit helps when you compare programs across the state line, in the larger metro market around Morristown. Only the organization's name lets you check the claim, wherever the course is held.

Routine details and details that should change your decision

Some details are routine. A provider that lists its organization name next to the course, and names the credit it offers, is giving you something to check.

Other details deserve a pause before you pay. If a page names the activity but never says who provides it, ask for the organization's name in writing. If the answer is vague, treat that as information about the course.

Your license also has its own rules. The text of New Jersey's continuing education rule is published by the Legal Information Institute as New Jersey administrative code § 13:37-5.3. Medical Economics keeps a New Jersey continuing medical education page that you can read next to it. Check both against your own license type before you count any hours.

One thing to do before you pay

Get the provider's name first, then match it against what the ACCME says it accredits. The name of the course will not settle the question. The organization behind it can.