CME for MOC (internal medicine and medicine subspecialty) after fellowship transition

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adagio

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Greetings,
I am transitioning out of my last year of fellowship, and want to learn more about the great world of CME/MOC.
Since I was active in a fellowship this whole time, I never paid attention to how these points are accrued, or where are they tracked and kept.
Is there any repository/application/website to keep track of CME? and what is the best way to do so?
Is there a system on how much minimum active reading/active efforts weekly to maintain both IM boards, GI boards, and the CME for a state license?
Appreciate the input.

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There are lots of ways to get CME credits. In general, 1 CME credit = 1 hour of learning. You can get them:
1. By going to local conferences (Grand rounds, M&M) if offered where you are located
2. Going to national meetings. At the end there will be an evaluation form that allows you to claim credits. YOu can usually get 15-20 credits from a meeting, at least.
3. Online learning modules, many are free and you get credits.
4. Uptodate. If you register, every article you click on is worth 0.25 credits.

MOC credits are (somewhat) harder to get. Anything that counts for MOC will count for CME also. The ABIM has "free" online modules (part of your MOC fee) which for Hospital Medicine are pretty good -- they have an Update every year that covers new findings and studies. UpToDate is MOC also. The ABIM website has a list of MOC options.

How much do you need? Depends by state, but most states require about 50 credits per year. Some states allow you to claim some credits for any reading or studying you do that is self reported. The Board of Medicine in your state should make clear what you need to do. Some states require some CME in specific areas -- opioid education is now common.

In general, you keep track of this yourself. Everytime you complete a CME activity, you'll get a certificate that you keep in a file. Then, when needed, you submit all of them. States may have you report every 1-3 years.

For MOC, you collect points over 10 years BUT you need to collect a minimum number of points every 2 years. The ABIM website explains this, and you can log in and see what you've done and need to complete.

Fellowship training will count for a full number of CME or MOC credits for the year.

If you're at an academic center, it's easy. Just make sure you do whatever you need to get credit for each conference you attend. If you're not at an academic center, then many people get their CME's at national meetings. There are often local meetings if you're in an urban area you can attend. And it all can be done online if needed. The hardest part (for me) is just keeping track of it all.
 
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