Just FYI. If you decide to make the effort to heading toward medical school you should know that you will probably have to lose your PA license to do such. I just found out that none of the incredibly difficult and cutting edge education that I am now getting in med school applies as CME toward my PA certification. I have been told by the NCCPA that I must still get my CME as always from other sources. Can you believe that sh%&??? Instead of modern unbiased science, with proctored exams, the NCCPA would prefer to see me as a poor medical student spend hundreds of dollars to fly to exotic places to listen to canned lectures paid for by pharmaceutical companies, where attendance is never taken and many people ski while earning CME. I now have no doubt that I made the right decision in leaving this organization and running for the hills to be a doctor. Can anyone wonder why docs often feel threatened by PA's when our leaders don't even think a physician education is worthwhile? There is simply no explanation that will suffice here, and I intend to make this problem known to as many physicians and PA's that I can in hope that we can elect some quality NCCPA reps next go around.
Brother I am with you...I was a PT prior to med school (DO program no less!) and none of my classes counted toward my CME for continued PT licensure. What a crock...I mean Really. It just becomes obvious that it certainly isn't QUALITY that most allied health professions CME look for, but rather $$ they get from courses. It is purely a political issue. But I must say your case is far more silly than mine. Sad.
pac2doc- for what its worth you can count your D.O. program towards cat 2 cme just like journal reading. easy cat 1 while in school: audiodigest tapes=52 hrs/yr for around 150 bucks I think, emergency medicine abstracts ditto, aapa online cme( I.C. AXON, $50/yr, unlimited modules). on another note- just passed my 6 year nccpa recert exam. what a joke! 300 bucks for a test that measures your ability to deal with cases never seen outside of an inpatient hospitalist practice! If I were in your shoes(and I hope to be soon), I would try to hold on to my PA cert to make a few bucks while in school, maybe work a shift a week or so to pay the rent and put gas in the car. best of luck-e
Hey emed, nice hearing from you! I knew about the category II but the category I is where I have the trouble. I just cannot find the time to do the category I and besides, its just the point. I think I may have found a loophole, and I am interested in hearing what you guys think about it. For instance, as a "medical student", I can attend any of our many national and state CME conferences for free, but I am not sure about the certificate part. My thought is that I would probably go to the AAFP or AAEP main conference this year and register as a "student". Then, I will keep all my documentation and schedule, plane tickets, hell even my name badge, and if I am audited, then I would just play dumb!!! It sure beats paying the 5-6 hundred that physician conferences now charge us as "PA's" and it might just work. In fact, my bet is that they still give you some sort of "record of attendance" that would work for audit just like the certificate. I think I can make it work though because I have until 05 to recert I believe. My original cert date was December of 98, which put my first logging requirement in as of June 01. Thus my next logging cycle ends this coming June 1st I guess, and that means my cert expires in June 05 I suppose. I might even try to swing down to New Orleans as a student!!!! Its just crazy that they want me to shell out useful dollars for useless courses that don't compare anything to what I am currently getting. I am still going to send a letter to the AMA journal to hopefully get some expsosure above the NCCPA. Maybe being embarrassed will help them to change their policy. Thanks...out. Matt
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