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CME Overview

Plan a CME Activity

The Office of CME within the Office of Faculty Affairs & Professional Development is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of all CME activities that are approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. The Office of CME Staff members are knowledgeable about the required educational, financial and logistical processes required for development of CME activities. If you have an idea for a CME activity, please contact Rich Tischler, PhD, Executive Director of CME, (rtischler@som.umaryland.edu) to schedule an initial planning meeting.

What Information is Needed to Begin Planning?

The initial planning meeting with the Executive Director of CME and Office of CME Staff involves a review of the ACCME Criteria, Standards, and Policies. Among the required educational processes are the following:

  • Identification of the potential target audience
  • Documentation of how the professional practice gaps and educational needs of the target audience were determined
  • Defining learning objectives that meet the educational needs
  • Identification of faculty/staff who can serve on a planning committee and/or as faculty members for the activity
  • Identification of potential financial resources to support development and implementation of the activity
  • Developing strategies for determining activity effectiveness in improving physician competence, performance and/or patient outcomes

Timelines for Planning

Live CME Activities and Enduring Materials: a minimum of 9 – 12 months is needed to plan a live CME course or enduring material. Many educational, financial and logistical planning elements require substantial advance planning for optimum results. This lead-time provides the planning committee and faculty an opportunity to work with the CME staff to ensure success of the CME activity from an educational and fiscal perspective.

Grand Rounds/Conferences (Regularly Scheduled Conferences): Planning and submission of CME applications for Rounds and Conferences takes place at the beginning of each new fiscal/academic year. Workshops for department coordinators are offered each spring to ensure timeliness of planning and submission of the CME application.  

CME Resources

The Office of CME provides a range of tools and resources to facilitate CME activity planning, implementation, and evaluation. Please contact the Office to obtain updated materials.