Office of Continuing Medical Education

The OCME uses the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates’ definition of CME – “educational activities that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is the body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of health care to the public.”

Using adult learning principles, the OCME supports Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty, staff and affiliated individuals, groups, and organizations in planning, developing, providing and evaluating CME on medical and health care topics based on professional practice gaps, educational needs and/or interests. These gaps, needs, and interests are identified by multiple sources. 

As an educational institution, Wake Forest School of Medicine has an obligation to educate future physicians and instill an appreciation and awareness of lifelong learning. By involving fellows, residents, and students in the CME planning process as well as encouraging their participation in CME activities and learning, faculty and staff help them recognize the importance of continual professional development.

The OCME provides CME to a local, regional, national and international audience of physicians, including AHWFB employees and School of Medicine alumni. Recognizing the importance of the multidisciplinary health care team and its effectiveness on improved patient care and safety, the OCME promotes its CME activities to other health care providers and encourages their active participation.  

 

The OCME provides a wide range of learning opportunities including, but not limited to:

• Postgraduate activities
• Regularly scheduled series
• Minifellowships
• Enduring materials, including live and archived web-based activities
• Journal clubs
• Tumor boards
• Jointly provided activities
• Performance Improvement (PI) activities
• Individualized learning experiences

All CME activities are planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), the AMA's Physician's Recognition Award and Credit System, and the policies and procedures of AHWFB /WFSM.

The Wake Forest School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) helps physicians and other health care providers recognize the difference between their current practice and what could lead to practice improvement known as practice gaps. The anticipated outcomes are better and safer care for individuals, families, communities and populations. The education that is developed to address these gaps leads to changes in physician competence, performance and/or patient outcomes depending upon the individual CME activity. With its efforts to improve knowledge, skills, attitudes, abilities and performance, the OCME encourages constant self-evaluation of the learner – reinforcing current knowledge and facilitating awareness of weaknesses and opportunities for improved learning, thus developing desirable attributes for today’s and tomorrow’s physician.

The provision of CME not only encourages an appreciation of lifelong learning but recognition of the value of teaching to others, from students to veteran practitioners. The OCME encourages the incorporation of this value into the WFSM promotion and tenure process, the molding of future physicians, and professional colleague interaction.