- Continuing Medical Education -

The Office of Continuing Medical Education provides a wide array of opportunities for practicing physicians to meet their lifelong learning needs.  On going grand rounds are provided in Anesthesia, Behavioral Science, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Surgery.  In addition, larger conferences and symposia are held in Macon and other sites which feature School of Medicine faculty and distinguished guest faculty.  The Office of Continuing Medical Education maintains computerized records of credit for all participants, publishes a monthly newsletter and calendar of events, and serves as an information/resource for physicians throughout Georgia.

CME Mission
The mission of the Mercer University School of Medicine is to educate physicians to meet the health care needs of rural and other underserved areas of Georgia. The principle need is for physician specialists in the primary care areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. Also general surgery, psychiatry, and emergency medicine are recognized as career choices consistent with the mission. Otherspecialty practice areas may be added if warranted by the medical needs of Georgia.

CME Purpose
In concert with the mission of the medical school, the purpose of the overall CME program shall be to enhance the clinical competence of physicians to improve the quality of health care for the citizens of Georgia. Activities will typically occur within state boundaries and joint-sponsored activities will clearly fall within the mission of the medical school.

Content Areas and Target Audience
Activities will be provided for the specialties of family practice, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Additional activities will also be provided for hospital-based specialtes including anesthesia, emergency medicine, pathology, and radiology. Potential participants shall in most cases be physicians practicing within the state of Georgia in these specialty practice areas.

Type of Activities Provided
Types of activities will include on-going weekly grand rounds, special conferences and symposia, instruction of the use of the Georgia Interactive Network for Medical Information (GaIN), outreach programs for rural physicians, and individualized performance improvement efforts.

Expected Results
The target audience should expect the following results from the CME effort:    

• An increased knowledge base and new skills relative to the latest technological and scientific  advancements in medicine;
• Reinforcement and affirmation of practices meeting current standards of care;
• Remediation of ineffective, outdated, or unacceptable practices; 
• Improved performance resulting from problem solving strategies within the health care setting.