When most state continuing medical education (CME) requirements were established in the 1960s and 1970s, physicians had relatively few opportunities to engage in structured learning outside of lectures, conferences, journals, and formal coursework. Requiring a certain number of CME hours was a practical way to encourage lifelong learning. Today's physicians, however, practice in a fundamentally different environment. Electronic health records, specialty society guidelines, clinical decision support tools, multidisciplinary case conferences, quality collaboratives, maintenance of certification activities, simulation training, and continuous quality improvement initiatives provide physicians with ongoing opportunities to learn, measure their performance, and immediately apply new knowledge in patient care.
Perhaps the best example is the growth of continuous quality improvement (CQI). Rather than simply attending educational sessions, physicians now participate in data-driven efforts that identify opportunities for improvement, implement evidence-based changes, measure outcomes, and continuously refine clinical practice. For example, Michigan has several CQI initiatives supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that bring together physicians, hospitals, patients, and health system leaders to collect clinical data, share best practices, and use continuous feedback to improve care statewide. This cyclical process emphasizes measurable improvements in patient outcomes instead of just time in front of a screen and reflects how modern physicians learn throughout their careers.
Continuing medical education remains an important component of professional development, but it is no longer the main mechanism by which physicians maintain competence. As medicine has evolved, so too have the ways physicians acquire knowledge and improve their practice. Modernizing state CME requirements should recognize this reality by valuing meaningful, practice-based learning alongside traditional educational activities, ensuring that regulation reflects how physicians actually learn and deliver better care today.
This article is part of an ongoing series exploring how and why the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) is advocating for meaningful CME reform in Michigan and supporting House Bill 5313. Members are encouraged to visit the MSMS Grassroots Action Center to stay informed and easily contact legislators about the issues shaping the future of medicine in Michigan.
For further information, please contact MSMS Director of Government Affairs, Kate Dorsey, at kdorsey@msms.org.