Access a list of CME companies at the NAAMECC website

CME companies are all over the United States. There are probably over 100 private companies that focus on developing continuing medical education activities for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, PAs, and NPs. If you're thinking about a career in CME, perhaps you'd like to know if there are any CME companies in your region.

To view a list of active CME companies, I encourage you to visit the list on the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC) website. This is not a comprehensive list of all the medical education and communication companies (MECCs) that are operating today, but it's a good starting place because these companies are probably committed to staying in the CME industry. As you may know, several CME companies dropped out of the industry in 2009. They either shut down or they decided to leave CME and to focus their efforts on non-CME education (also known as promotional education).

Click here to view the list of NAAMECC member companies.

MECC = Medical Education and Communications Company

The acronym MECC stands for: Medical Education and Communications Company. MECC. Some MECCs focus on certified continuing medical education (CME) while other MECCs focus on promotional medical education. Some MECCs are independent companies while others are extensions of medical publishers and advertising agencies. Some MECCs are even non-profit.

So, what does a MECC do?

• Assist academic faculty with the development of content for a CME satellite symposium.
• Assist with monographs and journal supplements (CME and non-CME).
  
• Assist with journal publications (clinical studies, review articles, etc.)
• Assist with the development of slides for grand rounds, dinner meetings, etc.
  
• and much more...
  

In the past, some MECCs were involved in ghost writing, but those days are gone, right?

The term "MECC" may be evolving because in the past, some MECCs were involved in developing both CME and non-CME activities. Now, MECCs must choose to stay on one side of the fence. Therefore, I think the word "communication" should come out of "MECC" for CME companies and the word "education" should come out of "MECC" for promotional companies.

Jobs in CME

While some companies that focus solely on certified medical education (or CME/CE) are losing people and down-sizing, others are hiring, either to replace people or because they are growing. I've been seeing a variety of job posts on LinkedIn and other sites. Simultaneously, I'm getting contacted by more and more candidates who are looking for opportunities.

The CME industry is going through some major changes and some companies (also known as MECCs or Medical Education and Communication Companies) that have been around for almost 20 years are choosing to leave the world of CME to pursue opportunities in the non-CME side of medical education. Others are simply shutting their doors and closing.

This is not the most opportune time to enter into a career as a CME professional. If you'd like to learn more about what it means to be a CME professional, take a look at the National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals, Inc. (NC-CME). There, you'll find a list of people who are recognized as Certified CME Professionals (CCMEPs™).