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.

Fewer MECCs (medical education companies) staying in the CME industry

There are fewer medical education companies (also known as medical education and communication companies or MECCs) that are now in the CME industry. Ever since the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education) revised its "Standards for Commercial Support" in 2007, some medical education companies have struggled to survive because they were associated with a marketing agency. Furthermore, when certain commercial supporters announced that they would no longer directly fund MECCs to develop certified continuing education, more companies struggled.  Now, we see even fewer MECCs in the CME industry because of the overall reductions in industry support and the heightened scrutiny from various regulating bodies and the public. Will the CME industry survive? I believe it will, but I also think it will continue to go through changes. Physicians, nurses, and pharmacists will always need continuing education to maintain their licensure.

So, how many MECCs are still staying in the CME business? The numbers are getting smaller. We can see that fewer companies are now represented as members of the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC). You can view the list of member companies here. This list used to be considerably larger, but it's getting smaller. While some companies are dropping out of CME, new companies are forming as well.

Attending the Alliance for CME meeting today #ACME2010

Today, I'm in New Orleans attending the annual Alliance for CME meeting. You can read more about the meeting here:

Preparing to attend the Alliance for CME meeting in New Orleans #ACME2010

Anyone who has a strong interest in developing a robust career in the world of certified CME (continuing medical education) should attend the Alliance for CME meeting. I'm eager to reconnect with colleagues and discuss all the recent proposed changes pertaining to the CME industry.

If you're following me (@DrJosephKim) on Twitter, you can follow this hashtag #ACME10 to keep up with all that's going on here in New Orleans. If you're attending the Alliance for CME meeting this year, swing by the NAAMECC (North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc.,) booth and say hello.

Careers in CME (continuing medical education)

CME = continuing medical education

The world of professional medical education continues to evolve and I've recently had some nice opportunities to share my personal experiences in the CME industry. If you're interested in exploring career options in the world of CME, do you know where to begin?

Let's start with medical writing. That's an easy place to start since writers often come from medical and scientific backgrounds (either as an MD, PharmD, PhD, etc.). Here are some organizations/groups/resources you'll want to research:

NAAMECC

How about a list of companies so that you can start your research? One nice place to get a list is the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC). NAAMECC is a professional association dedicated to providing representation, advocacy, and education for its members. To see a list of member companies, click here.

ACCME

We can't forget about the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). If you want to work in CME, you need to be familiar with the rules and regulations that govern the CME industry. The ACCME's Mission is the identification, development, and promotion of standards for quality continuing medical education (CME) utilized by physicians in their maintenance of competence and incorporation of new knowledge to improve quality medical care for patients and their communities. http://www.accme.org

The ACCME maintains a list of CME providers (which includes universities, societies, and private education companies). You can find that list here. You can sort alphabetically, by state, etc. Keep in mind that

AMWA

AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) is another great resource. Join and get listed in the Freelance Directory. Attend social and educational meetings related to regional chapters. http://www.amwa.org

NASW

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) is another great resource for medical writers. http://www.nasw.org

The HittList

Emma Hitt, PhD, maintains a weekly newsletter of medical writing jobs. Subscribe to her free newsletter here. I've used it to find freelance medical writers, so I know it works.

The Alliance for CME

The Alliance for CME is an organization that pulls together CME professionals from different settings such as medical universities, professional medical societies and associations, private medical education/communication companies, and others. They hold an annual meeting each January and I'm always there for those meetings. To learn more about the Alliance, visit: http://www.acme-assn.org

NC-CME

If you want to get serious about CME, then become a certified CME professional or CCMEP. The National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals, Inc. (NC-CME) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by an independent group of peers within the CME community for the purpose of establishing a definitive certification program for CME Professionals. http://www.nccme.org

AMA

The AMA holds a national meeting in October called the "National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration." This is a great place to learn about the CME industry and to meet others who work in medical education.

LinkedIn

There are several great LinkedIn groups that I would highly recommend. They are:

• Continuing Medical Education
• Continuing Medical Education Buzz Group
• Professional Medical / Scientific Writers
• Medical Writing and Affairs Association
• Biotech & Pharma Professionals Network

Company Directories

Here are a few lists (some are outdated) of CME providers that include some private medical education companies:

• Directory on NAAMECC
• Directory on meetingsnet.com
• Directory on cpe-tracker.com
• Directory on vendors.pharma-mkting.com

Don't be surprised if many of the private CME companies no longer exist. Several closed in 2008 and even more closed in 2009.

So, should you get involved in the CME industry? What better way to answer that question than to speak with a CME professional? I invite you to contact me if you're interested in chatting more about this industry.

Question re: opportunities in medical communications and CME

I got a question the other day re: opportunities in medical communications and CME

Here was my response:

Non-clinical opportunities tend to be regional. If you live in the northeast, you are surrounded by medical communications companies. They tend to cluster around pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, so you'll also find some in the west coast, Chicago, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and several other cities. This doesn't mean that you can't have a chance if you don't live in those areas.

Many people become very successful as freelance medical writers living anywhere in the country. A really useful resource for medical writing is the AMWA. You can join and get involved in many different ways. It's always hard to start as a freelancer, but if you're a strong writer, you'll find opportunities. To learn more about the CME industry, I'd encourage you to check out the Alliance for CME and NAAMECC.