Importance of Continuing Medical Education in Anesthesia

In order to become an anesthesiologist, one must complete several rigorous years in medical school, and then many more in residency. The process is challenging, time consuming, and academically demanding. However, for anesthesiologists (and almost all physicians), medical education doesn’t necessarily stop there. The best practicing anesthesiologists are life-long learners, continually learning from both personal experience and novel research. Luckily, there are many resources which provide post-accreditation medical education. Listed below are several reasons why continuing medical education in anesthesia is important:

1. Continued training can address gaps in knowledge. Given that medical school and residency require rapid acquiescence of a high volume of knowledge and skills, it is natural that physicians may have areas of weakness in their training. Moreover, given the immense responsibility placed on anesthesiologists to ensure the safety of their patients, it can be difficult to admit these weaknesses. Post-accreditation training programs can address these gaps in a supportive and safe environment, thus improving the experience of both the physician and their patients.^[1]
2. Life-long medical education can also reinforce existing knowledge. Active maintenance of previously internalized knowledge can improve recall, lead to better-informed decision making, and prevent memory loss.^[2] Additionally, it bolsters standards of good practice, thus increasing physician accountability and helping to standardize approaches to anesthetic care.
3. New technology and studies are constantly shaping anesthesiology as a practice. The rapid advancement of medical technology and anesthetic agents has substantially improved surgical outcomes within the past few decades. However, these discoveries are meaningless without the continued education of anesthesiologists. Therefore, continuous integration of novel methods and advancements into post-accreditation medical education is necessary for advancement of the field.
4. Earning Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits can give anesthesia providers access to a variety of specialized organizations. Membership to a number of medical organizations often requires some minimum amount of CME credits. Association with these organizations can be highly useful in establishing an anesthesiologist’s reputation within the field and with patients.
5. CME helps anesthesiologists maintain their licenses and accreditation. It is therefore vital that anesthesiologists who intend to continue practicing are up-to-date with their education.^[3]

Given these considerations, continuing medical education is an important aspect of practicing anesthesiology following accreditation. Not only does it improve patient outcomes and serve to advance the field as a whole, but it also incurs many benefits for the practicing physician. It is therefore highly recommended that anesthesiologists seek ways to continue their medical education throughout their careers.

References

^[1] American Association of Continuing Medical Education. Importance of CME. (2016). Retrieved from https://aacmet.org/cme/importance-of-cme/

^[2] Ebbinghaus, H. (1913). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. doi:10.1037/10011-000

^[3] American Society of Anesthesiologists. (2020). Instructions for Obtaining Anesthesiology Continuing Medical Education (CME) Credit. Anesthesiology, 132(1). doi:10.1097/aln.0000000000003081