Minimum 30 CPD Credit Hours mandatory for license renewal: WB Medical council tells Doctors
CME Credit Hours
Kolkata: Doctors in West Bengal must earn a minimum of 30 Credit hours in 5 years by attending seminars and conferences to renew their license registration. A recent notice issued by the West Bengal Medical Council, dated 04.04.2025, has specified that without earning '30 hours point' of Credit hours in 5 years, the doctors will not be considered eligible for updating their registration.
"This is to notify that all doctors registered under West Bengal Medical Council must get minimum of “30 hours point” of Credit hours in a period of 5 years, without which they will not be eligible for updating their registration. This will come in to effect from this day onwards," stated the notice, issued by the Council.
As per the existing rules, doctors in India can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, or credit hours, if they attend seminars and other educational activities. Typically, each hour of participation earns a doctors one credit.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that bringing uniformity regarding the rules concerning the existing practice of Continuing Medical Education (CME) for doctors, the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) back in 2022 had made it mandatory for all doctors to attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs and earn at least 30 CPD credit hours every five years.
The submission of the documentation of CPD credit hours was made mandatory for the renewal of the license of the Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), in the Draft Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2022.
However, the regulations were put on hold, and the doctors' registration is guided by different rules issued by respective States/UTs. West Bengal Medical Council has now specified that the doctors must earn 30 credit hours to be eligible to renew their license.
Commenting on this, the vice-president of the WBMC, Susanta Kumar Roy, told Telagraph India, "Doctors have to renew their registration every five years. Earlier, the medical council never asked for evidence of how many seminars and conferences a doctor attended during these five years. Now, the council will seek the documents that show how many seminars and conferences they attended."
"This decision was taken as per the guidelines of the National Medical Commission that keeps asking us to follow its guidelines from time to time," he added.
Speaking to the Telegraph, a Council member explained that the how many "hours point" will be earned by attending a conference will depend on its nature and a pre-determined methodology for calculating "hours point". While many doctors attend seminars and conferences on their own to keep up with developments in their field, but many others do not.
"The idea is to have all attend conferences and update themselves about the latest treatment methods," Roy said.
For conducting a seminar or a conference, any medical college or hospital needs to approach the Medical Council. Thereafter, depending on the nature of the conference, the council decides how many "credit hours" to accord to that conference.
The institute, thereafter, collects certificates (which is handed over to the attending doctors) from the Council that mention the number of credit hours earned by attending the conference.
"The institution organising the conference will have an idea of how many doctors will attend it. Those who attend will receive one certificate. The institution must return to the council the certificates that are not issued," said Roy.
Consequently, the doctors need to submit the certificate to the Council for renewal of the registration. These certificates are examined by the Council to see if "30 hours point" had been achieved in five years.
Welcoming the move by the Council, the President of the West Bengal Doctors' Forum, Kaushik Chaki said, "We welcome the move, but what will be the parameters based on which the hours points will be credited must be made public before this is made mandatory. Also, the medical council should publish rules that spell out what kind of conferences can earn the points and what cannot."
"If the rules are not made public, there remains a possibility of misuse of the power later. The council must be transparent. Nothing has been made public so far," he added.
Commenting on the issue, a doctor said that usually, conferences and seminars organised by professional associations and medical institutes were considered to be of importance by the medical community.
To view the notice, click on the link below:
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