TN Medical council tells doctors to upload credit hours details for outside CMEs

Chennai: Through a recent notice, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has directed the Registered Medical Practitioners for uploading the details of additional CME credit hours accrued outside the State via the TNMC portal from their dashboard.

However, in the case of doctors who have obtained the credit points within the jurisdiction of TNMC, they need to apply for the same only through the organizations conducting the CME Programme.

Further, the Medical Council has clarified that for the medical professionals above the age of 70 years need not acquire any credit hours and those belonging to the age group of 65 years and 69 years need to acquire only 3 credit hours per year.

This is not the first time that TNMC has issued a notice regarding the CME Credit hours. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that TNMC had reminded the doctors about the CME credit hours and had directed the RMPs of the State for strictly complying with the rules of updating of knowledge by way of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and accruing 30 credit hours in 5 years.

Issuing a notice in this regard, previously the Council had directed all the RMPs to verify the credit hours accredited in their account, by logging into their TNMC dashboard and apply for any additional credit hours accrued by them by being a Faculty, Post-graduate in a Medical College, publishing a journal, book, etc.

Also Read: Verify CME credit Hours, complete Shortfall: Medical Council tells Tamil Nadu Doctors

Now the Council has clarified about the CME credit points accrued via CME/Conference held in other than the state of Tamil Nadu. Referring to this, the Council mentioned in the notice dated 18.10.2022, "All the Registered Medical Practitioners under Tamil Nadu Medical Council are requested to upload any additional CME credit hours accrued via CME/Conference held other than the state of Tamil Nadu or those who are working in any Medical College as faculties or faculties imparting DNB training or as Postgraduates (Diploma, DNB, M.S., M.D., D.M., M.Ch.,) or those who have published articles in journals or written chapters in textbooks can claim the credit hours allocated to each of the activity."

"Those CME Programs held within the jurisdiction of TNMC should have been applied for credit hours only though the organizations conducting the CME Program. Individual applications are not entertained within Tamil Nadu whereas the RMPs can apply for credit hours for the activities as said in the paragraph 1 via TNMC portal from their dashboard, paying the stipulated fees," further mentioned the Council.

Clarifying about the CME credit hours for those aged more than 65 years, the notice mentioned, "Any RMP who has completed the age of 65 years within the 2017-2022 block year need to acquire 3 credit hours per year between 65 to 69 years of age. Those who have reached 70 years and above need not acquire any credit hours, but they should acquire 3 credit hours per year between the age of 65 to 69 years."

The Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (Professional Conduct and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, clearly mention that physicians should continue improving their medical knowledge and skills continuously. For this, the doctors need to affiliate themselves with a reputed allopathic organization attend CME programme or at least 30 hours every five years.

Even though the MCI rules were in existence since 2002, many of the State medical councils had not implemented it. TNMC made it mandatory from 2012 asked the doctors to undergo CME credit hours.

To view the official Notice, Click here: 

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/tnv3-attachmentsoffeed-cme-notice-tnampl-1666328936-188849.pdf

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