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

Chennai: Reminding the doctors about the CME credit hours, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has recently directed all the Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) of the state to strictly comply 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, the Council 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.

"Those RMPs who carried over their shortage credit hours during the previous five block years, have to complete their shortage, in addition to the 30 credit hours needed for these five years," the council further mentioned in its notice.

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. Although there are around 1,20,000 doctors registered with TNMC, back in 2018 when the Council had issued notice only 30,000 doctors were pursuing it. So, the Council published the notice again in the State Gazette. At that time, the Council considered that instead of taking action against the doctors, it would allow the doctors to carry over marks for the next block of five years in exchange of a nominal fees

So, as per TNMC rules, registered medical practitioners who fail to complete 30 CME credit hours within a period of 5 years, can carry over the unfinished credit hours to the next block of five years. However, the doctors were required to pay a nominal fee for this purpose.

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However, this rule was challenged by a few doctors and Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that ruling in favour of the Council the Court had dismissed the plea. Appearing before the Court, the TNMC had at that time submitted that it was being lenient and asking the candidates to carry over the incomplete credit hours. However, if they went against the rules, they would take action against the doctors.

Now, issuing a notice, the Council has once again reminded the doctors about the incomplete CME credit hours and mentioned, "The Tamil Nadu Medical Council directs all its Registered Medical Practitioners practicing in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands to strictly comply with clause 1.2.3 of the Code of Medical Ethics of the Council on the updating of knowledge by the Medical Practitioners by way of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and accruing 30 credit hours in 5 years. The procedure and the eligibility are as given in the Tamil Nadu Govt. Gazette No. 41 Part VI Section 1 dated 10.10.2018 & Tamil Nadu Govt. Gazette No. 48 Part VI Section 1 dated 28.11.2018."