Have you ever gone to the doctor and wondered whether your doctor was up to date with the newest medical discoveries and practices? After all, the practices, medicines, and treatments from decades ago are no longer applicable today. So how do you know if your doctor’s knowledge is relevant?
A doctor is constantly learning new treatments, practices, and ways to treat sickness. In addition, they need to keep up with the latest research that could benefit their patients. A doctor who doesn’t stay up-to-date could lose their license, as well as be sued for malpractice.
In general, doctors stay up-to-date through conferences, continuing education courses, and medical journals.
Let’s take a closer look.
Conferences:
Attending conferences helps doctors stay up-to-date with the latest medical discoveries and practices. Additionally, these events provide an opportunity to network with other professionals in the same field, which can help establish new connections and viewpoints.
Doctors and nurses are often sent to conferences by supervisors because they know that it will make them more successful. Getting repeat clients is much easier if a hospital or doctor’s office is known for being successful and efficient in treating patients.
Consequently, supervisors and CEOs are often eager to ensure their employees are attending events to stay ahead of the curve. Employees have also proven to be more loyal to a company who invests in them and shows an interest in making them more educated.
CEU Courses
Continuing education units, or CEUs, are credits that are earned by attending certified educational programs. Continuing education courses can be taken online through companies like Last Minute CEU’s or in person, and can be used to fulfill the continuing education requirements for a license.
By fulfilling their continuing education requirements through courses offered by organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), doctors can keep up with the latest advancements while also earning CEUs toward their licenses’ renewal requirements.
CEU courses are very similar to the courses students receive in medical school. To ensure that students have learned what’s needed, quizzes or final exams are often required in order to pass.
Without CEU credits, doctors can lose their licenses and ability to practice until they take these courses and receive additional training.
Medical Journals
A medical journal is a publication that reports on original scientific research, usually focused on new treatments or techniques. They’re published by professional organizations or universities, and they can be either academic or commercial publications.
Doctors benefit from these journals by having easy access to the latest advances in their field so they can improve their practice and care for their patients. In addition to describing new discoveries and developments in medical science, they also review previous research on specific topics, such as heart disease.
The articles in this journal have undergone peer-review, which means they’ve been critiqued by others who work in the same field, giving them credibility. In much the same way managers require their employees to attend conferences, many supervisors also require doctors to read medical journals each week to stay current.
Conclusion:
As the medical world changes, doctors must remain knowledgeable about the latest treatments. In other words, even if your physician graduated medical school decades ago, you can feel confident that your doctor is keeping up with the newest practices and procedures, and is receiving new certifications when necessary.
