2. Participation in CME
2.1. Who should participate in CME
All surgical hospital staff should participate in CME. Trained surgeons wholly engaged in private practice should also be included. Trainees in Paediatric Surgery, whose educational requirements are peculiar and more demanding than those involved in CME, are not included in CME registration process although this obviously does not mean that they have to be excluded by CME activities.
Adequate completion of CME requirements is mandatory for all Paediatric Surgeons registered into the European Register of Paediatric Surgeons in order to maintain their status of Fellows of the European Board of Paediatric Surgery (F.E.B.P.S.). After each 5 years period on the Register will be pointed out the names of Paediatric Surgeons that have attained the minimum standard of CME credits required in the same period and have forwarded them to the Board.
It is taken for granted, for Paediatric Surgeons in Countries which have an established system of CME crediting, that the Board will accept the methods of approving and reporting of CME activity which are already in place. Until the Board has overall jurisdiction in Europe, for these Surgeons a copy of the CME annual summary used in their Country could be forwarded to the Board for their records. It is nevertheless recognized that there are differences in the methods by which each Country assesses standards of surgical care and CME. This will by necessity require the Board to liaise with different organisations according to the Country in question when assessing the CME status of Paediatric Surgeons.
2.2. Verification of CME Activity
The Board will publish on its Internet website the appropriate documents for recording CME activity (§ 2.3.). Each registered Paediatric Surgeon willing to join the European CME program shall download the documents and fill it regularly. Completed forms should be mailed or e-mailed to the Board.
After completing 5 years of CME activity to the minimum recommended level required, a registered surgeon's name will be pointed out on the European Register with a specific mention of his/her CME accomplishment. The first list will be compiled in 2005 and it will be updated annually. Verification of a sample of the CME returns will take place for time to time.
2.3. How to record CME credits
There will be two forms of documentation for recording CME, a personal log book and an annual summary sheet, available on the Section website. The log book will be an ongoing record of activities in which will be recorded the nature and duration of each CME activity undertaken. From the log book, an annual summary will be completed which will be returned to the Board. The log book is the personal record of participation in CME. It is advised that this should be retained for seven years in case there is any dispute in due course about the central CME record and the surgeon’s inclusion on the list of those who have participated satisfactorily. In order to claim CME credits for external meetings, courses and distance learning programmes, the event must have been formally approved by the National Authority or by the Board for CME purposes prior to the event taking place.
Note: Implementation of items n. 2.2 and 2.3 has been temporarily delayed, waiting for the National systems to be settled and tested; the Section will then take care to collect via e-mailing the annual credit sheet, approved by the relevant National Accreditation Authorities, of the FEBPS willing to have their CME duties recorded on the European Register.(Zagreb General Assembly, 2004)
2.4. International CME activities
The participation in EACCME registered CME activities outside their own country by Paediatric Surgeons entitles them to the recognition of the credits they obtained by the Authority of their own country. Specialists apply for the recognition of these CME credits in the same way as for CME credits obtained in their own country (D9907).
2.5. Arbitration mechanism
Any disagreement in recording and awarding CME credits should be referred to the Chairman of the Board's Committee on CME. Appeal body against Chairman’s decisions will be first the Executive Committee of the Board and then –further disagreement should persist- the Executive Committee of the UEMS as well as the European Accreditation Council for CME.
