Continuing medical education

Lifelong learning ...

.... ensures the updating of knowledge and professional competence. It begins with the acquisition of a specialist title (Facharzt/Schwerpunkt) and lasts until retirement. Since 2007, continuing medical education has been enshrined as a professional obligation in the Medical Professions Act (MedBG). Continuing education is an ethical and, within the framework of Art. 40 lit. b MedBG, a legal obligation of every doctor. The aim of continuing medical education is
- To promote and maintain the health of patients and the population;
- To maintain the skills acquired in training and update them in line with the developments in medicine;
- To promote interest in research, teaching and quality promotion;
- To promote and improve the network of relationships and cooperation between all those involved in healthcare.

The purpose of the Swiss Institute of Medical Education (SIWF) training regulation is to promote high quality standards with the aim of providing safe medical care.

SIWF FAQ on continuing medical education [German, French, Italian]

Scope & documentation

The regulation prescribes the equivalent of a minimum of 80 hours or 10 days of continuing medical education.
This is divided into
- 50 hours of structured continuing education within the framework of events organized and recognized by the Swiss Society of Surgery (SGC) and its focus society the Swiss Visceral Surgeons
- 30 hours of personal education (study of surgical literature)

Continuing medical education activities are recorded online on the continuing medical education platform of the Swiss Institute of Medical Education (SIWF). This requires an account with myFMH. As soon as a continuing medical education audit is due, the Swiss Society of Surgery (SGC) office will contact the surgeon. It is recommended that continuing medical education courses are entered regularly.

SIWF CME platform [German, French, Italian]

Process

The continuing medical education regulations stipulate that the professional associations must check continuing medical education every 3 years. Each person must be able to provide evidence of 150 credit points in structured education per 3-year control period. The control period begins on January 1st of each calendar year. The SGC audits some of the surgeons annually, although it is free to proceed on a random basis. As a rule, all surgeons should be audited during the 3-year control period. The self-declaration also applies to surgeons who devote themselves intensively to teaching and research and thus to continuing medical education (full professors, academic teaching staff). Title holders who fulfill the continuing medical education requirement receive a Swiss Medical Association (FMH) continuing medical education diploma. This entitles the surgeon to use the specialist title (Facharzt-Titel) and to be in the FMH medical register.