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Expanding your medical knowledge and skills through continuing education is critical to staying at the top of your field, and it's often required as part of maintaining licensure too. CME courses can be expensive, but fortunately, there are a lot of free continuing education resources available, including Medscape.com, ReachMD.com, and Pri-Med.com. While each medical specialty and region has varying requirements for CMEs, here are some continuing education resources for healthcare providers that may be helpful.
Continuing education for physicians
Staying current on the requirements of your specialty is also imperative for physician career growth. The following organizations offer information about professional development growth opportunities in your field:
In addition, each specialty has its own continuing education resources. For example, AAFP offers education for family medicine practitioners, the American College of Cardiology has a whole library of courses for cardiologists, and emergency medicine physicians can earn CME hours online through the American College of Emergency Physicians. Check your specialty’s continuing education requirements for more details.
Continuing education for occupational therapists
Occupational therapy requirements differ by location, but they typically range from 8 to 20 hours of continuing education every year. For information about continuing education, course requirements, and access to online courses, visit one of the following websites:
- American Occupational Therapy Association
- Elite Learning
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
In addition, CompHealth provides its own continuing education resources to help you meet these requirements and continue to be a great occupational therapist.
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Continuing education for physical therapists
Physical therapists should generally have 10 to 20 continuing education credits or hours per license renewal, though some states are more flexible with physical therapist assistants. For information about continuing education, visit one of the following websites:
CompHealth also provides continuing education resources for physical therapists.
Continuing education for speech-language pathologists
To keep their certification with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, speech-language pathologists will need to complete 30 professional development hours every three years, with at least two hours focused on diversity and equity. For information about continuing education, visit one of the following websites:
And, once again, CompHealth provides its own continuing education resources for speech language pathology.
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Continuing education for physician assistants (PAs)
Physician assistants will need to earn 100 CME credits every two years to maintain certification with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. For information about continuing education visit one of the following websites:
- American Academy of Physician Associates
- National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
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Continuing education for nurse practitioners (NPs)
Nurse practitioner certifications require 100 hours of advanced continuing education, in addition to practice hours, every five years. For information about continuing education, visit the following websites:
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners
- Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education
- American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
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Continuing education for certified nurse anesthetists (CRNAs)
CRNAs will need 100 hours of continuing education credits every four years. For information about continuing education, visit the following websites:
Continuing education for laboratory professionals
Laboratory professional requirements differ among laboratory focuses, but here are resources that will keep you sharp regardless of your continuing education requirements:
- ASCLS Labucate
- American Society for Clinical Pathology
- College of American Pathologists
- American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants
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These are just a few of the many resources that are available to help you provide even better care to your patients. And, individual states offer their own training, so check your area for training that’s both virtual and in-person.
If you have questions about continuing education resources for healthcare providers, contact your CompHealth representative at 1.800.453.3030. They can help you find options that meet the needs of your specialty.