Revised February 25, 2005

The American College of Psychiatrists promotes the art and science of psychiatry through scholarly activities and professional leadership, and encourages/supports the highest standards of clinical care through education and research. The College was formed as a learned society to enhance the education of its members by providing a series of educational activities to improve psychiatrists' knowledge of advances in psychiatry leading to enhanced professional performance.

Purpose

The purpose of The American College of Psychiatrists' Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program is to improve psychiatrists' knowledge; to introduce psychiatrists to new ideas and techniques, as they become available; to help psychiatrists maintain lifelong habits of study, self-education and learning, and receptivity to changing science in psychiatry; and to encourage understanding of the ethical and legal issues affecting the practice of psychiatry.

Goals

The goals of The College's CME program are to:

• Provide educational activities designed to increase psychiatrists' knowledge of scientific advances in psychiatry and to increase their ability to apply this information to their clinical practice.
• Create programs that integrate didactic and problem-based formats to improve practice patterns and clinical behavior.
• Evaluate The College's performance of its educational activities to assure their quality and effectiveness.

Content Areas

The College provides educational activities which reflect state-of-the-art thinking and practice in psychiatry, especially current and evolving concepts in the neurosciences and their applications to patient care. Educational activities promote an awareness of the importance of evidence-based diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions, including the value of cultural sensitivity in delivering care to populations of ethnic, gender and socioeconomic diversity.

Target Audience

The College's target audience focuses primarily on College members, i.e., psychiatrists who have made significant contributions to American psychiatry, including administrators, clinicians, physicians in private practice and organized settings, educators and scientists through participation in its annual meeting. Additionally, The College provides a specific learning opportunity for psychiatrists in clinical practice as participants in clinical practice.

College policy requires that members demonstrate a commitment to education to maintain their College membership. Specifically, they must attend at least one scientific program every three years to maintain membership in The College.

Type of Activities Provided

The College presents an annual scholarly meeting which is designed to highlight new knowledge and understanding in psychiatry through plenary presentations and group discussions; and to allow participants an opportunity to address issues in more depth, through smaller group sessions, which focus on active interactions with experts in the field in a manner geared to promote utilization of this knowledge in clinical practice.

As part of the annual meeting The College invites faculty presenters whom it has identified and recognized with awards for outstanding achievement, to present lectures on best practices in the specific areas in which they have been recognized. These include recipients of the Stanley Dean Award for Research in Schizophrenia, the Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education, the Award for Research in Geriatric Psychiatry and the Award for Research in Mood Disorders.

The College offers an examination for practicing psychiatrists, "Psychiatrists In-Practice Examination, (PIPE^®)," the content of which is based on the ABPN core competencies. This program is designed to be part of a comprehensive lifelong learning opportunity mandated by the American Board of Medical Specialties as a component of maintenance of certification.

Expected Results of the Program

The American College of Psychiatrists' CME Program is expected to increase psychiatrists' knowledge of advances in psychiatry and their ability to apply this information to their clinical practice.

Assessment of the Expected Results

The College assesses the expected results of its CME Program through analyses of its annual meeting evaluations, which reflect participants' applications of advances in psychiatry and their intention to apply this information to their clinical practice. The College surveys its annual meeting small interest group participants several months post-meeting to measure the achievement of desired results, including the retention of new knowledge and its application to clinical practice.

Approved, Committee on Education, February 25, 2005
Approved, Board of Regents, February 25, 2005