CME Becomes Hassle Free On APA’s Web Site

Psychiatrists can earn Category 1 continuing medical education (CME) hours without having to travel long distances, spend large amounts of money, or even leave home.

Earning CME credits should be as hassle free as possible for psychiatrists, which is why APA makes it possible for members to earn Category 1 CME at home or at the office via their personal computer.

All a member needs to do is log on to the Internet and connect to APA’s continuing medical education Web site.

Some of the online CME topics include “Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Eating Disorders,” as well as other APA practice guidelines; the Web-based course “Buprenorphine Training for the Treatment of Opiate-Dependent Patients”; and several downloadable monographs in PDF format from the APA Clinical Highlights Program.

Access to the programs is free. Psychiatrists can choose to complete one or all of the programs and submit a nominal fee for test processing per course. APA members are eligible for a reduced fee. For instance, members taking a course on the practice guidelines pay a $15 processing fee to receive credit, while nonmembers pay $30. For other courses, the prices are $10 for members and $25 for nonmembers. The number of credits varies from course to course.

All credits earned by members on the APA CME Web site can be tracked in the personalized CME Recorder, another feature of this Web service. Now, the number of credits that a member has earned with APA can be kept in one place and accessed at any time.

To begin the online CME, follow the steps listed below:

• On your computer’s Internet browser, type www.psych.org in the address bar and press “Enter” on your keyboard.

• On the APA homepage, click on the heading “Online CME Programs,” which is located under “Professional Tools.”

• To log on, APA members will need their member number and password. (The password for the CME Web site is the same password you use for the APA Member’s Corner Web site.) Members who do not know their APA member number can call APA toll free at (888) 35-PSYCH.

Members who have their member number but have either forgotten or never set a password should click on the “Help” button by the phrase “Need help logging in?” Follow the prompts for establishing your password.

Nonmembers may register to get a user ID number that will allow access to the programs by clicking on the “Register” button next to the phrase “Non-members, click here to register” from the log-in Web page and follow the prompts. Registration for nonmembers is time limited and does not allow access to all APA Online CME Web site features (such as the CME Tracker).

Once you have your member number or user ID and password, return to the APA Online CME Web page and enter them into the appropriate boxes.

• Begin to explore the wide array of programs available.

Some individuals may have to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader onto their computers to view and print some programs. Those who have Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 3.0 and earlier will need to upgrade their version to view these documents.

The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 is available by going to www.adobe.com. Select “Support,” “Download Acrobat Reader,” and “Get Acrobat Reader Free.” Once complete, members will be able to download and print the 2001 Clinical Highlights Program monographs. ▪

Ms. Budash is the CME program assistant in the APA Office of Education.