Continuing Medical Education

It is important that all licensed doctors demonstrate that their knowledge and skills are up to date and that they remain fit to practise. Attending regular educational activities is one way in which they can demonstrate a commitment to their professional development. The College has established a process for reviewing and (where appropriate) accrediting surgical activities for the purposes of Continuing Medical Education (CME) (otherwise known as Continuing Professional Development) to recognise which are worthy of attendance. In order to receive accreditation, an event must demonstrate an appropriateness and ability to contribute to the continuing professional development of surgeons or allied health professionals.

CME accreditation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England is a good quality benchmark for surgeons and allied professionals as it ensures that the content of an event is relevant to the continuing professional development of surgeons. It can also assist surgeons in justifying attendance and/or participation in scientific and educational events. The College Criteria and Standards for Accreditation of CME Activities represent qualitative characteristics which define the evidence required from event organisers sufficient for CME Accreditation awarded by the College. The organiser of a CME event must demonstrate compliance with academic and competence standards, and also meet organisational requirements. Academic and competence standards define key indicators ensuring proper relevance and education value of an event.

Benefits of CME Accreditation

Having an event accredited will demonstrate that it meets the standards as defined by the Royal College of Surgeons for CME, and that it offers a high-quality learning experience. Recognition of these factors may assist in attracting delegates. Accredited events will also receive the following benefits:

• Peer review from a panel of leading surgeons
• Use of the strap line 'Accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England for up to x number of CME points'
• Listing on the RCS Accreditation Portal
• Listing on the Intercollegiate Surgeons Portfolio
• Listing in RCS Bulletin

Further Information

Full details of the College’s fee structure can be reviewed on the Fees pages.Full details of the College’s monitoring requirements can be reviewed on the Monitoring pages.For further information about CME Accreditation including the Criteria and Standards, please review the Guidance/FAQs pages.

Please note that the College does not review applications retrospectively and recommends that any application be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.

Apply now

In order to apply for your activity to be accredited for the purposes of CME, please select the link below: