General Info on FM CME

FM CME ASSESSORS BOARD (2024-2027)

Chairperson
Dr Loke Kam Weng

Vice-Chairperson
Adj A/Prof Tan Hsien Yung David

Members
Dr Pang Sze Kang Jonathan
Dr Tham Tat Yean
Dr Tan Kok Heng Adrian
Dr Tay Ee Guan
Dr Aw Junjie

CORE FM CME Defined

Under the new CME system, the Singapore Medical Council has come up with the concept of core CME for Family Physicians. Initially, the College has come up with a 5 operational criteria definition. These have been published in the Jan-Mar 2002 issue of the Singapore Family Physician and are reproduced below:

Core CME may be defined operationally as CME that fulfils all the following 5 requirements:

1.       Have scientific and clinical content with a direct bearing on patient care.

2.       Have a direct bearing on family physicians' ability to deliver patient care including, but not limited to, laboratory investigations, practice management, and quality assurance

3.       Demonstrate high educational, ethical and medical standards, with proven theory and techniques, and generally accepted by the medical community.

4.       Have active input and/or participation by family physicians designated by the CFPS in the planning, organization and/or delivery of the programme.

5.       Be organized, co-organised or endorsed by the CFPS to be core CME programmes.

For the purpose of the FM CME Advisor work, it was felt necessary to simplify things. Hence, a 5 operational criteria has been created. Core CME is defined here as a CME activity that fulfils the following criteria:

  • Is relevant to the work of the family physician in the context of primary, personal, comprehensive and continuing care
  • Is relevant to the knowledge and skills development of the family physician
  • Is endorsed or co-organised with the College.
  • Is essential to the work of the family physician in the care of their patient
  • Is important to the care of the patient

The following notes may help to clarify what is not Core CME for the Family Physician.

CME on new modes of treatment e.g. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) - this is regarded as good to know or nice to know but certainly not must know;
CME on specialized techniques not used in the family physican's practice e.g. MRI techniques for imaging the cranial fossa or the spine - again this is good to know or nice to know but not must know.
CME that is set up by a commercial or entity with vested interest using the College's endorsement or co-organisation for respectability. The speaker provided is biased, or the content is unduly tilted towards the organization with vested interest. The pharmaceutical firm's offers are potentially such CME. They require therefore closer scrutiny as well as written assurances and mutual agreement to downplay any vested interest.

NOTE TO CME COORDINATOR
We would like to bring your attention to the following when making submission of the forms for accreditation.

1.       Please ensure that all sections of the form are duly completed. Incomplete submission will not be accredited as FM core CME event. You are advised to contact the CME Advisor in the planning phase of the event to discuss the contents of the event.

2.       Please provide adequate information of the contents so that an accurate assessment of the event can be made. Inadequate description may result in rejection of the event as FM core CME event.

3.       Completed form must be sent to College at least 4 weeks before the commencement of the event.

4.       CME Advisor cannot be the coordinator or speaker of the event.

CME Advisor may request for a more detailed description of the contents if necessary.


THE FM MATRIX

The FM Matrix has been drawn up by the College to guide its vocational training programme. This matrix may therefore be of help for CME providers in ensuring a broad spread of topics that covers the syllabus over a cycle of CME of two or three years.

SMC CME System

ACTIVITY CATEGORY

CRITERIA

CREDIT POINTS AWARDED

SUBMITTED BY

1A Pre-approved Established Programmes
·
Grand Ward Round
· Teaching / Tutorial
· SessionStructured Training Programmes conducted by DGMS & CFPS (e.g. GDFM, MMed FM)

1 to < 2hours

1

CME Provider

Lecturer per session (regardless of duration)

2

 

1B Local Events
· Scientific Meeting
· Conference
· Seminar
· Lecture
· Workshop

1 to < 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
1 day
1½ days
2 days
2½ days
3 days or more

1
2
4
6
8
10
12

CME Provider

Speaker per session
(regardless of duration)

2

 

1C Overseas Events
· Scientific Meeting
· Conference
· Seminar
· Lecture
· Workshop

(Categories 1A + 1B +1C = Maximum 50 pts over 2 years)

1 to < 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
1 day
1½ days
2 days
2½ days
3 days or more

Recognised Postgraduate Degree

1
2
4
6
8
10
12

Max. claim allowed will depend on length of degree course

Medical Practitioner

Speaker per session
(regardless of duration)

2

 

2. Publication of original paper in Refereed Medical Journal/Editorial Work/Presentation of original paper or poster

(Category 2 = Maximum 40 pts over 2 years)

Authorship of original paper in Refereed Journal/Clinical Practice Guidelines/Medical Textbook

- Main author
- Subsidiary Author

5 per paper/practice guidelines/textbook chapter

1 per paper/practice guidelines/textbook chapter

Medical Practitioner

 

Editorial Work/Reviewer for Refereed Journal/Clinical Practice Guidelines/Medical Textbook

- Chief Editor
- Subsidiary Editor
-Reviewer

5(per journal/practice guidelines/textbook) 1(per journal/practice guidelines/practice guidelines/textbook) 1(per original paper/textbook)

 

 

Presentation of original paper/poster(regardless of duration)

2 per paper/poster

 

3A Self Study

(Category 3A = Maximum 10 pts over 2 years)

- Reading of papers from a list of recommended Refereed Journals/Clinical Practice Guidelines
- Self-Study from audio-visual tapes
-Online education programmes without self-assessment or with self-assessment which cannot be verified.

1 per paper/practice guidelines/tape/module

Medical Practitioner

3B Distance Learning

(Category 3B = Maximum 36 pts over 2 years)

(Categories 3A + 3B = Maximum 46 pts over 2 years.

Distance Learning through interactive structured CME programme with verifiable self-assessment(i.e. Assessment records have to be submitted)

1 per module or as recommended by AM/CFPS

CFPS and Specialists

 

List of Approved Journals form Core CME Accreditation (Self-study)


LOCAL JOURNALS

1. Singapore Family Physician
2. Singapore Medical Journal  

OVERSEAS JOURNAL (NON-FM)
1. British Medical Journal
2. Annals of Internal Medicine
3. Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)

OVERSEAS JOURNAL (FAMILY MEDICINE)
1. American Family Physician
2. Australian Family Physician
3. British Journal of General Practice
4. Canadian Family Physician

 
FM Matrix

Code

Domain of FM

A

Whole Person Medicine

A1

Child Health

A2

Adolescent Health

A3

Adult Health

A4

Elderly Health

A5

Travel Medicine

A6

Occupational Health

A7

Cancer/Palliative Care

Code

Health & Disease Category

01

Cardiovascular

02

Respiratory

03

Gastrointestinal

04

Renal & Genitourinary

05

Haematological

06

Oncology

07

Psychiatry

08

Dermatology

09

STDs

10

Joints & Musculoskeletal

11

Neurology

12

Eye

13

ENT

14

Endocrine & Metabolic

15

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

16

Problems of Living

17

General

B

Principles of FM

B1

Role of family physician

B2

Patient-centeredness

B3

Care coordination & referrals

B4

Continuing & Integrative Care

B5

Preventive Care

B6

Human Behaviour & Beliefs

B7

Family Dynamics in Health & Illness

B8

Public Health & Family Physician

B9

Community Services & Resources

C

Practice of FM

C1

Medical Records

C2

Dispensing & Certification

C3

Clinic Management

C4

Medical Informatics

C5

Practice Issues

C6

Setting Up Practice

C7

Financial Management

C8

Quality Assurance/Improvement

 

D

Professional Knowledge & Skills

D1

Communication skills

D2

Consultation skills

D3

Clinical approach

D4

Data interpretation skills

D5

Counselling skills

D6

Physical examination skills

D7

Procedural skills

D8

Therapeutics

D9

Emergencies

 

E

Professionalism

E1

Professional Conduct & Ethics

E2

Continuing Professional Development

E3

Maintenance of Professional Standards

E4

Evidence based Medicine

E5

Teaching

E6

Research