Continuing medical education cruises offer physicians a relaxed learning environment and a vacation. The American Medical Association sets the standard for CME, which is mandatory in some countries. CME cruises offer credits and are available for various medical professionals. Physicians can take their families and enjoy ship activities and port excursions.
Continuing medical education often provides physicians with up-to-date and credible information on various health topics. Many regions impose local or national mandates on how many continuing credits a licensed health professional must complete. Venues for such learning regularly include continuing medical education cruises, which often combine a relaxed atmosphere with pertinent questions. Doctors often take their families on these voyages, as the amenities likely mimic those on commercial cruises. Ship activities, port excursions and extended stays may be possible on some cruise lines.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a membership body for practicing physicians in the 50 United States and its four licensing jurisdictions: the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The AMA not only maintains a membership directory for credentialing purposes, but has also set a standard for continuing medical education (CME). To illustrate, the AMA Physician Recognition Award Category 1 credit system is generally recognized in the US as the CME unit of measurement and is accepted by all US jurisdictions.
CME is often a crucial aspect of many physicians’ careers. Across the US, for example, many states impose mandates for medical education on topics such as pain management, geriatric care, and patient safety. European countries that adhere to CME systems generally adopt national requirements. The CME is required in the UK and Germany for renewal of medical practice licenses and is mandatory in Italy, Spain and France. Some countries, however, do not enforce CME regulations and instead place the responsibility of learning on each practitioner.
CME courses can be taken in a variety of locations, such as classrooms or online courses. Continuing medical education cruises offer another option for physicians who want to use this time as a vacation. These trips are often known for their relaxed learning environments, which often take place in conference style. In many cases, physicians take their families on CME cruises, as children’s programs and adult activities are usually organized on the ships.
Topics and destinations often vary with continuing medical education cruises. A conference, for example, might leave Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and address the subject of allergies and immunology. Another might come out of Bayonne, New Jersey, and discuss urology. CME cruises are likely to depart and arrive at many different locations around the world. These voyages usually allow for time ashore as well in several pre-determined ports.
Similar to professional courses usually offered by a community college or technical school, CME cruises generally associate a credit amount with each voyage. Some cruises can be worth 14 credits, which usually correlate with the AMA system. These credits, in turn, can count toward a physician’s annual CME requirements. While ship activities are often available to physicians, such as tennis, golf and swimming, they only receive credit for hours spent attending conferences or meetings.
A series of steps are often required of physicians using continuing medical education cruises to comply with state mandates. Typically, participants complete an assessment after completing the course. The assessment from that point is usually sent to the program’s accrediting body, which for many US programs is the AMA. After the paperwork is processed, a certificate of completion is often sent to the participant, which can then be submitted to the appropriate state board for record keeping or re-licensing purposes.
Many features of medical conference cruises are similar to commercial cruises. All-inclusive pricing is an option often available with both. For doctors, this likely means that social events and food are free for guests who travel. While many medical education cruises remain for physicians, some also exist for nurses, dentists, psychiatrists and pharmacists. Specialty cruises are also often available to medical assistants, chiropractors and medical attorneys.
Additional amenities can allow physicians and their families to opt for pre-cruise or post-cruise hotel packages that extend the vacation. Tours may also be available from select ports with expeditions such as those exploring Antarctica, the Amazon rainforests or the African Serengeti. Continuing medical education cruises to places like Greece, Hawaii or Alaska can offer more options.
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