Continuing medical education in the Caribbean - abstract

ABSTRACT

The rapid changes in medical knowledge involve both the adoption of new facts and ideas and the discarding of once well-established ones. It is quite impossible to work in the field over a 5 - 10 year period without some form of Continuing Medical Education (CME). In the Caribbean, this need is more acute as many physicians work in relative isolation. Further reinforcing this need is the situation where many physicians, even with postgraduate training, work in general areas of health care. Efforts at CME in Barbados have achieved only limited results, specifically with the few faithful "familiar faces" updating their knowledge, skills and participation. The continuing education of a majority of the thousands of doctors produced by our Faculty since 1954 remains uncertain. It is not unreasonable that Caribbean doctors will be asked to demonstrate their "qualification" in CME, particularly as our developing societies grow in sophistication. It is essential that the medical profession itself deals with this problem and that it is not left to be dealt with by administrative, legal or political authorities (AU)