A message from our Associate Dean, Alec DeCastro, M.D.
About Us
Welcome to the Medical University of South Carolina Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME)! MUSC OCME activities provide evidence-based information and practice strategies for health care professionals in our state, region and nation. Addressing new health care needs with “laboratory to bedside” information provided through continuing medical education will impact health outcomes in our state and region.
We offer continuing medical education activities that include conferences, workshops, symposia, regularly scheduled series (grand rounds, case conferences, tumor boards, journal clubs, and M&Ms), academic detailing, and online enduring materials. These activities cover all areas of medicine. Through a variety of delivery methods, our CME activities engage learners with interactive, innovative, expert teaching in an adult learning environment. Evidence-based practices, quality improvement processes, simulation laboratories, online learning, maintenance of board certification, combined in-person and virtual events, and more patient engagement and involvement in planning for CME activities are all themes to look for in future MUSC CME activities. In addition, the expansion of MUSC Health to include our statewide Regional Health Network, along with other affiliated institutions, has greatly extended the reach and impact of the MUSC Office of Continuing Medical Education.
MUSC Accreditation with ACCME
The Medical University of South Carolina Office of Continuing Medical Education is currently accredited for four years, awarded by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
Accreditation is awarded to CME providers that demonstrate Compliance with ACCME criteria. By maintaining our national accreditation, we have demonstrated an engagement with our environment in support of physician learning and change that is a part of a system for quality improvement.
The new accreditation term is due to expire on March 31, 2027.
Mission Statement
“To support the lifelong learning process of physicians and other health care providers by providing high-quality educational opportunities designed to advance the quality and safety of patient care in South Carolina by enhancing learner competence, while improving practice performance, and patient outcomes.”
MUSC Mission & Role of the Office of CME
The mission of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is “to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina and beyond through education of health care professionals and biomedical scientists, research in the health sciences, and provision of comprehensive health care.” Our vision, OneMUSC, follows our original strategic mission, introduced in 2020, inspiring us to “change what’s possible” through Innovation, Impact and Influence. The MUSC Office of Continuing Medical Education (CME) plays a pivotal role in this initiative by offering high-quality continuing medical education and professional development programs. These efforts are designed to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes by identifying and addressing gaps between current clinical practices and optimal, evidence-based healthcare. Our healthcare priorities are informed by the unique needs of the citizens within our community, state, and region.
Purpose of the Office of CME
The MUSC Office of CME is committed to our mission statement. The Office of CME is a strategic and organizational resource in the creation and development of continuing education activities for physicians, health care professionals and interprofessional teams. Through collaborative relationships with university departments and organizations within our state and region, the Office of CME is able to provide leadership in developing educational activities that will help achieve improved health care outcomes.
Content Areas of the Office of CME Activities
Content areas are based on advances in care along with identified knowledge gaps in health care in the state of South Carolina, the southeast region, and the nation. CME activities address primary care, specialty and subspecialty content areas across the various disciplines of medicine. Our educational activities are drawn from evidence-based knowledge originating in basic medical sciences, clinical disciplines, public health, behavioral medicine and preventive medicine. The Office of CME is committed to continuous monitoring of content areas to provide educational content that is scientifically rigorous, balanced, objective and independent of commercial influence. An important component of our CME activities includes the core competencies of the ACGME/ABMS, IOM, and IPEC competencies, where appropriate.
Target Audiences of the Office of CME Activities
Our target audience includes physicians and other health care professionals employed by or affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina as well as health care professionals across South Carolina, the region, the United States, and the world.
Types of CME Activities Provided by the Office of CME
The CME activities offered include regularly scheduled series, performance improvement activities, virtual and blended activities, simulation activities, conferences and symposia. Enduring materials include online activities accessed through our website. The Office of CME also partners with organizations in joint providership for educational activities with selected non-accredited entities such as state, regional and national societies.
Expected Results of the Program (required by ACCME)
The MUSC Office of CME uses a gap-analysis approach to needs assessment to provide quality CME activities designed to enhance learner’s knowledge, competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes:
- Knowledge: Post-test evaluations and use of audience response systems on activity content are used to measure what learners gain as a result of participating in the activity.
- Competence: Self-reported planned changes to practice, recognition of barriers to make changes, identification of specific planned actions that include commitment to change (CTC) and participation in case studies and focused simulation experiences measure the learner’s ability to put knowledge into action.
- Performance: Follow-up surveys addressing whether learners implemented changes, and assessments of performance in practice following performance improvement activities, measure learners’ application of knowledge, skills, and behaviors into practice.
- Patient Outcomes: Assessment of state-wide or regional performance in practice documentation that reflects changes in health care professionals and team performance that positively impacts specific populations.
The MUSC Office of CME continually works to develop better methods for measuring outcomes for use with educational activities and initiatives. Policies are enforced to ensure activities are free of commercial bias and independent of commercial influence.
Approved by: College of Medicine CME Advisory Committee
Bill Basco, M.D., Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education
March 16, 2023
