Applying for CME Credit

The CME application process is intended to help you plan and structure your educational activity in a manner that will achieve your intended outcomes. As an accredited provider, UNR Med must maintain compliance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education's criteria and standards. Below is information to help you prepare your application.

Pre-Application

  • Prior to submitting your application, please contact our office at least 90 days before the start of your activity to discuss you’re the application process and fees. We can be reached at 775-784-4791 or cme@med.unr.edu.
  • Review the conflict of interest policy before you begin. Not all organization types are eligible to be joint providers. 
  • Applications must be completed via the online form with the required documentation attached. Applications will not be reviewed by the CME Committee until all required documentation is received.
  • Applications must be submitted a minimum of 60 days before the start date of the activity.
  • You may not distribute marketing materials until you receive CME approval. You may NOT include verbiage such as "CME credit pending" or similar statements. The appropriate required accreditation statements will be sent to you once your application has been approved.

Once you are ready to begin your application, you will need to be prepared to provide the following information.

Needs Assessment

  • Why is there a need for education on this topic?
  • What is the issue that you are trying to address? What is not currently happening in practice that should be?
  • Who is the target audience for your activity?

Learning Objectives

  • What are the learning objectives for your activity? What do you expect your learners to be able to do at the conclusion of the activity? See below for assistance in crafting well-written learning objectives.

Methods

  • What teaching methods do you plan to use to deliver the educational content? (e.g., lectures, case presentations, clinical skills training)
    Why did you choose this method?

Evaluation

  • How will you determine if you have achieved your intended results for the activity?

Supporting Documents

You will be required to upload the following documents when completing the online form. Supporting documents included in the CME Application and Education Planning Form link below:

  • Disclosure Statement Form - All individuals who are in a position to control the content of the CME activity must complete this form. This includes planners, reviewers, authors, and presenters. If you have more than FOUR disclosures, please contact our office for a dedicated link at cme@med.unr.edu.
  • Activity Agenda Template - You may use your own form. However, it MUST include dates, start and end times, presentation titles and presenter names, degrees, and affiliations.

Start the online CME application now.

Learning Objectives

Well-written learning objectives are your road map to designing an effective CME activity. They help you plan your educational content and communicate to the learners what they can expect to be able to do as a result of their participation in the activity. Objectives should be written as measurable actions that the learner can perform or implement. Learning objectives must be designed to measure outcomes in terms of changes in the learner's competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes. The ACCME defines competence as "knowing how" to do something.  Knowledge, in the presence of experience and judgment, is translated into ability (competence) - which has not yet been put into practice. It is what a professional would do in practice if given the opportunity. The skills, abilities, and strategies one implements in practice are considered performance.

Sample Measurable Action Verbs

Competence

  • Acquire
  • Adapt
  • Analyze
  • Apply
  • Calculate
  • Categorize
  • Change
  • Chart
  • Classify
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Demonstrate
  • Detect
  • Develop
  • Diagram
  • Educate
  • Employ
  • Evaluate
  • Examine
  • Experiment
  • Intervene

Performance

  • Appraise
  • Assess
  • Choose
  • Conclude
  • Design
  • Develop
  • Diagnose
  • Empathize
  • Estimate
  • Evaluate
  • Formulate
  • Integrate
  • Manage
  • Measure
  • Organize
  • Order
  • Palpitate
  • Perform
  • Prescribe
  • Prepare
  • Rank

Knowledge

  • Classify
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Define
  • Describe
  • Distinguish
  • Explain
  • Identify
  • List
  • Outline
  • Recognize
  • Review

Avoid

  • Appreciate
  • Know
  • Learn
  • Understand

Learning objectives should always begin with the statement "Following the conclusion of participating in this activity, learners should be able to:" and each objective should start with an action verb. Below are some examples of well-written objectives:

  • Assess the risk for cardiovascular disease associated with hypoglycemia among people with type 2 diabetes
  • Develop a safe and effective treatment plan for patients with chronic pain
  • Apply motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques
  • Utilize communication strategies to improve adherence to statin therapy

Additional Learning Objective Resources

How to Write Well-Defined Learning Objectives

Educational Terms: Knowledge, Competence, Performance, and Patient Outcomes (ACCME, 2016)